The longer days and the sunny warm weather last Sunday have us all looking towards the actual arrival of spring in this part of the world. Even so the snow has kept piling up on the high slopes. There is nothing unusual about the situation, since March is most often a month of snowpack gain rather than loss. With this March nearing record precipitation levels, the gain is especially evident this year.

The snowpack became mushy on the inner loop at the Fourth of July area forcing us to put the groomers away. Trying to groom a mushy pack will only dig holes and not accomplish much else.

It seemed early this year because the snow came so late. My last trip around the lower circuit found the trail threadbare of snow at the usual locations at the base of Loose Moose and on the Swoop. However, if one skied out towards Rose Creek Saddle there was over five feet of snowpack beyond the top of Twisted Klister. The same is true of about any slopes above 4,000 feet; Fernan Saddle, Lookout and other areas retain snow for those wanting to get in another ski.

Inevitably though as the temperature rises and we get a few sunny days, thoughts move off to spring and summer activities. So it is appropriate and timely that the club considers its spring, summer and fall activities at its final meeting of the season. Foremost among the tasks to work out is the setting of our hiking, biking, and canoe/kayak trip schedule.

We plan an activity every other week through these seasons between late April and September trying our best to avoid holiday weekends.

If you have a trip you would like to lead or just make as a participant, bring in the best description you can to share with the meeting participants. I will likely have some suggestions up my sleeve to present.

Once we have considered the suggestions we’ll get down to the business of developing a schedule. I will referee, but as I say yearly, this is your list of trips, so make it what you would like.

We will also need to factor in a few other activities. These include manning our station at the Coeur d’Alene Marathon an annual money maker, the Grand Fondo fun ride at Fourth of July, and likely a work day with other user groups to complete any necessary trail clearing and to spruce up facilities at Fourth of July for the warm season use by the public.

I hope to see you all at the Tuesday night meeting on April 3rd at 7 PM at the Fernan Ranger District Office, 2502 E Sherman, Fernan Village, drive around back.

Geoff Harvey

Are we suffering deja vue all over again this late winter and early spring? It seems that last year after some early snow we lost most of it in January through much of February. Then in late February the skies opened and the resulting heavy snows lasted well into the spring. This year is beginning to show the same trend except the snow was scanty early in the season. I for one will welcome a good late winter and early spring ski season, if only to make up for the deficit we suffered in December and most of January.

Once we were able to close the gate on Skywalker (FSR 614) the groomers have regularly packed it all the way to Rose Creek Saddle. Initially, it was too soft to effectively skate ski, but the pack firmed up. A week ago I was able to achieve a long held desire to ski around the inner circuit, out Skateaway to Skywalker and then out Skywalker and Moon Runner to Rose Creek Saddle and then back by the same route. Although I have skied to and well beyond the saddle many times, this was the first on skate skis. We have received some heavy snow since then, but when it is again groomed, I encourage others to experience this new addition to the area and the rolling terrain one can experience over much of the route.

I have also been told by any number of snowshoers and skiers on the Twisted Klister system how much they appreciate the closure of the road near the bottom. They appreciate the knowledge that their experience will not be interrupted by a motorized ATV speeding by as has occurred in years past. The parking lot has been filled most weekends as has the space at the top of the hill near the base of Skywalker (FSR 614), yet the area has attained a size that spreads the users out improving everybody’s ski and snowshoe experience.

The expanding area has brought new attention to an old problem the club has been working on for about five years: the need for a new groomer. I am happy to report that the bill for the groomer we need and the savings and assets we can tap to buy it are very close. We are within $2,000 of our goal thanks to work and savings over the years and the reserve of funds dedicated to the Fourth of July Area we can tap into from the Department of Parks & Recreation.

We have a few large ($500) contributions and would appreciate a few more to get us over the top, but whatever our supporters can afford to make the new groomer a reality will assure excellent and more reliable grooming at the Fourth of July Area for years to come. The club is registered with the IRS as a 401(k) nonprofit corporation, so any contribution is tax deductable. It is not very often that the leadership asks our members and supporters to reach down and help us over a big hurdle like this, but now is the time, because the groomer must be ordered very soon for delivery next fall.

The March meeting of the Panhandle Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Club will be held on Tuesday, March 6th at 7PM at the Fernan Ranger District at 2501 E. Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene. We will have a short business meeting with election of the three officers, but devote the rest of the night to awards, some tall tales (this is the Liars Night) and a program on Idaho’s Centennial Trail (not to be confused with the cda –  Spokane bike trail) which stretches eight hundred miles north to south across the state.

The Ya I Du Ski awards will be made with the recognition of all who recorded their ski and snowshoe distances over the season.  Get your tallied kilometers skied or snowshoed to Roberta Truscott preferably before the next meeting.

We have traditionally had a few tall tales or outright lies passed off during past March meetings. Some traditionalist may still show up to ply their prevaricating trade. The program will be given by long time member and hiking enthusiast Judy Waring with a little help from her friends. She will speak about the Idaho Centennial Trail and her experience as well as experiences of others following the trail across the state.

As most of you surely know the sky has finally opened with a substantial snowfall after a very dry December and first half of January. Skiable snow could be found, but you had to search far and high for enough snow. Just before the storm struck,

Skywalker and Moonwalker (FSR 614) were groomed and the gate was closed to stop motor vehicle access. The Fourth of July Area was groomed after the snow and track set on the five mile circuit and skate lane on most of the circuit. Both Skywalker and Moonwalker are being groomed for skate skiing out to Rose Creek Saddle.

