Category: Winter
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The elementary student stared at the thermometer in disbelief. His class was on a winter field trip to Crossroads at Big Creek and at one of the activity stations, the children were asked to take the temperature of the air and then to insert the thermometer as deeply as possible into the snow and check […]
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Ski and Snowshoe for Free at Crossroads
Crossroads at Big Creek lends, free of charge, an array of ski and snowshoe equipment, sizes to fit age 3 through large adult. When trail conditions permit, go to the Crossroads Maintenance Building where volunteers will fit you with equipment, share a few pointers and a trail map and send you out on groomed (classical […]
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Enough Snow to Ski for Free at Crossroads
Crossroads at Big Creek looks very different now that Door County has some snow. Sparkling drifts cover the hills, trees appear flocked, and tracks reveal the evidence of the mammals that make Crossroads their winter home. Volunteers at Crossroads have established trails. Some trails are designated as ski trails which Facilities Manager Rich Propsom grooms […]
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Framed: Polar Bears in Jacksonport
Jacksonport Polar Bear swimmers make their way back to warm, dry land after taking the plunge on New Year’s Day. Photo by Len Villano.
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Ski for Free, Distinguished Lectures, Wild Card Playoffs & More Weekend Plans
A quiet weekend on the Door Peninsula awaits you, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do! We’ve got our top picks for the weekend ahead. Friday, January 8 Strap On the Snowshoes Take advantage of the recent heavy snowfall during a naturalist-guided snowshoe hike at The Ridges on Friday afternoon. Snowshoes are available […]
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Ridges to Host Saturday Story Hour for Kids
The Ridges has many ways to help everyone get out and get connected to nature during the winter months. Learn about winter ecology while burning off some of those extra holiday calories. The Ridges offers naturalist-guided snowshoe hikes each Friday and Saturday beginning Jan. 2. Hikes depart from the Cook-Fuller Center, 8166 Hwy. 57, Baileys […]
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Start 2016 with a New Year’s Day Hike at Ida Bay
The end of December has always been a time for celebration and Crossroads at Big Creek hopes everyone’s New Year’s Eve is happy and safe. Entering the New Year, Crossroads invites the community to celebrate sunlight. On Dec. 31 at 3:45 pm, enjoy the Sunset on the Year Hike. This is a Crossroads tradition; this […]
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Polar Bear Swim, Mini Golf, First Day Hikes & More Weekend Plans
From the annual polar bear swim in Jacksonport to a frosty mini golf tournament in Ephraim (not to forget Egg Harbor’s yearly New Year’s Day Parade), we’ve got the top picks to start your 2016 off right! Friday, January 1 Jacksonport Polar Bear Swim Take a plunge in the brisk waters of Lake Michigan for […]
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Baptism By Ice: Jarosh Family Celebrating 30 Years of New Year’s Day Plunge
The seed for the Jacksonport Polar Bear Plunge was planted in 1984 when 11-year-old J.R. Jarosh challenged his father, Joe, to compete in the five-mile race during Sister Bay’s Fall Fest. “Being an overconfident 11-year-old, I thought I could beat this 39-year-old geezer,” J.R. said. “He bet me, and the bet was whoever lost […]
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Remembering Peninsula State Park’s Olden Days With Janet and Alvin “Itsie” Krause
Itsie and Janet, married for 67 years, are two of the few remaining people who remember the park in its simpler days
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Take Part in Pen Park’s First Day Hike
On Jan. 1, Peninsula State Park will sponsor a First Day Hike, offering visitors the opportunity to start the year off with a family friendly trek led by Friends of Peninsula State Park and Volunteer Master Naturalist Jan Mills. Chris Holicek, president of the Friends, says, “Think of it as the start of a new […]
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Fireworks Show at New Year’s Poppin’ Eve in Sister Bay
El Niño may be holding back Jack Frost from making ice at the Sister Bay Ice Rink, but the Village’s second New Year’s Eve celebration will pop! New Year’s Poppin’ Eve is scheduled for Dec. 31 at 8 pm at the Sister Bay Ice Rink, 2155 Autumn Court, Sister Bay. Sister Bay is home to Door […]
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Finish the Year with Seed Spreading Hikes at Crossroads
On Christmas Eve at 2 pm, Crossroads at Big Creek will offer an indoor program, a lecture called “Greeting Card Birds.” Those attending will learn a little about the natural history of the birds depicted on greeting cards, and find out which species, based on the frequency of its depiction on greeting cards, will be […]
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SantaLand Diaries, Dirty Deuce & More Weekend Plans
Christmas may start the weekend but the celebration doesn’t end that night. Enjoy the remaining cheer of the holiday season by taking in a show, visiting a gallery, or enjoying the unseasonably warm weather with a winter hike at Crossroads. Saturday, Dec. 26 Visit A Gallery Many of the Door Peninsula’s art galleries have winter […]
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Explore Appel’s Bluff and Logan Creek on Ridges’ Hikes
Winter officially begins Dec. 21, but so far you wouldn’t know it from the weather. Get out while the getting’s good, and enjoy the lingering mild temperatures and fall beauty of the Door Peninsula. Join a Ridges naturalist on Dec. 19 at 10 am for a guided hike through the open fields and hardwood forest […]
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Walter Parks, Barn Dance, Baroque Tunes & More Weekend Plans
On the weekend before Christmas, the Door Peninsula gave to me … a weekend of good music, traditions and holiday cheer!
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OutDOORs with Coggin Heeringa: Winter Solstice Mythology
I know, I know. It’s probably the El Niño. But the forecast has been for mild (very mild) weather. Of course, soon we will be experiencing Halcyon Days. Halcyon Days are a period of idyllic calm and tranquility near the Winter Solstice. The term shows up in poetry, once or twice in Shakespeare, and even […]
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Night Hike, Mobsters in Milwaukee, Tree Lighting & More Weekend Plans
This weekend, take a break from the stress of the holidays to enjoy a hike under the night sky, classic holiday tunes, an author presentation or folk music by Door County singer Katie Dahl.
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Free volunteer training for this winter’s Ski-for-Free program will be held Dec. 8, 6 – 7 pm, at Crossroads at Big Creek Environmental Preserve, 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay. Hands-on volunteer training will be provided to teach volunteers how to assist new skiers who visit Crossroads to borrow skis and snowshoes for use on Crossroad’s […]
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Hike to the Evergreen Forest at Crossroads
Using the proceeds from the Crossroads Trail Run, a grant from the Raibrook Foundation, and gifts from the estate of Ray Stonecipher and the Door County Silent Sports Alliance, Crossroads at Big Creek is buying new waxless skis for the Ski for Free program. Once there’s enough snow to groom the trails, Crossroads will sponsor […]