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Nordic Skiing Gets Reroutes and Re-dates
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Saturday, November 25, 2017
 

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Ski the Rails has been moved to the month of February, and the Trail Creek Loop has been partially rerouted at Sun Valley Nordic Center as the Nordic season gets underway in Sun Valley.

Chances are most people won’t notice the reroute of the Harriman Trail that crews made just north of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters after flood waters swept part of the trail to Magic Reservoir.

And, thanks to early season snow, they shouldn’t be able to see how crews remedied other portions of the trail that were under water most of the summer near Easley Hot Springs and the Baker Creek Road.

Meanwhile, crews at the Sun Valley Nordic Center have rerouted part of the Trail Creek Loop sending it over a different bridge as it climbs out of the golf course bottoms back to the club house.

The reroute will mitigate any problems from future flooding, said Steve Haims, the new manager of the Nordic Center.

“You’ll have to see it to believe it!” he added.

Nordic skiing got a big shot in the arm with snow and cold temperatures allowing the Blaine County Recreation District to begin packing trails around Galena Lodge the first week of November. And subsequent snows have left trails from Prairie Creek north resembling mid-winter form.

Last winter’s record-breaking snowfall taxed the BCRD’s ability to keep its ski trails groomed.

Groomers groomed around the clock for 24 hours prior to the start of the prestigious Boulder Mountain tour, which attracts 800 racers from around the world each year. And the BCRD continued to groom trails until May 7.

“We were getting 9 to 10 inches every day so to keep the trails skiing well we had to keep hitting them two and three times a day,” said Jim Keating, BCRD Director. “Every time you hit six inches, you have to compress it to make a good base that’s not too soft.”

Ironically, the abundant snowfall led to fewer skier visits, said Janelle Connors, spokesperson for the BCRD. That, of course, is an estimate based on the number of daily passes and season passes sold. The BCRD figures each season pass holder skis about 15 times.

“We usually average between 60,000 and 65,000 skiers during an average 150-day season and we estimated we got about 55,652 last winter,” said Conners. “Part of it was because we had a lot of really cold, snowy days.  Part of it was because people were skiing powder on Baldy. And part of it was because people were able to ski so many places they normally can’t ski.”

HERE’S WHAT’S NEW:

SUN VALLEY NORDIC REWORKS CAT

In addition to rerouting part of the Trail Creek Loop, Sun Valley Nordic Center has trimmed back a substantial number of willows and other brush along the Trail Creek and Boundary trails. That should make grooming and skiing easier.

The snow cat that grooms the Center’s 40 kilometers of trails has been rebuilt, which should mean fewer breakdowns this winter.

Steve Haims says he hopes to experiment with single track trails for snow bikes this year to move them off the skier trails.

The Nordic Center is offering several new lines of ski clothing, including that of Bjorn Daelie, Kristin Close, Salomon and Norland.

The Center’s ski instructors, who have a wealth of experience, are returning. Among them: EJ Harpham, who was sidelined by an early season roller skiing accident last year; Jon Engen, Pamela Street and Paul MacKenzie. Joining them will be Muffy Ritz and Joney Otteson.

FREE SKIING FOR TEENS

Youth 17 and under will ski free this year on the North Valley Trails. Before, free skiing was restricted to youth 12 and under. Skiing on the bike path, which is groomed from Ketchum to Bellevue, is free of charge, as well.

“The free skiing is such a popular thing with kids 12 and under. We wanted to offer families the ability to go out and fall in love with being outside,” said Connors.

Skiing is free for children under 12 at Sun Valley Nordic Center. It’s $10 for those 12 and older.

RIDE ‘N GLIDE EXPANDS LENGTH OF SERVICE

The BCRD will partner with Mountain Rides for the second time this year to offer Ride ‘n Glide bus service from Ketchum to four points along the Harriman Trail. The bus will stop at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters seven miles north of Ketchum, Baker Creek, Prairie Creek and Galena Lodge.

