TOWN OF WYOMING — There once were grand plans for this hilltop in northern Iowa County.
Jen Filipiak, executive director of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, takes in the sweeping views of the Wisconsin River Valley from the deck of the lodge at the former Wintergreen Ski Resort near Spring Green. The 245-acre property has been largely off-limits to visitors for the past 35 years, but the DALC has announced plans to buy the property for public use and conservation efforts.
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The outlined area at left shows the boundaries of the 245-acre property that the Driftless Area Land Conservancy wants to buy from Terry and Suzanne Shifflet, who purchased the former Wintergreen Ski Resort about four years ago.
The lodge at the former Wintergreen Ski Resort was built in 1989 but only used for one season. Officials for the Driftless Area Land Conservancy believe the lodge would be ideal for office and event space for area nonprofits.
Zach Pacana, land steward for the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, looks out over the Wisconsin River from the deck of the lodge at the former Wintergreen Ski Resort. The 245-acre property includes nearly a mile of undeveloped land along the river.
Jen Filipiak, executive director of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, right, and Gigi La Budde, chair of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway Board, look out over what was once a ski run at the former Wintergreen Ski Resort, which closed in 1990. Chairlifts and snow-making equipment were removed years ago and the runs have become overgrown with trees and vegetation.
Emily Butler, with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, opens the gate along Highway C to the former Wintergreen Ski Resort. The foundation, which oversees the 800-acre Taliesin estate across the road, is supportive of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy's plan to buy the 245-acre former ski hill.
Jen Filipiak, executive director of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, looks out through a stand red and white oak at the Wisconsin River. The 245-acre property is also home to three species of bat and rare pine relics, small patches of boreal forests in micro habitats on north-facing rocky slopes.
Photos: Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
The 92-mile Lower Wisconsin Riverway is a prime destination for paddlers. Its diverse ecosystem has led the Riverway to be designated a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Mark Cupp, left, executive director of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board; Katie Beilfuss, center, outreach programs director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association; and Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, paddle a stretch of the river near Muscoda last week.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
(From left) Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, Katie Beilfuss, outreach programs director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, and Mark Cupp, executive director of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, canoe the Wisconsin River in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. The Lower Wisconsin Riverway is now recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the United States and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Dan and Judy Torphy, of Pewaukee, take in the view as they look out toward the Wisconsin River during a visit to Muscoda last week. The river is a major draw for bird watchers, paddlers and anglers, and some stretches are just a 20-minute drive from Madison's Far West Side.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Timm Zumm, with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, drives his boat on the Wisconsin River in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Timm Zumm, with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, picks up litter at a sandbar on the Wisconsin River near Muscoda. The river can be heavily used by campers and day paddlers.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
A bald eagle perched above the Wisconsin River near Muscoda. The Lower Wisconsin State Riverway draws more than 140 species of birds.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Sandbars are signature features of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway and provide camping opportunities from Prairie du Sac to the Mississippi River. The sandbars are in constant change and appear above and below the water, depending on the ever-changing water levels. Taking a break from a day on the water are, from left, Mark Cupp of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, ecologist Mike Mossman and Timm Zumm, both with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, and Katie Beilfuss of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Life vests are available at the boat launch in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Katie Beilfuss, outreach programs director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, left, and Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, look for wildlife while canoeing the Wisconsin River in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. The Lower Wisconsin Riverway is now recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the United States and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Timm Zumm, with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, drives his boat on the Wisconsin River in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Timm Zumm, with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, uses his phone to take a picture of a beaver dam at the Fish Trap Flowage west of Muscoda. The flowage is part of the rich diversity of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, and Katie Beilfuss, left, with the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, talk about the diverse flora and fauna of the Riverway while visiting the Fish Trap Flowage, a backwater of the Wisconsin River west of Muscoda.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Joe Pye weed grows along the road, at right, at Fish Trap Flowage, as Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, gives a tour of the area in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Timm Zumm, with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, left, and Mark Cupp, executive director of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, visit Blue River Sand Barrens State Natural Area in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Cardinal flower grows at Fish Trap Flowage in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Cactus at Blue River Sand Barrens State Natural Area near Muscoda.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Lichen at Blue River Sand Barrens State Natural Area in Muscoda, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Just yards from the backwaters of the Wisconsin River, the ecosystem changes to desert at the Blue River Sand Barrens State Natural Area, where prickly pear cactus can be found.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Katie Beilfuss, outreach programs director for the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, looks over the flora at Fish Trap Flowage near Muscoda. Her organization, along with land owners and citizens, helped achieve international recognition for the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway between Prairie du Sac and the Mississippi River.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, points out an obedient plant at the Fish Trap Flowage near Muscoda. The Riverway is home to a diverse collection of flora and fauna.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Mike Mossman, an ecologist with the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, shows off a map of the Riverway, now recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Lower Wisconsin Riverway
The Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board office in downtown Muscoda. The board was created in 1989 to help administer laws designed to protect the scenic beauty of the 92-mile stretch of river from Prairie du Sac to the Mississippi River.
Wisconsin River
Timm Zumm, president of the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, shows off some of the 98 species of fish that live in the river. Zumm worries that invasive carp could decimate native fish.
Wisconsin River
Timm Zumm, with his dog, Bowie, prepares to board his boat on the Lower Wisconsin River near Spring Green. Zumm, president of the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, said he fell in love with the river in the 1980s.
Wisconsin River
Timm Zumm, president the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, explores the river with his dog, Bowie, near Spring Green. A study has found more than half a dozen Wisconsin rivers, including the Lower Wisconsin, could become suitable habitat for invasive carp if climate change is not slowed.
Wisconsin River
Timm Zumm, president the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, explores the waterway with his dog, Bowie, near Spring Green on Oct. 26, 2022.
Wisconsin River
Timm Zumm, president the Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, explores the river with his dog, Bowie, near Spring Green. A study has found more than half a dozen Wisconsin rivers, including the Lower Wisconsin, could become suitable habitat for invasive carp if climate change is not slowed.
Barry Adams covers regional news for the Wisconsin State Journal. Send him ideas for On Wisconsin at 608-252-6148 or by email at badams@madison.com.
