Wednesday, February 23, 2012

DATE: Wednesday, February 23, 2012

TRAIL CONDITIONS:  Due to lack of snow, cross country ski trails are now open to hiking.  Many trails still are snow covered.   We are now at the “in-between” season where some trails still have snow and other trails are free or almost free of snow, but may be muddy.  A substantial snowfall between 3-6 inches was originally forecast for today, but snowfall amount has now been decreased to about an inch.  Thanks to Ron Falch for grooming the ski trails this year.     

CAMPING INFORMATION: Homestead Campground, Outdoor Group Campground and the Indoor Group Camp are closed for the season.  The Wisconsin Ridge Campground is open for camping on a first come, first served basis. 

The reservation period has ended for both family campgrounds and the Outdoor Group Campground.  All flush toilets, showers and fountains are closed for the season, with the exception of the winterized faucet located just east of the shower building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground.   All reservations for campsites in Wisconsin State Parks and Forests are made through Reserve America.  Reservations can be made 11 months in advance over the telephone at 888-947-2757, or online at www.wiparks.net. 

The concession stand is closed for the season.  Firewood should be available from vendors located near the park entrance. 

Fees for using the Indoor Group Camp have changed.  Fees are now $6 per person per night and $300 minimum per night.

BIRD SIGHTINGS: Bird sightings at the park office feeders include:  blue jays, cardinals, gold finches, mourning doves, red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, tree sparrows and purple finches. Bald eagles can sometimes be seen near the park entrance as well as from the bluffs.  Blue birds have returned and have been seen throughout the park.  This morning a pair was sitting on a blue bird box near the park entrance.  Gold finches are beginning to show a hint of their spring and summer plumage of bright yellow. Sightings of bald eagles have been reported in the area, especially in the Prairie du Chien area.  One report yesterday included 40 eagles near the Black Hawk Avenue Bridge.  The Decorah Fish Hatchery eagles have now laid 2 eggs. 

MISSISSIPPI RIVER REPORT:  Ice anglers are still trying their luck at the park boat landing.  They know that their days of ice fishing are numbered and are trying to get as many hours on the ice as they can. Mississippi River level at Prairie du Chien is 7.5, same as yesterday.   We do not monitor ice conditions. 

PARK HAPPENINGS: Bev will start the 2012 Edition of the Wyalusing State Park Visitor next week.  LTE hiring process for upcoming season has started – interviews scheduled.  Picnic tables are being repaired and repainted.

2012Starsplitter Astronomy Schedule    

Programs will resume in the spring.

Upcoming Friends of Wyalusing Events

.

Saturday, September 29

Spirits of Wyalusing Past

Make your camping reservation now.  More info to be announced at a later date.

Area Events

February 25

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

Live Bald Eagle and raptor programs, exhibits, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing of Bald Eagles through spotting scopes, life-sized Bald Eagle nest, children’s’ activities.  This event will be held at the PdC regional Tourism Center, Americinn Motel, and The Eagles Club.  More info please call: 1-800-1673.

NELSON DEWEY STATE PARK CURRENT CONDITIONS

Nelson Dewey State Park’s roadways will not be plowed this winter.  The parking lot near the park office will be plowed and visitors are welcome to hike into the park from the lot.  With the recent forecast of snow, the barricade was put across the road near the park office.

February 8, 2012

DATE:Wednesday, February 8, 2012

TRAIL CONDITIONS:Cross-country ski trails were groomed on Tuesday, February 7. Whitetail Meadows Trail was tracked and is still 95 per cent snow covered. Ron Falch, volunteer groomer and local ski enthusiast described that trail as “skiable”. The south loop of Turkey Hollow and roadway to Henneger Point is also tracked. . Warmer than normal temperatures for this time of year are responsible for “less than ideal” ski conditions. According to the forecast for the next few days, the remaining snow cover should remain intact as temperatures are expected to stay below freezing every day except for Thursday when temperatures will soar close to 35 degrees. Night time temps from today through Sunday will hover between single digits and upper teens. All hiking trails are still snow covered. Please remember, no pets or walking on the ski trails. Both can quickly ruin a well groomed trail.

CAMPING INFORMATION:Homestead Campground, Outdoor Group Campground and the Indoor Group Camp are closed for the season. The Wisconsin Ridge Campground is open for camping on a first come, first served basis.

