Wilmot Mountain

Infobox ski area
name= Wilmot Mountain

picture=
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location= Wilmot Wisconsin, N. America
nearest_city= Wilmot, WI
lat_degrees=
lat_minutes=
lat_seconds=
lat_direction=
long_degrees=
long_minutes=
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long_direction=
vertical=
top_elevation= convert|260|ft|m|abbr=on.
base_elevation=
skiable_area= convert|120|acre|km2
number_trails= 25
longest_run= convert|2500|ft|m|abbr=on.
liftsystem= 11 chair lifts - vintage!
lift_capacity= 12,500 skiers/hr
terrainparks= 5
snowfall= convert|4|ft|m|abbr=on. annual
snowmaking= Yes
nightskiing= Yes
external_link= wilmotmountain.com

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Located in the southern region of Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine, Wilmot Mountain is the result of Glaciation. The self-proclaimed “Matterhorn of the Midwest” was founded by Walter Stopa in 1938 after a thorough research of the area’s topography. With a vertical drop of 230’ it is a relatively small hill. It is also one of the few hills where the mountain is wide open, with few trees or barriers to crossing the hill. A skier can transverse several runs while skiing downhill. Night skiing is available on the entire hill.

Wilmot Mountain is located convert|60|mi|km North of Chicago and has been owned by the same family since it was founded. It still retains a non-corporate look and feel, from the vintage lifts to the huge open fireplace. Most days small aircraft from the nearby [http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/air/docs/airports/wilmot.pdf Westosha airport] can be seen high above, circling the hill.

Winter Sports - Skiing and Snow boarding

Recreational

Wilmot Mountain Features a completely progressive terrain park build. Wilmot has 24 runs (6 black, 9 blue, 9 green), 8 chair lifts and a children’s area with tow ropes. The longest run, State Line, parallels the Illinois / Wisconsin border - a small section near the top is in Illinois. The terrain parks at Wilmot Mountain have a full combination of beginner to advanced boxes, rails and jibbing features engineered, built and placed by Wilmot's own riders and instructors. Jumps and Aerial features are engineered built to follow the industry standard of ATML - Approach Takeoff Maneuver Landing.

In the 2007-2008 season Wilmot added four additional terrain parks, for a total of five parks. (One Jump Park, one beginner park, one medium park, one large park and a jib park).

Wilmot has a full service ski and snowboard school with over 300 certified instructors, a well tenured and certified snowboard instructor staff, and a comprehensive children's program.

It also has an award winning [ [http://www.wilmotskipatrol.org/awards.htm Wimot Ski Patrol] ] [http://www.nsp.org/1/nsp/home/home.asp National Ski Patrol] group.

Down Hill Racing

Wilmot has an active race program and is the destination of many race clubs and groups. Weekly race training is run in the evenings by their [http://wilmotmountainracing.com/ on-site race program] . On four weekends the Chicago Metro Ski Council ( [http://www.skicmsc-racing.com CMSC] ) holds races on two runs (Superior and Competition) [ [http://www.skicmsc-racing.com CMSC] ] . NASTAR races were held weekly until 2004. Wilmot no longer holds NASTAR races.

nowmaking

Wilmot started making their own snow in 1952 using Joe Tropiano [ [http://www.skiinghistory.org/Letters.html Skiing History Magazine] ] snow machines, basically a lawn watering device with heaters to prevent freezing. Today they use a combination of older and new, high-tech snow making equipment. Wilmot makes snow whenever the temperature drops low enough, even during hours of operation.

ummer Sports – BMX, Skating, Boarding

Wilmot terrain makes it a natural destination for bikers and boarders. It offers with slalom, MBX, BMX freestyle, cross-country, downhill, skate boarding and in-line skating. One chair lift available for return trips up the hill.

History

cience Fiction Conventions

Wilmot Mountain was famous among Science Fiction fans for WilCon, a private invitation only Science Fiction convention hosted at the mountain by Jon and Joni Stopa over July 4th weekends. Guests still tell of the dozens of tents, acres of parties, special guests and unforgettable hospitality of their hosts. Legend has it that Leonard Nimoy has hidden a buried treasure somewhere on the property, capable of being found only by true, worthy believers.

Auto Racing

The roads surrounding the parking lot and resort have a very unusual unusual shape, including a hairpin curve. The design resembles a race track oval, and with good reason - there used to be a [http://www.wilmothills.homestead.com/aerial.html race course] on the grounds. From 1954 to 1967, the ski resort was home to [http://www.wilmothills.homestead.com/ Wilmot Hills Race Course] . In the summer months the Ski Lodge served food and drinks to race fans. [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=wilmot,+wi&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=42.499251,-88.189037&spn=0.009033,0.024247&t=h&om=1 Aerial photos] of the area clearly show the race track, although part of the course is now covered by building additions.

Facilities

The resort has several cafeterias, a bar, pizza restaurant, ski shop, rentals and lockers. Nearby Wilmot and Antioch offer the typical selection of restaurants and accommodations.

Notable facts

*Wilmot’s Ski School was founded in 1939 by Helmut Teichner [ [http://www.skiinghistory.org/PrevISSUE.html Past issues of Skiing History Magazine] ]
*Gander Mountain was founded in Wilmot
*Exhibition Run was re-contoured in the mid 1980’s and a large boulder removed
*Lights installed for night skiing in 1955 (It was such a novelty that the Tonight Show featured it)
*Walter Stopa was responsible for several improvements to the original snow making machines
*The local myth that the hill is a covered garbage dump is false

Location

Wilmot Mountain is located at coordinates coord|42|30|0|N|88|11|20|W|type:mountain|display=inline,title, just 1/2 mile south of Wilmot WI on the east side of Fox River road and north of CK. It is 60 minutes northwest of O'Hare Airport. From I-94, take the exit for Route 50 west to County Road W south. W is not marked at the intersection - just look for the gas station. Go east on County Road C to Wilmot.

Links

* [http://www.snocountry.com/snowclient/displayinfox.php?action=snowreport&skiarea=Wilmot%20Mountain&permcode=312001&state=WI&from=statelist Area Snow Conditions]
* [http://www.kenoshahistorycenter.org/ Area History]
* [http://www.skicmsc-racing.com/ DH Ski racing site, thousands of photos, mostly of Wilmot racing]
* [http://www.add360.com/wilmotmountain/ Virtual tour of the mountain]
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~wilmot-history/ Comprehensive history of Wilmot Mountain]
* [http://www.wilmothills.homestead.com/ Wilmot Hills Auto Race history]
* [http://explorewisconsin.com/countypages/racine.html Wisconsin's site for area recreation with some information on Wilmot Mountain]
* [http://www.midrealm.org/midrealm_origins.html Some history on the SciFi cons at Wilmot]
* [http://www.wilmotmountain.com Wilmot Mountain Website]
* [http://wilmotmountainracing.com/ Wilmot Mountain Race Program Website]
* [http://www.wilmotskipatrol.org/ Wilmot Mountain Ski Patrol Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/wilmotterrainpark Wilmot Mountain Terrain Park on Myspace]

References