Looks like things will be great for the Thanksgiving Camp.  They will be keeping
the Kebler Pass road plowed and open regardless of snow until December 1st, plus
there should be skiing in town as well.  Right now, Lily Lake is in good shape,
thanks to Jesse Crandall at Western State.
Several great pictures at:
http://fasterskier.com/2009/10/trails-groomed-in-crested-butte/




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Hi all,
It's that time of the year again.  Since the lists have been so silent, I gather
everyone is still busy with everything else going on in your lives.  The bug to
get out and do some of the necessary chores prior to the season sort of got to
me while running in the Pajarito Trail Fest this past weekend.  There was snow
on the trails in many places and it reminded me that it's time to start getting
things ready.
I am hoping to get up there a few times to prepare things.  I'll probably start
doing some stuff this weekend.  We can schedule a major work party for the
fencing efforts in early November, but we might want to schedule some smaller
parties to do the regular trail stuff like cutting aspen shoots and getting the
fencing up to the rock and maybe the meadow entrances.
Here's a list of items we can work on:
Tape/mud/paint interior of equipment hut
remove spare snowmobile off of club trailer and place it up above the old shack
with a cover
What to do with club trailer???
general organization of equipment hut and paint floor
get roof onto gas cabinet (noticed the plywood had warped from getting wet)
finish steps to the entrance door to the hut
equipment maintenance work -- machines and grooming devices
cut aspen shoots and trim branches on sides of trail
move a few rocks on lower road
remove a few problem aspens (chainsaw work) along with the downfall
haul up and install fencing to the rock and meadow entrances
post signage (we have more new xc ski signs)
haul up and install fence posts for shade fencing
I had hoped to get an electrical connection to the hut by now, but the project
is a little behind schedule and we didn't get a trench dug over to the pump
station.  I might be able to swing getting at least an extension cord plugged
into it...we'll see.  We'll really need to budget for a little dedicated
transformer of our own electrical service.
We should also plan on having a club meeting in the next couple of weeks.  Any
suggestions?  Perhaps next week?
Since the days are nice on the weekends, I was thinking we could wait until a
little later to meet for the work stuff, maybe 1pm or so?



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Come out and help us pull down the sunfence and trail signs...  we need you!

Yep, there was great skiing on Easter Sunday.  Check it out on the SWNSC blog:
http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/


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Come out to support a good cause and do an event so close to home (info below
and in the attached flyer). They are really hoping for 100 participants, so
please participate if you can and spread the word.
 
WHAT: 5k to benefit American Brain Tumor Association
WHAT ELSE: The run/walk is a non-competitive 5K, and open to all ages. Dogs on
leashes and strollers are welcome!
WHEN: Saturday, May 2nd, 8:00am

WHERE: White Rock Presbyterian Church, 310 Rover Blvd
WHY: In honor of Julie Meadows and others that have fought brain cancer.

REGISTRATION: http://hope.abta.org/graymatters

QUESTIONS: Kim Knapp: 629-8130 Angie Thomas: 470-8263
FEES/DATES: 
Adults: $30 before April 17
Adults: $40 after April 17
Kids (4-12): $10 before April 17
Kids (4-12): $15 after April 17
Kids under 4: FREE
 




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Believe it or not, there's still quite a bit of Nordic skiing to be had on the
SWNSKI trails.  Of course, you have to hike in a little further now...all the
way to the "coat tree" at point B on the trail map.  Up to that point, the trail
is very sun-exposed and really took a beating with these record temperatures.
The lower road looks completely destroyed from the junction at point A, but
beyond point R, it's in OK shape and groomed out to point O and even has a nice
classic track set.  The cutoffs at R to the upper trails and O to the upper
trails at TJs are sort of groomed too, so there's skiable access to the lower
road, which is actually in good shape where there's snow.
That's the theme around the rest of the trail system.  Where the sun hasn't
beaten down too badly, it's good spring skiing, although really dirty snow. 
There are about 3 or 4 very short stretches where it's very narrow, then fine
just beyond.
I wasn't able to set a classic track on the rest of the trail system because I
had a problem with the grooming machine.  The lights failed due to a charge
system/battery problem and I ended up grooming in the dark using only the stars
and whatever moonlight was available.  There may be some weird swerving around
in the skate lane down low.  Too bad, as it would have been good to get in one
last classic track.  Maybe this weekend...
It finally cooled off dramatically when the clouds cleared out, so it froze and
started setting up.  Hopefully, we'll get some new snow to squeeze out a few
more days.  Otherwise, we may have one more grooming session left if we're
lucky.
Go ski and say your farewells this week....


