Trees for Tomorrow
December, 2001

by Phil G

On December 27, 2001 the scouts of Troop 19, crew members, guests, and parents, left the church at 8:30 in the morning for a nine hour trip to Trees For Tomorrow in northern Wisconsin (with a stop at REI, of course). At about 5:30 we reached the lodge and rented a movie for the night.

The next day, the non-skiers took lessons while skiers went off to ski. After everyone could stay upright most of the time on skis, we went together and skied at a resort (Alpenglow) run by a former Olympic skier, near Phelps, Wisconsin. We were surprised to learn that Phelps gets almost 40 inches more of snow a year than Eagle River. That night we had a fine cut of buffalo stew. Again we watched a movie.

On the second full day we drove to the upper peninsula of Michigan and had some great skiing at another resort— ABR. They had a 30 inch base, and more cross country skiers than we’d seen in one place anywhere. Bob, at Sylvania outfitters, recommended we go there— near Ironwood—because it had more snow than anywhere else around—and a snow squall on the way. Our favorite supper club, Tijuana, was closed, and the Redman, another troop favorite, was mobbed, so we came back to the lodge, had dinner, and then watched another movie. Can you believe the adults asked us to watch “Lyme Disease,” “Geology of the Ice Age Trail,” and “Leave No Trace Camping?”

On the last day, everybody skied in the morning, before the trip home. The big part was called “suicide hill”. Then there was a nine hour trip back, broken by a stop at Ella’s!