Both races filled to capacity in 2011, so runners are encouraged to sign up early to secure a spot for the run in Peninsula State Park. To accommodate surging interest in the race, the cap has been raised to 1,800 runners in the Half Marathon and 500 for the 5k.

Organizers have quickly established the Door County Half Marathon as a must-do on the Midwest running calendar. The scenic course features panoramic bluff-top vistas of the waters of Green Bay and stretches run along the Door Peninsula shoreline. The closed, USATF-certified course is run on paved roads through the woods of the park and past historic landmarks, including the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse.

Hailed by Runner’s World blogger Jenny Hadfield as one of the top half marathon courses in the country, the race has been featured in Runner’s World, Silent Sports magazine, and Tom Held’s “Off the Couch” blog for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Veteran ultra-marathoner Roy Pirrung has praised the course as “impeccably organized,” with plenty of course support for first-time distance runners, while the notorious hills of Peninsula State Park offer a an enticing challenge for experienced runners.

To register for the race visit www.doorcountyhalfmarathon.com, where you can view a video of the course and highlights from the 2009 and 2010 editions of the event.

Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5K
Saturday, May 5, 2012

Registration Questions: Assistant Race Director Mary Knutson, 920.421.1519

Race Director: Brian Fitzgerald, 920.421.1518. brian@doorcountyhalfmarathon.com,

Mailing Address:

Door County Half Marathon
PO Box 95|
Ephraim, WI 54211

Registration Fees:

Half Marathon:  $58 before February 1, $68 February 1 – April 30, and $78 on-site May 4 (if space available)

Nicolet Bay 5k:  $30 before January 31, $35 February 1 – April 30, and $40 on-site May 4.

The scene above was repeated all across the Peninsula with downed trees blocking highways and cutting off electricity, telephone, cable and Internet connections to thousands of sites in northeastern Wisconsin’s Door County. The DNR is faced with so many trees blocking trails and roads that they have ordered all of Door County’s State Parks as well as Peninsula State Park’s Golf Course closed until Monday. While parts of the patchwork of power loss that affected more than 11,000 homes and businesses continue to come back to light, there are still more than 6,000 spots that remain dark. Among them are the south shoreline area of Fish Creek that includes the Settlement Shops and Courtyard Inn as well as Peninsula Players Theatre. But that hasn’t stopped the troupe at America’s oldest resident summer stock theatre in its unique setting along the cedar-lined shores of Green Bay. Executive Director, Brian Kelsey says “The Peninsula Players Theatre is still without power due to the storm, but we will be performing this evening under generator and work lights. We performed last night as well to a wonderful audience. Bring an extra layer and a blanket for optimum comfort, though!” Trees like this gigantic old elm that toppled over at Fish Creek’s Greenwood Supper Club have fallen on numerous homes and business locations. Daniel Ewaskowitz is perched up in the tree top, dexterously taking the fallen tree apart section-by-section with a crew on block and tackle to lower each piece to the ground without damaging the existing roof structure below. Glidden Drive area was particularly hard hit as well as the tree-lined portions of Highway 57 north of Jacksonport which remained closed until midday Friday. This home, (below) located on Highway 57 in Sevastopol was spared any harm when a large old maple fell neatly into the driveway.

Wisconsin Public Service provides a Map of Current Electric Outages within their service area. If you are without power, they ask that you please report your outage. “To receive an update on a previously reported outage, check your outage status. Outage information is updated every 15 minutes.”

And in Ephraim, one boat owner was fortunate that it was a northwester blowing his sailboat ashore instead of out to sea, when it broke loose from a mooring in Eagle Harbor. Thursday evening, after the power flickered and died out, I found my home reasonably well-equipped with a good supply of candles, two big boxes of stick matches, a few gallons of water, a battery-powered radio and a gasoline-powered 110-volt generator,  but there were still some vital things missing. A Friday afternoon, after-the-fact trip to the local Pamida store in Sister Bay found them completely sold out of cheap flashlights. With winter looming, perhaps it’s time to make what survivalists call a “B.O.B.” or bug-out-bag that contains a collection of important items like a multi-tool which provides several tools in one: pliers, screw drivers, knife and saw blade. Here’s a simple B.O.B. example… a 6.5 Gallon Marron Nylon Pack with re-enforced stitching, waterproof zipper covers. Main compartment, 2 side pouches and 2 front compartments that contains:

•  1 Ultralight/Watertight basic Medical kit
• 2 MREs (Meal, Ready to Eat)
• 1 Power Bar
• 2 Powerbar Gels
• 33oz GSI DUKJUG water bottle (BPA Free)
• 50 Aquatabs water purification tablets
• GSI Compact Stainless Ketalist kitchen kit
• Emergency Thermal Blanket
• Maglight Solitaire – 65ft. Beam Distance
• Fox40 Safety Whistle
• 2 x Heat Factory Disposable warming pack (10 hour life)
• Silva Forecaster Compass/Thermometer
• 1- 100ft ultralight Paracord
• Duct Tape
• Coghlan’s 2 ply Toilet Tissue

What’s on your list of essentials?