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Once again, the "Pajarito Pinhead Challenge" will be a part of the Skiesta
celebration at Pajarito Mountain ski area in Los Alamos on March 14 (weather
permitting).
The Pinhead Challenge is a fun event that pits skinny skiers against the fat
board skiers, or just you against yourself -- whatever you want to make it...
The event starts at the base of Pajarito Mountain, right in front of the lodge. 
Participants may elect to ski the long way up on the east service roads to the
back of the mountain, or don skins and head straight up Dogpatch (see map) to
the top.  Where those two paths meet, all skiers will then continue to the top
of Pajarito and then to the west side via Rim Run to I Don't Care, down to the
West Road cat track and back to the base to finish in front of the lodge.
Entry is pretty much free, and costumes are encouraged.  Stick around afterward
for all of the Skiesta fiesta activities!


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Well, it's not so much a grooming report as just a trail conditions report. 
Nothing has been regroomed since last Friday before President's Day weekend.
Anyway, things are holding up, if not getting crusty, glazed and rough around
the edges again.  The upper tree trails and the lower road are both still in
pretty good condition, but there's a lot of hard pack, glaze and wind-strewn
tree debris in the trail.
The classic tracks in the trees on both the lower road and the upper tree trails
are still in pretty good shape, but with a lot of debris.  I picked out the
major stuff where I could.  It drifted out in all of the meadow locations and
really needs to be reset out there.
Speaking of drifting, it did snow a little bit.  I discovered that on my ski
today, but I was not the first one out there to discover it.  I saw a couple of
sets of skate tracks on it, so someone beat me to it.  The tracks left by said
skater indicated that the upper meadow sections were drifty in the skate lane
too.  It's amazing how much drifting was present after such a small amount of
snow.  The outer meadow trail had all of the new snow blown clean off it, so
it's still crusty and hard, except at the very bottom where it's protected from
the wind.
For classic skiing, I applied 3 layers of klister: one generous layer of ice
klister, one layer of hard/course snow klister (both torched in and allowed to
freeze outside), then a thin layer of "vario" klister (corn snow) on that, just
corked in.  It worked great and kick was as solid as can be expected in all
sections except for around point K, where there's a weird moist drifty spot that
iced up on me for a few meters.  It cleared up pretty well once I got back on
something crusty and hard.  Even the icy section from the lower road out to the
upper meadow skied well with that combination and I was able to stay in what was
left of the track all the way up.
It's funny, but I get a little bummed out with the lack of snow down here in
town and it's depressing walking up the mostly brown front hill now, but then
once I get back into the trail system, it's amazing how well it is holding up
and how good the skiing is.  I would say keep gettin' out there once it gets
groomed again.


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good prognosis on the course and the homemade food :)

--- On Thu, 2/12/09, Howard Tritz <tritz29@...> wrote:



Hello Skiers:
 
Only six days left to save money by registering early for the Leadville Loppet
which will be held on February 22.  Please go to www.mineralbelttrail.com to
find a registration form.
 
Things are looking good.  Course is in great shape, all of the race personnel
are ready and eager, going to have plenty of homemade soups and chili, weather
may be favorable, and our long awaited new groomer will be here tomorrow.  Hope
all of you can make it to Leadville for this race.
 
Sincerely,
 
Howard Tritz
MBT Chair




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Thanks to all the time put in by our wonderful and dedicated groomers the trails
are in great shape and particularly sweet now that we had a few more inches to
freshen things up. Thanks a lot to all the groomers!
also, thanks to whoever was the considerate showshoer(s) on the lower road!
Great job stomping all the edges and not following the same track - made for a
very nice flat wide road all the way through the upper meadow (where they kindly
stayed to the sides and nicely framed the trail - very cool!
I've posted a picture from the trails taken this morning on the blog.
Go up and ski!




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4-5 inches new snow
Packed Powder

The forested trail system is groomed for skate and classic.  Multi-use trail
groomed for skate
only.  Expect windblown conditions in all exposed areas and meadow trails.

I apologize for spamming the membership but since this affects a multitude of
our running/hiking/biking trails I thought people would be interested:
This is about the proposed controversial bypass road behind the Lab Research
Park (building with Java Rocks cafe in it) towards the new ski hill road to
avoid the two already existing roads West Jemez and the West Road (ice rink/la
canyon road). Please come to the meeting (March 2) to express your opinion or
learn about it and how much it will cost our community and join the tour (Feb
22) to see where it will go if it gets approved.
All details below:


BYPASS - WALKING TOUR - February 22nd (Sunday) at 2:00 PM

There will be a walking tour/open house on February 22nd (Sunday) at 2:00 PM at
the Research Park in order to take a look at the area where the Bypass road
would go, if built. County public works engineers will lead the tour. Meet in
the parking lot of the Research Park (east side). Wear good boots for
snow/slush. Bring hiking stick and water if you need them. It will be about a 1
hour tour of the half mile bypass route. The center line of the bypass route
will be staked by the county. (This event is now confirmed as going forward -
Research Park restrooms will be available after the hike.)

