Photo By Scott Sturkol | Employees with the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation for the...... read more read more
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Whitetail Ridge Ski Area is preparing for the upcoming season and has a few new things in store, especially for tubers.
The Whitetail Ridge season is mid-December to mid-March, as long as weather conditions hold. This year, the facility will open Dec. 20, 2018, if enough snow can be made by that date.
Whitetail Ridge, part of Fort McCoy’s Pine View Recreation Area, offers a variety of activities for the whole family. The ski hill offers both downhill skiing and snowboarding. The longest run is 1,300 feet, and a self-loading T-Bar carries skiers to the top.
“We also have a nice terrain park with a lot of features for skiers and snowboarders to utilize,” said Recreation Specialist Matt Winchell with the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (DFMWR).
In addition, the area offers more than 5 miles of groomed cross-country skiing trails. Ski or snowshoe along the trails to see some of the local wildlife.
One of the most popular activities at Whitetail Ridge is snow tubing. The 800-foot slope has five runs for tubers to slide down. A Magic Carpet transportation system was installed this fall to make it even easier to get tubes and rider back to the top of the hill.
“It’s essentially a conveyer belt,” Winchell said. “People can stand on the conveyer belt holding their tubes and be ferried up the hill.”
Another new thing this year is the Grade “A” Snow Day program.
Students in elementary through high school can get a free one-day snow-tubing pass if they bring in a current report card with at least one A on it. Homeschooled or younger students can bring in a report showing an equivalent grade to get a pass.
“We had really good, positive feedback about it on the local school districts’ Facebook pages, so I think people are really interested in it,” Winchell said.
The program is available any day that Whitetail Ridge is open. Simply bring a copy of a report card to the facility to claim the free pass. Outdoor Recreation Manager Robin Paoletti with DFMWR said Whitetail Ridge is also offering weekend and group passes on snow tubing and the ski hill this year. Details are available at https://mccoy.armymwr.com/programs/whitetail-ridge-ski-area.
“We also have (skiing and snowboarding) instructors,” Paoletti said. “People who are interested can come out for an hour and learn about the sports.”
In addition to offering ski, snowboard, snow tubing, and snowshoe equipment rentals, Paoletti said staff members can service customers’ equipment.
While Fort McCoy does not maintain any snowmobile trails, Snowmobile Trails of Monroe County maintains some that cross Fort McCoy, including one by Burma Road directly across the road from Whitetail Ridge.
Snowmobilers are welcome to stop in to the chalet and take a break, warm up, or get a snack. For more information on trails, visit www.monroetrails.com.
For current conditions at Whitetail Ridge, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WhitetailRidge.
The facility will offer several special events throughout the season. Winter Extravaganza, scheduled for Jan. 19, is the biggest event, Winchell said. It features a variety of family-friendly winter activities, both inside the chalet and out. The area will also host a Snowshoe 5k on Jan. 5, the Cardboard Classic Sled Race on Jan. 26, the Moonlit Snow Shoe Tour on Feb. 16, the Chili Cook-Off on Feb. 23, and the Season Finale on March 23. All events are subject to weather conditions.
During holiday hours (Dec. 22-30), Whitetail Ridge will be open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 31 and closed Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1, 2019. Its regular winter hours will be 4:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Tactics Paintball and Laser Tag is also located at Whitetail Ridge. The facility is open by appointment only; reservations are required two days in advance.
Pine View Recreation Area facilities are open to the general public. Discounts are generally offered to military members or Department of Defense civilian employees. A visitor’s pass, military ID, or Department of Defense ID is not required to access the recreation area.
For more information about costs and special events at Whitetail Ridge, call 608-388-4498/3517 or 800-531-4703. Information is also available online at https://mccoy.armymwr.com.
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.11.2018 16:56 |
| Story ID: | 303077 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 262 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort McCoy's Whitetail Ridge Ski Area staff prepare for opening day of 2018-19 season, by Aimee Malone, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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