This is a great time to thank Janelle and the Door County Silent Sports Alliance for providing all of this hard work and also to add our thanks to those tireless trail groomers that make winter in Door County a very special time.

Here’s the latest ski report:

Amazing! Just when we all thought we should store our ski equipment until next winter, we were blessed with over 12 inches of snow across the county on Tuesday and Wednesday this past week.

Door County Silent Sports Alliance has the pleasure of being able to issue week 15 of the ski report! We are indebted to all the volunteer trail groomers as well as to all those who did trail work during the summer months leading up to ski season. Thank you for a wonderful, long season of Nordic skiing in Door County.

Trail groomers report the following conditions:

Crossroads at Big Creek Conditions: All ski trails at the Crossroads were rolled and packed on Thursday morning. Snow is heavy and wet but with the cold weather tonight we should have a very good base again. A track will be set early on Friday morning. We will have very good skiing at the Crossroads over the weekend.

Newport State Park Conditions: No official report but there is plenty of snow for classical skiing.

Peninsula State Park Conditions: 10″-12″ of new snow fell yesterday! As we are reliant upon volunteer groomers right now, there have not yet been any tracks laid, but they are planning on getting out to groom Thursday evening. Sustained, below-freezing temperatures should keep the fresh snow around at least through the weekend, and conditions should be excellent, barring any windstorms or sudden melt-downs!

Potawatomi State Park Conditions: No report official report but there is plenty of snow and the woods should be beautiful with snow heavy on the trees. If volunteers have been able to get out to do grooming, the trails should be very good.

Snowkraft Nordic Conditions: Snowkraft is groomed and ready for skiing!!

Whitefish Dunes State Park Conditions: It ain’t over til it’s over! Just when we were getting ready to put the grooming equipment away for the season, mother nature dumps 12 “ + of heavy wet snow. Trails were packed, and track set Thursday. Very good to excellent in many areas. Because of the density of the snow and the warming temps, getting a full depth track was a challenge, but it is very good in most areas. All in all, this might be a last time to take advantage of good skiing this weekend.

Weekly Cross Country Ski Report brought to you by Door County Silent Sports Alliance.

May 11 • Tuesday at The Ridges Sanctuary 9:30 AM – Noon. Meet at the Upper Rangelight. We will pull invasive forget-me-nots. Burgers hot off the grill afterward.

May 11, 19, 25 • Tuesdays in May  at Peninsula State Park from 1 PM – 2 PM. Call Invasive species Coordinator Paula Olig at 920.854.5976 for more information.

May 14  • Friday at Whitefish Dunes State Park 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM Meet at the Nature Center. Water, gloves and snack provided. (Volunteers receive a complimentary daily vehicle sticker)

May 21 • Friday at Whitefish Dunes State Park •  1:30 PM Meet at the Nature Center. Water, gloves and snack provided. (Volunteers receive a complimentary daily vehicle sticker)

May 22 • Saturday at Potawatomi State Park •  9 AM and 2 PM  Meet at the Picnic shelter at Parking lot 2.  Suitable tasks for everyone. Rain or shine. For information: Peter Sigmann (920) 824-5193. (Volunteers receive a complimentary daily vehicle sticker). The friends of Potawatomi State Park are attempting to remove invasive Eurasian Honeysuckle along the shoreline to allow recovery of native vegetation and restore the view of the bay.

May 25 • Tuesday at Sawyer Elementary School. From 8 AM – 10 AM. Help the second graders pull garlic mustard at Woodside Park in Sturgeon Bay.

May 25 • Tuesday at Baileys Harbor Town Hall. Presentation and field trip • 2-3 PM A Success Story: Phragmites in Moonlight Bay. Field trip to Moonlight Bay will follow presentation. Carpool to field site. Waterproof boots recommended.