The service offers skiers a chance to start at Galena Lodge and ski the Harriman Trail back to their car. It also offers people a chance to leave their car in Ketchum and take the bus up north.

The service will operate five times throughout the day Fridays through Sundays for 11 weeks from Dec. 15 through Feb. 25. The first ride leaves Ketchum at 9:30 a.m., arriving at Galena Lodge at 10:05 a.m. The last leaves Ketchum at 2:45 p.m. arriving at Galena at 3:20 p.m. The last bus returns from Galena at 4:02 p.m.

Cost is $5 one way or $7 round trip, cash only. A season pass for the bus service can be purchased or $65 at www.bcrd.org.

To see the full bus schedule, go to www.mountainrides.org.

DEMO DAY COMING UP

A Ski Free and Demo Day will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, at Galena Lodge. Free mini lessons will be offered and people will get the chance to try out new Nordic ski gear from outdoor shops like The Elephant’s Perch.

SKI THE RAILS MOVED

The popular Ski the Rails—where skiers ski from Ketchum to Hailey, enjoying refreshments along the way—has been moved from late January to Feb. 10. Holding it on the same day as the Galena Lodge Benefit, as in the past, was just too much for organizers, said Conners.

GALENA LODGE BENEFIT TO FEATURE DANCING TO THE NEW HIGH STREET BAND

The 22nd annual Galena and the Trails Winter Benefit will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27, in the Sun Valley Inn Limelight Room.

Chair Jenny Busdon is accepting donations of auction items, including vacation homes, wine, jewelry, outdoor gear and one-of-a-kind package deals, at this time (jbusdongalenabenefit@gmail.com).

The benefit itself will cost $100 and include dinner, wine and dancing to the High Street Band, which plays a variety of popular dance numbers from “Spirit in the Sky” to “Higher and Higher.” Reservations can be placed at www.bcrd.org beginning Dec. 12.

Supporting the lodge and trails through donations is important, noted Busdon, because no tax dollars are used to support their operation and maintenance.

BOULDER MOUNTAIN TOUR

The 2018 Boulder Mountain Tour sponsored by Zions Bank will be held Saturday, Feb. 3.

It will be limited to 800 registered participants. And all participants will receive a coveted BMT hat and race bag, along with other goodies from sponsors.

Cost for adults is $85 for those who register by Nov. 30. It goes up to $100 from Dec. 1 through Jan. 26, 2018, and to $120 from Jan. 27-31. Registration for those 17 and under costs $45.

Register at https://bouldermountaintour.com.

The Half-Boulder 15K includes a parent-child combo for $85.

SEASON PASSES FOR NORTH VALLEY TRAILS

This year’s day passes will cost $17 for North Valley Trails and $10 for Croy Nordic. Three-day passes, which can be used on non-consecutive days, cost $45, and seven-day passes, which must be used on consecutive days, costs $89.

A one-day snowshoe pass for the North Valley Trails costs $5, while a one-day dog pass costs $5.

Passes can be purchased at outdoor stores in Ketchum, at Galena Lodge and trailheads. Season passes are available at www.bcrd.org.

SEASON PASSES FOR SUN VALLEY NORDIC CENTER

A one-day trail pass for Sun Valley Nordic Center’s 40 kilometers of trails costs $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for youth 12 and older. Skiing’s free for children.

A half-day pass, which begins at 1 p.m., costs $20 for adults and $13 for seniors. Two- and three-day passes cost $40 and $60.

Sun Valley’s snowshoe trail fees are $10 for adults and $5 for youth 12 and older. Fat bike trail fees are $15.

The purchase of season passes includes two one-day passes for family or friends. They also include two half-priced equipment rental vouchers, two half-priced daytime sleigh rides, excluding the Christmas and President’s Day weeks, and a free equipment tune.

Sun Valley passes can be purchased at www.sunvalley.com and at the Nordic Center, which is part of the Sun Valley Club.

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