The reservation period has ended for both family campgrounds and the Outdoor Group Campground. All flush toilets, showers and fountains are closed for the season, with the exception of the winterized faucet located just east of the shower building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. All reservations for campsites in Wisconsin State Parks and Forests are made through Reserve America. Reservations can be made 11 months in advance over the telephone at888-947-2757, or online at www.wiparks.net.

The concession stand is closed for the season. Firewood should be available from vendors located near the park entrance.

Fees for using the Indoor Group Camp have changed. Fees are now $6 per person per night and $300 minimum per night.

BIRD SIGHTINGS:Bird sightings at the park office feeders include: blue jays, juncos, cardinals, gold finches, mourning doves, red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, purple finches, cardinals, purple finches and the local sharp-shinned hawk. Bald eagles can sometimes be seen near the park entrance as well as from the bluffs. An exciting discovery was made on Monday, February 6 by local bird enthusiast, Alex Stark. One of his favorite haunts is in the pine trees near the south loop of Homestead Campground. Alex was walking through the pines, when a pine cone just happened to drop in front of him, thus causing him to look up. And what to his amazement did he see? A flock of white-winged crossbills!!! He said they were feeding silently on the pine cones. Alex also went on to say that the birds are nomadic, dependant on food source. So here on Monday, possibly gone by today. Since the first of this year, birds in the same area included red crossbills, pine siskins, and common redpolls. Please keep in mind that if you are thinking about venturing out to the park in search of this rare find, they may have already left the area and you will need to walk from the park office to the birds’ location as we do not plow the roads in that area of the park. At this time, it would be an easy walk along the roadway.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER REPORT:Ice fishing pressure has drastically dropped off since the last weekend in January when there were about 30 vehicles at the park boat landing. This could mean that fishing success has also dropped off, but there are still ice anglers trying their luck every day. Mississippi River level at PdC remains unchanged for the last few days at 8.1 No matter if the fish are biting or not, it is still nice to get out on the ice with fellow anglers. We do not monitor ice conditions.

PARK HAPPENINGS:We just received work this week that the “old park office” has an official new name to go along with the refurbishing which was completed this past summer. The official new name is the Paul Lawrence Interpretive Center. The interpretive panel for the original CCC kiosk, now located near the Paul Lawrence Interpretive Center was received this fall. A frame for the kiosk will soon be ordered so we will have it in time for placement this spring. A rededication of the building will be scheduled for spring or summer. Thanks to Greg Pitts for going the extra mile to get the name change started. Thanks also to the Friends of Wyalusing and Brian Hefty for their involvement with this historic project.

2012Starsplitter Astronomy Schedule

Programs will resume in the spring.

Upcoming Friends of Wyalusing Events

.

Saturday, September 29

Spirits of Wyalusing Past

Make your camping reservation now. More info to be announced at a later date.

Area Events

February 25

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

Live Bald Eagle and raptor programs, exhibits, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing of Bald Eagles through spotting scopes, life-sized Bald Eagle nest, children’s’ activities. This event will be held at the PdC regional Tourism Center, AmericInn Motel, and The Eagles Club. More info please call: 1-800-1673.

NELSON DEWEY STATE PARK CURRENT CONDITIONS

Nelson Dewey State Park’s roadways will not be plowed this winter. The parking lot near the park office will be plowed and visitors are welcome to hike into the park from the lot. There are no ski trails at Nelson Dewey, but people can ski or snow shoe in the park from the parking lot.

Roads at Nelson Dewey State Park were plowed at the end of January, and this area has had no snowfall since then. Roads should still be in good driving condition as of February 7, 2012. For more information on the roads at Nelson Dewey, please call Wyalusing State Park at608-996-2261.

February 1, 2012

FROM THE BLUFFS

OF WYALUSING

Wyalusing State Park

13081 State Park Lane

Bagley, WI 53801

Phone:608-996-2261

www.wyalusing.org

DATE:Wednesday, February 1, 2012

TRAIL CONDITIONS:Cross-country ski trails were groomed on Sunday, January 29^th. Warmer than normal temperatures for this time of year are responsible for poor skiing conditions. With temperatures early in this week rising to above freezing and expected highs from mid 30’s to mid 40’s for the remainder of this week, cross country ski trail conditions will deteriorate. All hiking trails are still snow covered.Please remember, no pets or walking on the ski trails. Both can quickly ruin a well groomed trail.