May 28 • Friday at Whitefish Dunes State Park 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM Meet at the Nature Center. Water, gloves and snack provided. (Volunteers receive a complimentary daily vehicle sticker)

June 1, 15, 22, 29 • Tuesdays in June at Peninsula State Park from 1 PM – 2 PM. Call Invasive species Coordinator Paula Olig at (920) 854-5976 for more information.

June 4, 5, & 6 • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday at The Rushes on Logerquist road in Jacksonport. Tackling barberry. Call Marne Kaeske for more information marne@ridgessanctuary.org or 920.839.2802.

Reminders & Notes

Log your Hours! Whether at home or out with a crew, your volunteer time controlling invasives is valuable. Please try to send these signed hard copies in to The Ridges each month. (The state requires hard copies – but we are working on an electronic version – maybe next year) The Ridges Sanctuary • PO Box 152 • Baileys Harbor WI 54202.

Landowner Visits! Staff and volunteers are available for landowner visits to provide a brief survey of vegetation and suggestions of options for noxious weed control.  Call to schedule a visit: marne@ridgessanctuary.org or 920.839.2802.

Project RED! Coming June 14. Learn to identify 15 aquatic invasive species while doing what you love – paddling! Grab your friends and paddles. Laura MacFarland of the River Alliance of Wisconsin will present on opportunistic monitoring for exotic species of concern while enjoying your local waters. Cal: 920.839.2802 or email: marne@ridgessanctuary.org.

Let’s do this together! Please let us know about interest in invasive education development, growing threats and work parties in you neighborhood!

If you wish to receive emails from The Ridges and DCIST regarding upcoming opportunities, please call The Ridges at 920.839.2802 or email carol@RidgesSanctuary.org and they will add you to the list.

Only Muzzleloaders may be used to hunt deer during the November 21 – 29, 2009 firearm season. Please see the 2009 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations for muzzleloader restrictions. Each firearm must be unloaded and enclosed within a carrying case when in or on a motor vehicle or within a closed area of the park.

The goal of Peninsula’s hunt is to protect the Park’s vegetation from the effects of a sizable deer herd. Hunters’ efforts to harvest antlerless deer are an integral part of this resource management effort.

Some areas of the park are posted as closed areas (see map). Hunters may not pursue wounded deer into closed areas or drive deer from closed areas. Park employees must be informed by the hunter of the location of any wounded animal within the closed area. They may then assist the hunter in recovering the deer.

Most roads within and surrounding the Hunting Zones will be barricaded and closed to motor vehicles. Hunters shall
use parking areas as posted on the map. In no instance shall motor vehicles be operated off of paved roadways.
All rules pertaining to road hunting apply. Hunters shall use special caution and avoid hunting near roads or
trails used by non-hunters, as noted on deer hunting map.

Note: A muzzleloader is considered unloaded if the cap is removed from a cap lock muzzleloader, or the flash pan is cleaned on a flint-lock muzzleloader. The ball and powder may remain in the barrel, except that the powder and projectile must be removed from the barrel of an electronic ignition muzzleloader.

The DNR says Peninsula State Park‘s cross country ski trails are in “very good to excellent condition. The sledding hill and snowmobile trails are also open.”

But, I am struggling with a different problem. Cleaning closets and getting rid of stuff is another winter time activity that sets in when you are more inclined to spend time indoors. I was making steady progress yesterday when I discovered a pair of tan corduroy knickers that instantly brought back memories of the smell of hot pine tar and wood skiis. I tried them on and they fit perfectly, like they were custom-tailored!

As I walked around and moved in them I remembered why we used to ski in knickers – for freedom of motion and flexibility. But, now there’s one missing ingredient… knickersox, ones that are made of wool and go up over and above the knees. I called Ecology Sports, thinking back to when Marty Drury and I became two of the first certified Nordic ski instructors in the Midwest, wearing knickers and training with Sven Wiik at the Wolf River Lodge.

Alicia

I talked with Alicia in Sister Bay who could remember them, but hasn’t seen a pair of above-the-knee knickersox in years.

Even Google is clueless asking me, “Did you mean: knickerbox“

Maybe ebay?

“0 results found for knicker sox”

There’s really no way I will give up on this now. You will find me searching Goodwill Stores, Bargains Unlimited, Craig’s List… I might even continue my gender-bending demands for men’s equal rights and take up that other winter sport… knitting!

Maybe a personal… “SWM looking for SWF with knitting needles, know-how and a passion for skiing, saunas, popcorn, wine and classical music.”