Today was the first day of scoping out the CAMBA (Chequamemon Area Mountain Bike Association) Mountain Bike Trail System. The CAMBA trails area located in NW Wisconsin. The Trails System boasts some 300 trails, utilizing paved and grave, roads, fire roads, ski trails, single and double track bicycle trails.
The trail system is divided into "clusters". A cluster will be comprised of a couple of trail heads and the trails emanating from those trail heads. The clusters are located near the towns from which their names come - Hayward, Seeley, Cable, Drummond, Delta, and Namakagon.
Before coming up here, I checked out the CAMBATrails.org web site. Here, you can view and print trail maps. However to ride these trails, I recommend buying the CAMBA Map packages. These maps will be MUCH more readable than the ones coming off your printer!
For a first look at the trails, I selected the Telemark trails of the Cable Cluster. The main reason is that there was no parking fee at that trail head. There is a $5 parking fee at Sawyer County parks trail heads.
Yesterday I stopped by the Hatchery Creek trail head (a Sawyer County park). There you see a location with envelopes and a drop-box for paying fees. The envelopes showed monies went to a ski group and a $10 fee. For me, that is a bit high. So, i stopped in the Hayward Lakes Visitors Center. They called the county and told me the fee is $5. But, this weekend (Saturday/Sunday) all trails in Wisconsin are fee free (guess because its National Trails Day).
Telemark has been a Nordic ski resort out of Cable, WI. Recently the lodge was closed. But the trails are open.
The directions on the CAMBA map is easy to follow as far as parking. I had some problems making sure where the trail starts. I had decided to ride the "Out and Back" trail - a short trail to check out the terrain. The photo above is of "Out and Back".
The topology of the region gently rolling hills. No "mountains" here, but some good climbs.
The trails is a combination of bike trail down ski trail and singletrack. Most of the trail I was able to ride. I should have been able to ride all of the section I rode, had my legs a little weak from the pavement ride a couple days ago. That and not sure were I was going as I was riding on unfamiliar trails.
Telemark trails has ATV, ski, and bicycle trails. Each group going their own way. I started to understand the signage, but did not to go too far. Headed back to the motel after a paltry 3 miles.
Nap time (I had not slept well last night) then dinner at the Angry Minnow (a sponsor of Festival of the Trails). The Angry Minnow is on Hwy 63 about 4 blocks south of junction of 63 and 27. Its an old lumber company office building. The lower photo is of the Angry Minnow.
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