December 23, 2020 at 1:33 p.m.
RASTA unveils first projects outlined in five-year plan
Major updates to area trails for recreationists to enjoy
RASTA unveils first projects outlined in five-year plan
By Stephanie Kuski-
RASTA (Rhinelander Area Silent Trails Association) was founded in 2006 by a group of area recreationists whose first project was to construct the Perch Lake Shelter at the Washburn Silent Sports Trail, a task which was completed in 2010. Since then, the organization has grown substantially while continuing to sustain and improve a number of local hiking, biking, snowshoe and ski trails, including the Washburn, Cassian, Nose Lake, Mud Lake and Enterprise trail systems.
The organization works in tandem with the Oneida County forestry department, since the aforementioned trails are located on public lands. Timber sales support trail maintenance and RASTA contracts with the county to help maintain and groom those trails. RASTA members and volunteers also work year-round to help maintain and rework trails for the public to enjoy.
RASTA quickly got to work on the first projects proposed in their five-year plan, which was presented to the Oneida County forestry committee in March.
Longtime RASTA member and past president Guy Hansen said their main goals are to make the trails more sustainable while providing year-round usability for multiple recreational pursuits.
Washburn Silent Sports Trails
The Washburn trails are the crown jewel of RASTA's trail systems - it's their largest, most extensive trail system which caters to both amateur and advanced recreationists. Located adjacent to Perch Lake Park in the Town of Woodboro, the Washburn trail features over 12 miles of hilly topography for mountain bikers, hikers, snowshoers and skiers to enjoy.
Perhaps the most notable update to the Washburn trail system is starting construction of the highly-anticipated North Trail. The southern half of the 3.5-mile single-track hiking and biking trail is already built and the entire trail is on track to be completed by 2021.
While the southern section of the North Trail is finished, it will remain closed to visitors until the spring thaw because the ground is still extremely soft. Once it's dry next year, the mile and a half loop that is already completed will be open to hikers and bikers while the crew works on the northern half of the trail. In future years, the North Trail will also be open to snowshoeing.
Construction of the North Trail is a project many years in the making, one which RASTA member Scott Watson said will be an exciting addition.
"We're really excited about the area just because it is so beautiful," Watson said. "It has some fantastic glacial topography to extend the trail systems into... We think that's going to really attract the broader biker community."
Watson noted the North Trail is built to mountain biking standards, and with rocks, jumps and elevation changes scattered throughout, the trail will challenge both intermediate and advanced bikers. The trail also features an interesting mix of scenery, from tamaracks, wetlands and maples to mature oak stands.
In an effort to mitigate the spread of oak wilt in Oneida County, Watson noted the group issued a moratorium to pause work on the North Trail between April 15 and July 15. After that point, construction of the North Trail will resume with the goal of completion by 2021.
Creating sustainable trails is a consistent goal the organization strives to achieve. RASTA trails are built to standards which protect against erosion and other damage to ensure the trails last long into the future.
Construction of the North Trail, nicknamed the "No B.S. Trail," was funded entirely by private donors. RASTA also received a stewardship grant to make the existing Washburn trail more sustainable, including working on trail sections #16 through #18, which have been blocked off for much of the summer.
In addition to ongoing trail maintenance at Washburn, RASTA is also working with the county and local sheriff's department to establish a TIN, or Trail Information Network, to accurately locate and access individuals in case of an emergency. The goal is to complete that project by 2021.
Nose Lake Cross Country Ski Trail
Nose Lake features a number of updates this season. Located 12 miles west of Rhinelander between County Highway K and U.S. Highway 8, Nose Lake features a 4.6 mile east loop and 2.6 mile west loop for skiers and hikers, in addition to a new dog-friendly snowshoe trail. Major updates to the Nose Lake trail include working with the county to reroute one mile of the east loop to avoid a wet area, establish additional parking at the trailhead and create a dog-friendly snowshoe trail near the west loop, the latter project which is a full year ahead of schedule.
Hansen noted the county forestry department is working with RASTA to create timber harvest education signs at planned and proposed logging locations at Nose Lake to educate the public about sustainable timber harvests and forest management.
"For each sign we're going to have a map that shows the trail and the timber types, then an explanation of what the timber type is, when it was harvested, how it was harvested and maybe some of the benefits of having the harvest," he said.
Cassian Two-Way Cross Country Ski Trail
Nine miles in length in each direction, the Cassian trail - located off Highway K to the west of Rhinelander - now features a dog-friendly portion of the ski trail and is also open to non-motorized use for skiing, hiking and biking. The bike trail has been rerouted to avoid the wetland south of Timber Lake Road.
A trailhead at the northern end of the trail on Beaver Lake Road was established to facilitate use of the northern portion of the Cassian trail. In response to public comments for additional dog-friendly ski trails, RASTA opened the northern portion of the ski trail - from the trailhead on Beaver Lake Road to the intersection at Sheep Ranch Road - to allow dogs. In the future, RASTA hopes to construct a 60-foot elevated boardwalk in the wetland portion south of Timberlake Road so the group can open the trail for skiing earlier in the year.
Other updates
RASTA will continue to groom the Enterprise primitive trail for fat biking, skiing and snowshoeing.
At Mud Lake, RASTA will rework areas of the trail that are eroding to make them more sustainable in addition to increasing signage.
RASTA also hopes to work with the city parks director to develop Heal Creek, located near Northwoods Golf Club, into a multi-use recreation area. The long-term goal is to build approximately 20 miles of single-track and multi-use trails at the Heal Creek recreation area.
Prospective projects like Heal Creek, in addition to area trails we already enjoy, offer considerable economic and tourism value to the Northwoods. Outdoor enthusiasts come from far and wide to enjoy area trails, patronizing local businesses along the way.
The COVID-19 pandemic even presented an unexpected silver lining. Trail use has increased over the last several months as many locals are spending more time outdoors.
Hansen noted the funds RASTA garnered from trail fees this year were up substantially, and indirectly, those fees go right back to RASTA to fund trail maintenance. Although RASTA's annual Snowshoe Hare race will not be held 2021, the RASTA Rally may go on in a virtual format. For up-to-date information, follow RASTA on Facebook. For more information about RASTA, visit http://rastatrails.org.
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