Sometimes heading outdoors in Wisconsin can be difficult, especially when the weather just doesn't cooperate.
It's a lesson of patience at one Grand Chute nature preserve, where a strong winter means a stronger bottom dollar.
At the Gordon Bubolz nature preserve, those visiting its miles of trail system will find a combination of education and recreation
"This is the log schoolhouse that we have behind here," points out naturalist Courtney Osenroth, rattling off a list of classes throughout the year. "Animals, skins and bones classes, GPS," she adds.
In many cases, Osenroth says it's a nice balance of both.
"This morning we had a 4-K group out here," says Osenroth. "They were snowshoeing with what little snow we have left."
The nature preserve also rents cross-country skis and equipment to visitors.
"We fit them for boots, and skis, and poles," says Osenroth, "and they head out on the trails. We rely on all four seasons out here, and we stay busy all four seasons."
Only this winter season isn't cooperating.
"Usually in the winter time, we love to see 6-12 inches of snow on them where we can ski and snowshoe," says Osenroth. "Right now we can't do either of those. We can barely walk on our trails."
In fact, it's been such a mild winter in northeast Wisconsin that, at the preserve, they've even tried tapping into a more popular springtime tradition: tapping a maple tree for sap.
"Come march, once it really starts to get warm," Osenroth adds, laughing, "we will get rid of all the skis and snowshoes in here, and it will turn into our maple syrup facility."
But Osenroth says they can't give up on winter just yet.
As a non-profit, she says revenue from ski and snowshoe rentals is needed.
'Ski and snowshoe rentals are a big income boost for us in the wintertime," says Osenroth. "We can lose as much as $25,000 in a season by not having rentals."
For now, Osenroth and preserve staff are crossing their fingers for more snow before Friday night.
"We're hoping to still have our moonlight ski," says Osenroth. "We probably won't be able to do the snowshoe portion of it, but we're still hoping to do the ski portion. We'll have our one-mile trail lit up."
The rest is up to nature, and the love-hate relationship that comes with heading outdoors.
The preserve also has another moonlight ski and snowshoe set for February 10th.
