The City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation is excited to announce the opening of the new Hap & Judy Lutter Trails – the trails that will be used for the 2011 Junior Olympics.  
The Hap and Judy Lutter Trails make up the main competition loop at Theodore Wirth Park.  The Hap Trail includes the new dedicated cross country skiing staging area and the now-2.5 kilometer snowmaking and lighted loop.  The Judy Loop is made up of the advanced trails on the north side of the park (adjacent to the Courage Center and to Golden Valley Road).

How did the trails become the Hap & Judy Trails?  Hap and Judy Lutter have been long-time proponents of active sports in the Twin Cities area.  Both were marathon runners. Hap was an orthopedic surgeon and helped young people with brittle bone disease. Judy founded and ran the Melpomene Institute, which advocated for girls and women to lead active, healthy lifestyles.  Both Hap and Judy turned 70 years old this year.

At the behest of Hap and Judy’s friends and family, and to honor Hap and Judy’s lifetime of achievement in active living, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board re-named the trails in honor of Hap and Judy on Friday, October 2, 2009.  It was a moving ceremony.  The occasion was a surprise for Hap and Judy.  Hap has been battling cancer and had grown significantly sicker in the week before the event. In a show of great courage he mustered his energy for the event and showed up with a big smile.

For his part, Mayor R.T. Rybak proclaimed it “Hap and Judy Lutter Day” in the City of Minneapolis.

Two days later, on Marathon Sunday, Hap Lutter passed away in his home, surrounded by his family.  The Foundation feels honored to have played a role in the life of this great man.

With the support of Hap and Judy’s friends and family, the Foundation has been able to make great advances in the trail system. The Foundation has:

• built a dedicated “stadium” area for cross country skiing;
• added an extra half-kilometer to the trail system;
• upgraded the trails on the snowmaking loop to meet international standards;
• purchased a new “Kitty Cat” snow gun – specially designed for making snow on narrow trails instead of wide, open areas;
• built a new staircase from the Chalet up to the new stadium area.

The Foundation is currently raising funds in an effort to finish the Hap and Judy project.  Specifically, the hope is to raise the funds necessary to add an electrical/water station that would allow for the Park Board to make snow on the last half-kilometer of the Hap Loop: making for a 2.5 kilometer loop with full snowmaking capability.

Make a contribution to the Hap and Judy Lutter Trail Fund

More information: Call the Loppet Hotline at 612 604-5330, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send correspondence to:

City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation

1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway

Minneapolis, MN  55422