Birkie Start Stays; New Trailhead In Works

Though a new Birkebeiner trailhead is proposed for construction, the Birkie ski race start will continue to be at the Cable Airport.

The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Board of Directors voted to continue using the airport for the ski race start as long as possible.  The board also decided to build a new trailhead south of Cable at Highway 64 and Leonard School Road.

The board is asking Bayfield County for permission to construct a connector trail that will link the trailhead across three-quarter miles of Bayfield County forest to the Birkie Trail. The request will be presented at a public hearing to be held by the Bayfield County Forestry Committee on Wed., Jan. 11, at 6 p.m. at the Cable Community Center.

If approved, the foundation will purchase 120 acres from two private landowners, with construction of a new trailhead to begin in spring 2012. The new trailhead and trail would be in place by late fall for general, non-motorized recreational use and for the 2012-2013 ski season, according to Birkie.com.

The new trailhead would also be available to the public all year for non-motorized recreation, such as hiking, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and mountain biking.

The trail that is currently used at the Birkie race airport start area crosses land owned by six different parties.

"If any one of these properties is sold or access is denied for any other reason, the Birkie would be left without a start location and the need to find a new one," according to Birkie.com. "In addition, access to several of these properties is now limited to use only on race day. Use of the Cable airport also requires annual approval from state and federal agencies. Building the new trailhead would provide a backup start area if and when any land-use issues arise."

Working with these private lands has become a concern for the ski foundation board in terms of planning, budgeting, and costs for land use.

"For example, during the past year, one of the private landowners initially proposed to charge ABSF a fee of $100,000 to $150,000 for race day use of the trail and facilities," according to Birkie.com. "This fee was later reduced to $25,000 and access was allowed, five weeks before the 2011 event."

The ski foundation says it is setting up a long-term solution for the race start through the new, permanent trail head.