Theodore Wirth Development Meeting
March 26, 2002
by Margaret Adelsman
A standing-room-only crowd filled the historic Theodore
Wirth Chalet in Minneapolis on Monday night, March 25th, to
discuss the recreational future of Theodore Wirth Park and
other Minneapolis Parks with city government officials, including
several park commissioners and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
An air of optimism was definitely present as the new mayor
confessed his passion for the silent sports and his desire
to broaden their accessibility to the Minneapolis area at
large. In fact, Mayor Rybak recently completed the 24K Korteloppet
and claimed he could recognize most of us if he could see
us from behind (in modest reference to his skiing ability).
Suggestions for how best to simultaneously preserve and take
advantage of the fantastic terrain provided by the Theodore
Wirth Park area, in particular, were heard from a large number
of cross-country skiers and mountain bikers in attendance.
The top of the cross-country skiing wish list included improvements
in the quality and consistency of ski trail grooming, improved
lighting for night skiing, and a more functional trail route
through Wirth Park. This would most effectively use the terrain
and snow retention zones while still allowing for quality
classical and skate skiing.
Updating current snowmaking equipment at Theodore Wirth
was also a focus of discussion and its potential use for providing
snow coverage on a 1-2km loop to be used by cross-country
skiers. The notion of having a centrally located trail with
dependable snow was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm, and
Mayor Rybak himself noted the potential of early season training
camps as a source of additional revenue. Others in attendance
mentioned the need for conditioning of the trail system with
attention to ruts, root removal, and brush clearing. Combined
with improvements in grooming, many felt that Theodore Wirth
and the Minneapolis Park system has the potential to host
ski tours and races for all ages and abilities. This included
sprint races, possibly held on Lake of the Isles, and the
initial proposal for a world-class ski race, perhaps hosted
in tandem with the existing Battle Creek Ski Games in St.
Paul (slated earlier for January of this year but canceled
due to lack of snow). Lower-key events were also requested
to encourage as much of the metropolitan skiing public as
possible to participate and take advantage of the great city
trails that already exist. These might include family tours
with tracks set along the parkways and city lake systems,
as well as fun events geared primarily for children. Several
other city trail systems were also briefly discussed, including
Gross, Meadowbrook, Hiawatha and Columbia golf course trails.
Issues such as access to restroom facilities, consistency
in grooming, and course layouts were discussed.
In addition to the cross-country skiers, several top-notch
mountain biking organizations, including MORC (Minnesota Off-Road
Cyclists) and IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association),
were also represented by folks in attendance. Speakers noted
the wealth of trails already existing in the Minneapolis area,
and the need to encourage responsible trail building and maintenance
to allow for continuous circuit riding within the city. They
also pointed out the level of organization already achieved
within the local mountain biking community and offered assistance
to the city for promoting trail improvements and positive
dialogue with communities adjacent to sensitive trail areas.
A great deal of volunteer effort has already been used to
establish and maintain appropriate signage on other trail
systems, to prevent erosion, to repair damaged areas, and
protect benign paths. The need to maintain open communication
between cross country skiers and mountain bikers was also
recognized so that new and existing trail systems might best
be utilized for the needs of a variety of outdoor recreational
activities. The coexistence of ski and bike trails at Battle
Creek in Ramsey Country were noted as a good example of this,
and it was mentioned that snowshoeing (AKA "trail grooming")
was welcomed on trails used for winter biking.
City park commissioners and Mayor Rybak expressed great
appreciation for the ideas and feedback provided by those
in attendance. They called upon the skiers and bikers to participate
in focus groups for trail routes and ski tour and race plans.
A variety of issues will need to be assessed along with optimal
layout and design of trails. With bird watching being a popular
recreation for many folks in Wirth Park, concern has been
expressed over the potential adverse effects of artificial
lights for night skiing on the internal clocks of our feathered
friends. Some communities are reluctant to welcome new trail
systems in their backyards, and others are concerned about
protecting historical or particularly sensitive areas. Certainly,
a key factor will be financial need for many of the projects
and ideas suggested. Park commissioners were optimistic that
the timing was ideal for making this type of financial assessment,
as budgeting plans for the next several years will soon be
underway. Various means of generating revenue were also discussed,
including season pass fees for use of the Minneapolis Park
system, and fee-based use of artificial-snow covered areas,
not unlike the current scenario at downhill ski venues. The
observation was made that most skiers may spend several hundreds
of dollars on equipment, which is not much good to us when
we have little chance to use it. Thus they would be willing
to pay fees to have a high-quality, dependable trail system.
If the focus group sign-up lists are any indicator, there
is strong community support for the revival of Theodore Wirth
as a top notch cross-country ski venue as well as the inclusion
of mountain bike trails, and improvements at the other Minneapolis
Parks. Watch for future developments down the road.
Related links
|
