Iron County ski trail segment opens

By RICHARD JENKINS

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PENCE, Wis. — Cross country skiers can now go from the ski trails in the city of Montreal to the Uller trail system in the town of Anderson after the Penokee Rangers recently opened a new segment of trail.

A skier can ski from the western end of the Montreal trail system to Wisconsin 77 in Pence, take their skis off to cross the highway and continue on the new connector trail north of the highway to the Uller Trails.

“So you could technically ski from Weber Lake all the way on to the Montreal trail system and all the way down to Rose Wreath now,” said Charlie Zinsmaster, the chief of trails for the Penokee Rangers, a volunteer group that helps maintain the trail system.

The 3.9-kilometer section of trail runs from the Pence ball field off Wisconsin 77 to Hoyt Road in the town of Anderson, where it connects to the Uller Trails.

Work on the connector trail started just after Christmas, according to Zinsmaster, and wrapped up a little over a week ago.

“Now it needs a few signs, a couple of maps,” he said

Zinsmaster said the connector is a bit of a throwback to what cross country skiing was like in the ‘70s, when groomers weren’t as wide as they are now.

“It’s what we call old school. It gets very, very narrow in places,” he said, adding more work to widen and improve the trail will likely take place this summer.

The route is slightly different that the previous trail connecting the Uller and Montreal trails, Zinsmaster said, after the group lost access to a section of private land more than a decade ago.

“Well, now we’re back,” Zinsmaster said, adding he actually likes the new route better because it doesn’t go through some areas with a lot of drifting snow.

Maps of the trails the Penokee Rangers help maintain, including the connector trail, can be found at penokeerangers.

com/maps