January 2013 President's Message

[Geoffrey Harvey]

Steady snowfall in mid and late December has dropped roughly two feet of snow on the Fourth of July Area.  The grooming teams have actively packed, shaped, and tracked the snow along most of the groomed trails.  The gate on Skywalker was closed a week prior to Christmas and Skywalker and Moonrunner have been  groomed from the Lower Twisted Klister Junction out to Rose Creek Saddle.  The snowshoe warming hut is set up with the a stove in place that shouldn't smoke the users out. Most all the direction signs are up and the late deadfall have been removed from the Twisted Klister system ski and snowshoe trails. There are plans to groom the Eagle Run soon and a new strove will be placed in Ian's Hut. All the amenities of the area will be in place soon,  so there is little excuse not to get out in the back parts of the ski area and enjoy some ski runs or snowshoe courses you have not experienced.

 

This coming Saturday, January 5th, is both the annual Free Ski Day Event and the Club's Best Hand fundraiser.  Since it is Free Ski Day, no Park N Ski sticker is required to use the ski area.  So invite your friends and acquaintances to come out and participate in the Best Hand Ski. Working from last year's approach, we are again offering top prizes that are offered by and draw on the strengths of many of the club members.  These include: a catered dinner for six, an overnight guided and outfitted canoe trip to Upper Priest Lake, a summer hike in North Idaho complete with a catered lunch, a bike ride on the Trail of The Coeur d'Alenes with an ice cream stop in Harrison and a groomers' snow machine tour of the Fourth of July Ski Area.  Additional prizes have been donated  by long time supporters of the club.  There will be hot drinks and treats at the Panhandle Hut, card dealers posted along the ski and snowshoe courses, and the opportunity to buy up to two additional cards to improve the hand you are dealt. Registration starts at 10:30 AM at the Panhandle Hut. Some forecasts suggest there is even a chance of some sunshine.  I hope to see you out supporting this club fundraiser.  All of its proceeds are plowed back into operating the ski and snowshoe area.

 

The next regular ski club meeting will be Tuesday, January 8th at 7:00 PM at the Fernan Ranger Station, 2502 E. Sherman Avenue in Fernan Village.  The Forest Service has requested that we use the front door and park in the front parking lot and along the street.  Again we will have a few reports, announcements, and some trip planning followed by the program. The program will be a ski film featuring cross country skiing.  

 

As a preview of the February meeting:   Rich Landers, well known outdoor writer for the Spokesman Review, will speak on hikes circumnavigating Mount Rainer and peaks in Nepal.  You might want to mark that Tuesday, February 5th meeting on your calendar.

Geoff Harvey