For over a decade, the rusting ski lift towers at Mt. Telemark stood as a monument to Cable, Wisconsin’s alpine skiing past. The lifts stopped spinning in 2010, another victim of bankruptcy and a changing ski industry.
After years of dormancy, three organizations partnered to resurrect Mt. Telemark as a free public bike park. The result? Cable’s historically janky, backcountry trail scene just got 16 miles of gravity-fed flow trails, complete with proper berms, tabletops, and 300 feet of vertical that local riders have never experienced before.
Tony Wise built a ski resort that defined Cable — and now it’s getting a second life
Cable is home to historic races for both skiing and cycling. The Chequamegon 40 has been held since the early ‘80s and takes place during the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival. The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation hosts many cross-country skiing races, with the American Birkebeiner, or “The Birkie,” being the main event. Founded in 1973, The Birkie has grown into North America’s largest cross-country ski race, drawing over 10,000 participants each February.
Cable is home to historic races for both skiing and cycling. The Chequamegon 40 has been held since the early ’80s and takes place during the Chequamegon Mountain Bike Festival. On the Nordic side, the American Birkebeiner — or “The Birkie” — was founded in 1973 by Tony Wise, a longtime resident of nearby Hayward. It has grown into North America’s largest cross-country ski race, drawing over 10,000 participants each February. The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation now hosts the race along with many other cross-country skiing events in the area.
And, once upon a time, Cable had a ski hill — Mt. Telemark. But, eventually, the skiing slowed down and the mountain was closed. Mt. Telemark was also founded by Wise in 1947. Wise was inspired by the skiing he saw during his time in Europe during World War II, and he established a ski hill upon returning home. The name “Telemark” is a nod to the Telemark region of Norway, again showing Wise’s European influence.
Mt. Telemark and Wise’s contributions had a lasting impact on Cable and the surrounding area. But decades later, Mt. Telemark encountered financial difficulties. The mountain filed for bankruptcy several times over the years, with the most recent event unfolding roughly 15 years ago. In 2010, the ski lifts stopped spinning.
“The property has gone through different landowners and potential investors for the better part of a decade until the Trek Trail Foundation, American Birkebeiner Foundation, and One Track Mind really all came together to make this cohesive movement,” Adam Munich, Marketing Coordinator for Rock Solid Trails, told us.
While Munich said that Mt. Telemark had a few rake-and-ride, enduro-style trails, there was nothing official. Now, thanks to these partnering organizations, Cable and the surrounding area have a free public bike park.
The new trails blend Wisconsin grit with modern flow
Mt. Telemark doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it’s part of one of the Midwest’s most extensive trail networks. The Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) maintains over 100 miles of singletrack, more than 200 miles of gravel routes, and 70 miles of groomed winter trails in and around Cable. The new bike park intertwines with the CAMBA Cable Cluster of trails, meaning riders can access Mt. Telemark’s 300 feet of vertical from above via trails like Nirvana from the north or Missing Link from the south, or pedal up from the Mt. Telemark Village at the base.
Currently, Mt. Telemark has roughly 16 miles of singletrack across 14 trails. The area offers a mix of backcountry-style singletrack as well as gravity-oriented trails.
But the lion’s share of the trail offerings fall into the “gravity” category. At the main trail cluster, seven of the nine trails are descending-only trails. These include two greens, three blues, and two blacks. The other two trails — one green and one blue — are climbing trails on opposite ends of the hillside.
Munich and Rock Solid have been working on the trails at Mt. Telemark for the past three years. While the park blends a good amount of flow and tech, compared to a typical janky Wisconsin trail, Mt. Telemark is solidly in the flow department. But Munich said this is a good thing, as it is often the first time many of the area’s riders, especially newer riders, have experienced this style of riding.
“We did a bunch of clay capping to make a proper green berm. Typical Wisconsin singletrack doesn’t have berms,” Munich said. “So you’re able to really experience riding a berm carrying speed and not having to touch your brakes going into a turn for the first time.”
Of course, nearby feature-rich trails like Dirt Candy have been around for years — but in this case, the exception seems to prove the rule.
Mt. Telemark’s flow is evident on trails like Jumptimus Prime, arguably the bike park’s most popular trail. Munich told us that it is a massive blue flow trail, snaking down the hill for over half a mile. Again, he shared that this type of fast flow with big jumps is likely a first experience for many Cable-area mountain bikers.
But, they also didn’t want to miss out on technical trails. Rock Solid incorporated rock — abundant in the area — into various sections of the trail. In doing so, Munich said they were able to create “manufactured rock gardens.” This also allowed them to ensure the techy bits are appropriate for the level of trail they were on.
And, of course, they used natural features where they could. While not necessarily “natural,” Munich shared that some of the trails incorporate structures such as lift towers left behind by the ski hill.
“The lift towers are still on the mountain,” Munich told us. “There aren’t any cables actually still up on the lift tower, but there are some features built in, like you drop off the lift tower or the lift house, fun stuff like that.”
And more trails are coming. As we spoke, Munich and his Rock Solid crew were wrapping up their build year at Mt. Telemark. While all the details are still being finalized, he shared that they were finishing a DH trail and two enduro trails, all expected to be at intermediate to advanced levels.
Why Wisconsin?
This isn’t the first time we’ve covered Wisconsin in recent years. From Winchester to La Crosse, Janesville, Cumberland, and Door County, Wisconsin is building a lot of singletrack.
But why? Why does it seem like this Midwestern state is leading the trail development charge?
“People are realizing with these small bike parks and trail systems that you don’t need 3,000 feet of vert to have a proper downhill trail,” Munich said. “You don’t need to be in the Rocky Mountains. You can have 150 to 300 feet and still build a really fun downhill trail that will really inspire a whole new type of riding for kids.”
While no one is going to complain about 3,000 feet of descending, Munich isn’t wrong. Local municipalities and land managers are achieving more with less, with places like Bentonville, Arkansas, Rock Solid’s home base, setting an example. That example has spread, inspiring new trail systems, which in turn inspire others.
Munich mentioned places like Duluth, Marquette, and Copper Harbor as inspiration behind Mt. Telemark.
“Local riders have gotten a taste for these progressive features, and they have really been able to advocate in their hometown to get the community around building it, whether it’s a bike park or a trail system in their community.”
The singletrack at Mt. Telemark will remain open until the snow really sets in. After that, it is fat bike season for locals. But, as the 2026 season kicks off and the snow begins to melt, Mt. Telemark will be opening three trails stronger.
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