BYPASS - COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING - Monday March 2nd at 7PM at the Community
Building (on Beautiful Ashley Pond)

The Council is holding a special meeting on Monday March 2nd at 7PM at the
Community Building (on Beautiful Ashley Pond) in order discuss the Bypass
project. This is the only topic for this meeting. All stakeholders are being
invited. Public comment will be heard. I will represent the Petitioners and
present a case against the Bypass. Please come and let the Council know how you
feel about this redundant and unnecessary Bypass.

If you belong to any organizations that oppose the Bypass, please let them know
about these events and ask members to please make their voices heard on the
subject and attend especially the Council's Bypass meeting on the 2nd.





Thanks,
Greg Kendall
(505)412-3843
greg_kendall@...




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Hey everyone,
 
in addition to a belated Chama Race Report (hey, Tarik has baby-duty now),
Clay's NM Cup race report on the swnski blog there are also new picture albums
online. One each from Alley Loop, Chama and NM Cup. Just click on Photo Gallery
from the home page www.swnordicski.org
If you have photos or race reports you want up on the blog or photo gallery feel
free to send them to me directly and I"ll get them posted. If you want your own
blogging power, email me too - I'll see if Tarik will let you ;)
 
Leadville Loppet coming up on Sunday Feb 22nd! They have 10k, 22k, 44k freestyle
races with the whole town coming together to cook great food for the awards
ceremony. If the above pictures inspire you so, do try to go up and do the race.
Its an amazing course using the fantastically groomed Mineral Belt trail with
amazing views of the rockies. Plus, this year the race will use all proceeds to
help pay for a used groomer they bought - hey, we all know how hard it is to get
such stuff for our club, so why not help them out if that means just going out
and having fun racing! Info and registration here:
http://www.mineralbelttrail.com/merchant.ihtml?id=223&step=2
Note, the event being on Sunday makes for an easy Sat drive rather than frantic
Friday night getaway :)
 
Also, people keep asking about getting some more club gear. I would LOVE to but
as you recall there is always a minimum number to make the order affordable etc.
So in the next few days we will be posting some info on the website about the
uniforms (prices etc). Check it out and then email (there will be a link) if you
are interested. Based on those responses we may start working on another order.
Starting this spring should make it available for fall, so you can roller ski in
style while getting ready for the snow :)
 
Dina




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Tarik has posted a great report on the recent Chama Chile Classic with good
photos and race
results as well.  Here's a link:

http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2009/02/chama-chili-classic-ski-and-snowshoe.html

Classic Track set on 2/4/2009
Classic track was set on the lower road (past the hill at point A), all the way
out to the
meadow, on the outer meadow trail, and then down the upper tree trails to the
point where
there's a burn-out spot just above point A.

It'll be purple klister (or even yellow for a while tomorrow...) during the day,
and probably ice
klister in the early morning and evening. Otherwise, waxless skis would work
well if you ski
in the warmer parts of the day.

Please help to educate people you see walking on the "no walking" portions of
the trail. There
seem to be a lot of these sign disregarder people and they've done a lot of
damage to the
"skiing only" designated trails. It's a mess to groom and ski on...

Ski on!

I should add that if you go up to ski Saturday or Sunday, use more sense than we
did and ski
around 1-2:00 when the snow is warmed up and it should be good skiing!

Well it's beginning to look a lot like bike season!

The guys worked hard last night with what ice cutting equipment we have and
managed to
grind it down to where they reported that skating was good this morning.

By late afternoon when Donna and I were skating the sun had cooked the South
facing slopes
and it was getting rather icy in the woods.   Front hill was bad.   Upper meadow
near the
Baca is still good.   We avoided the road so don't know what it's like there but
I'll bet it was
icy.

So my weekend report has to remain that conditions are challenging.  So be
careful.  There
are no classic tracks set....  it's really not possible to try to cut a good
deep set of tracks into
a base that hard.

However I should add, it is better than roller skiing!!

Chip posted everything on the club site (Chama Chile pix also up under photo
gallery):
www.swnordicski.org
Also, check out upcoming events section - lots of fun stuff coming up.




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Go to the SWNSC Blog for details: http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/

The 2nd Annual Pinhead Challenge will take place as part of the Ski Pajarito
Skiesta events on March 14.  Mark you calendars and either wax up your skinny
skis for the long trip up and around the mountain, or throw the skins on the
tele/AT gear and go for the "whole shot" straight up Dogpatch.
Either way, it should be an aerobo-burn of fun.
More details may be found on the Ski Pajarito website (coming soon...).



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Have you done a local sports event lately? Do you like having the option of
different events to do nearby? Please consider that these events are not going
to be around for you to have as an option every season unless they get more
regular support (read participation).
 