WEEKEND FORECAST:The forecast for today through Sunday includes a high of 39 degrees this afternoon with cloudy skies and a low of 27 degrees. Thursday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny with a high near 44 degrees and a low dropping to 28 degrees. Friday will be mostly cloudy with a high near 41 degrees. There is a slight chance of rain and snow late Friday night into Saturday morning with a low around 29. Temperature on Saturday will reach almost 40 degrees and there is a 40 per cent chance of snow and rain, which continues through Saturday night. The low on Saturday night will be around 25 degrees. Sunday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny with a high near 36 degrees. .

CAMPING INFORMATION:Homestead Campground, Outdoor Group Campground and the Indoor Group Camp are closed for the season. The Wisconsin Ridge Campground is open for camping on a first come, first served basis.

The reservation period has ended for both family campgrounds and the Outdoor Group Campground. All flush toilets, showers and fountains are closed for the season, with the exception of the winterized faucet located just east of the shower building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. All reservations for campsites in Wisconsin State Parks and Forests are made through Reserve America. Reservations can be made 11 months in advance over the telephone at888-947-2757, or online atwww.wiparks.net.

The concession stand is closed for the season. Firewood should be available from vendors located near the park entrance.

Fees for using the Indoor Group Camp have changed. Fees are now $6 per person per night and $300 minimum per night.

BIRD SIGHTINGS:The office bird feeders remain a flurry of activity, even with the recent warm temperatures. Cardinals and gold finches are taking advantage of the puddles near the park office for an unexpected mid-winter bathing opportunity. It is fun to watch them splash in the puddles. Even with the warmer temps, raccoons have not been an issue at the feeders (knock on wood). Bird sightings in the park include: blue jays, juncos, cardinals, gold finches, mourning doves, red-bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, tufted titmice, tree sparrows, purple finches, wild turkeys, various hawks, and bald eagles. Earlier this week, a northern flicker was seen near the front door of the office.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER REPORT:Ice fishing at the park boat landing most of last week and this past weekend (January 28 & 29) can only be described as excellent according to reports of local anglers and the number of cars at the boat landing. On Saturday, January 29, the parking lot was filled and vehicles were parked along the roadway on Long Valley Road close to the landing. It seems as if the “hot spots” have cooled off now as most anglers this week have been reporting fewer hits. One ice angler reported yesterday that he was still having success, but others nearby were not so lucky. No matter if the fish are biting or not, it is still nice to get out on the ice with fellow anglers. We do not monitor ice conditions.

PARK HAPPENINGS:Interviews on park manager position were held, are but still no word on that position or park superintendent position. Greg’s time at Wyalusing is limited to just a few more days, but he will continue to be available to park staff as needed.

2012Starsplitter Astronomy Schedule

Programs will resume in the spring.

Upcoming Friends of Wyalusing Events

.

Saturday, September 29

Spirits of Wyalusing Past

Make your camping reservation now. More info to be announced at a later date.

Area Events

February 4 & 5

Annual Fisheree-Ice fishing competition on waters (ice) near Prairie du Chien with headquarters at Lakeview Marina Bar & Restaurant, County Highway K, PdC. This is an outing for the entire family, fishing prizes and evening entertainment. Fisheree will be held Ice or No Ice. For more info: 1-800-1673

February 25

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day

Live Bald Eagle and raptor programs, exhibits, birding experts on hand, outdoor viewing of Bald Eagles through spotting scopes, life-sized Bald Eagle nest, children’s’ activities. This event will be held at the PdC regional Tourism Center, Americinn Motel, and The Eagles Club. More info please call: 1-800-1673.

NELSON DEWEY STATE PARK CURRENT CONDITIONS

Nelson Dewey State Park’s roadways will not be plowed this winter. The parking lot near the park office will be plowed and visitors are welcome to hike into the park from the lot. There are no ski trails at Nelson Dewey, but people can ski or snow shoe in the park from the parking lot.

Roads at Nelson Dewey State Park were plowed on Saturday, January for Bald Eagle Days this past weekend (so as of today they are still clear of snow and ice. If this area receives additional snowfall or freezing rain, the roads will not be maintained.