So if you like having the option of different events to do then do your part by
participating and spreading the word whenever you can.
Not only will it help the event but it will likely lead to a larger local
athletic population and so more training partners, like-minded friends, more
events for your kids to do, more local support for things like trails/paths,
bike safety etc.
 
Check out
www.triatomics.org for links to multisport event schedules and links to local
sport clubs
www.swnordicski.org for winter specific events, links and info on how to get
started if you are new, coaching/class options.




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Next up -- the New Mexico Cup XC ski races this coming weekend (January 24, 25).
The 10km/5km classic race is on Saturday and the mass start 15km/7.5km freestyle
(skate) race is Sunday.  Races start at 8:30am (or so...) both days.
These will be great courses and more snow is in the forecast.
See www.swnordicski.org or www.enchantedforestxc.com for more information.
Chama was a great success with lots of skiers and snowshoers...and great skiing.


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Don't forget that the Chama Chile Classic cross-country ski race/tour and
snowshoe race are coming up on January 18 (Marting Luther King, Jr. weekend).
You can preregister at Active.com.  Details are at:
www.chamaski.com
This is a great course and there are some cool raffle prizes (some yurt trips at
Southwest Nordic Center on Cumbres Pass included...)
http://www.southwestnordiccenter.com/yurtdescriptions.htm


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As you can see from events listed on www.swnordicski.org there is a snowshoe
race in SF this Sat that overlaps with our SWNSKI nordic ski clinic up here.
If you hate skipping a snowshoe race please note that Chama is also having a
snowshoe race immediately following their nordic ski race on January 18th. Link
for info on the Chama races is called Chama Chile Ski Classic and is under
upcoming events on www.swnordicski.org This is also a great event for families -
one skis while the other watches kids, then switch and the second parent does
the snowshoe immediately after that.
 
Please support local events!! Most of them are entirely volunteer efforts.




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See:
http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/
Don't forget about the clinics this weekend.  They're taught by PSIA-certified
instructors Ken and Jessica Kisiel.  See www.swnordicski.org for details, and
spread the word.
Happy skiing!


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See:
http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/


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Got up there with Nick Piazza, a club member and new groomer, and found hip-deep
snow (more than two feet).  It took quite a while to dig the shed out, then dig
and tack a path out to the Camp May road, saw a couple of trees that were down
and now buried, etc.  Everything just took a huge amount of time, so not a whole
lot got packed.
We attempted to go pack the trails with the machines (nothing in tow), but just
submarined, even with our "fastest" snowmobile.  The snowmobile got stuck 7
times in one mile!  So, after a long time spent digging out, we opted to head
back and hope that some folks would go out on backcountry skis and snowshoes. 
It's that deep.  We only made it around the TJ's loop once with a snowmobile and
Kermit.  Nothing else got a pass -- we were first tracks on everything around
noon (no one had skied up beyond that).
With some ski and snowshoe traffic, and some settling, it'll be passable.


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"well winter is here. and there is snow, right now there is too much snow to
groom, so the
groomers request that anyone with back country skis or snowshoes go use them up
on the
trail and pack it down. The best way to do it is on the edges of the trail. if
there are two of
you walk on each side of the trail and you will both get a great workout.  the
more folks we
get up there in the next few days the better the skiing will be by the weekend
".

thanks

the groomers

Most of the details have finally been worked out, so we'll go ahead and get the
word out about the revival of the "Sometimes Annual New Mexico Ski Cup"
cross-country ski race on January 24th and 25th.  It's being promoted and
sponsored by the Enchanted Forest XC Ski Area in Red River.  They'll be posting
the flier and waiver on their site soon, so check there directly (probably
tomorrow or the next day...they just got a bunch of new snow that they have to
go pack down).  www.enchantedforestxc.com
There will be a classical (traditional style) race on Saturday, and a freestyle
(skate) race on Sunday.  We're also posting the information on the SWNSC website
now, so check there either tonight or tomorrow for the flier and waiver of
liability. www.swnordicski.org
Also, don't forget about the Chama Chile Ski Classic on January 18.  This is an
awesome event with a great course.  It's going back to the original classical
style and is listed as a 10km event, but is usually somewhat longer.  Part of
the course is on the old Cumbres & Toltec railroad grade.  See: www.chamaski.com
for more information on that.
Please help spread the word on these unique New Mexico events, and get out there
and ski!


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Hi all,
I posted a quick trail report on the blog:
http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/
Also, please remember to renew your memberships.  We've been busy getting all of
the club assets in order (both hard and liquid) and although we are looking good
"in the field," it has been a little bit of a strain on the meager bank account.
If you ever wonder where the money goes or what the finances are, please feel
free to not ask questions...just kidding.  This isn't the Bush administration =)
You can ask us any questions at board@...
...and, you are always invited to board meetings where we always have financial
reports by our very own economic guru and club treasurer, Paul Graham.
OK, think snow and go ski!



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