We ask traditional Nordic skiers and snowshoers using Skywalker (FSR 614) as part of the Twisted Klister system to stay to the side of this very wide trail and not damage the skate grooming.

The stove will be placed out at Ian’s Hut as soon as groomer gets out there. The snowshoe warming hut up on Twisted Klister was caught mid construction by the snowstorm. We plan to dig it out and complete it for the season soon. This is the latest information as this is written. However, conditions change from weather front to weather front so keep an eye on the website for the latest on conditions.

This year as you ski and snowshoe the Fourth of July Area you will find new opportunities and trails for traditional Nordic and snowshoe use and greatly expanded opportunity for skate skiing. What you should not find is any motor vehicles on Skywalker and Moonwalker (FSR 614), which have been administratively closed to this use while we are grooming them for skiing.

The end of the holiday season has ushered in the season for ski trips. We have managed a few day trips to give lessons ant Lookout Pass and tour a new area at Fernan Saddle. A small group of us took advantage of cut rate ski pass rates offered by the Methow Ski Trail Association to enjoy three days of skiing in Washington’s Methow Valley. New snow made the skiing good at the Loop Loop area on the way over and in the Methow. The snow proved a bit soft for optimal skating and the tree limbs full of snow were unburdening at times onto unsuspecting skiers below, but these are minor inconveniences compared to the enjoyment of such a large and well groomed system of trails.

At the end of January another group will ski the Palouse Divide Park N Ski area located northeast of Moscow. The group will be overnighting at a local lodge in the area to ski an area that few of us have tried in recent years.

Rough plans are being laid for a rail grade ski off Lookout Pass in one or the other direction and for a ski on Fourth of July’s ten mile loop. Both of these day trips are planned for February.

More ski lessons are planned as well for late January and February.

The annual Rock Soup Event is planned for the Fourth of July Ski Area on Saturday, February 4th. The general scheme of this causal event is for the organizers to show up about 2 PM at the Panhandle Hut with a stove, kettle or two and a soup base to put in them. A fire is kindled in the hut’s stove; the soup base is put on and heated. As participants show up they bring not only their ski and/or snowshoe gear but a can of something of their own choosing to put in the soup. After making their contribution participants go off to ski or snowshoe until about 5 PM when darkness falls. We all gather in the hut to partake of the “rock soup” and any drinks and bread or whatever participants might want to bring as well. It is also smart to bring a soup bowl and spoon and not depend on there being enough to go around. A flashlight or headlight to find your way back to the parking lot can be indispensable as well. I urge you all to come out for the rock soup ski and ultimate potluck dinner. Enjoy the skiing/snowshoeing, soup, the company and the night air.

The Panhandle Nordic Club’s membership will meet again on Tuesday, February 7th at the Fernan Office of the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District at 2502 E. Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene at 7 PM. After a short business meeting and a break to visit and make trip plans, Dwight McCain will give a talk on a canoe trip to the Bowron Lakes Provincial Park in the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia. Dwight’s talk will provide new members with some insights into the type of summer activities the club encourages.

A record dry December has not aided our efforts to open the Fourth of July area for the winter season and has made skiing close to home a problem. There is snow cover at Lookout Pass and skiable snow along the Northern Pacific rail grade down to Taft in Montana and the Hale Fish Hatchery above Mullan. Two days prior to Christmas I skate skied the rail grade down to Taft with my daughter and son in law. The snow cover was adequate along the grade all the way down, although it was rather slim on adjacent south facing slopes. Most remarkable was the walk through the Borax Tunnel. Normally large icicles hang from the roof of the tunnel, while water that drips from these icicles refreezes in mounds on the floor. On this trip the Borax was as dry as I have ever observed it during the winter. So the snow that has fallen there has remained frozen in the cold of December.

There is also good skiing closer to home off Fernan Saddle. The road up to the saddle was in frightful shape earlier in December. The approximate two feet of snow that came in late November was never plowed off the road. The last two miles of the road were two wheel ruts down the middle of the road with snow scraping the bottom of the car carriage. In many locations ice filled the two ruts. Going up was simply a matter of keeping moving. However, coming down in those two ice filled ruts was a nerve racking test of the low gears on an automatic transmission mixed with brake tapping and a prayer that nobody was met coming up the hill.

I am happy to report I was up at Fernan Saddle on the day after Christmas and thankfully the road has been graded. There is a foot and a half to two feet of snow at 4,000 feet. If you go to the road system to the south and east of the parking lot, you should be out from under the feet of the snow machines and you should be able to find area to ski and snowshoe. There are two large tank traps placed by the Forest Service to keep motorized vehicles out. These must be circumvented or crossed. There is also a resident moose to whom I recommend you give the right of way. Please be courteous and keep out of the snowmobilers’ way. They pay for the road grading and upkeep of the parking area that makes this close to home area available when the snow forsakes Fourth of July Pass.

The Panhandle Nordic Club is headed into a busy January. The weekend after our Tuesday, January 3rd meeting, the club will be hosting a combination Free Ski Day and Best Hand Ski at the Fourth of July Area on Saturday, January 7th. The scheduling of the Best Hand Event, the club’s single fund raiser of the year, on Free Ski Day, is a departure from years past. Since it is on Free Ski Day, no sticker will be required to park in the lot at the ski area. As usual, we will be manning the Panhandle Hut with hot drinks and treats and have trainers on hand to teach ski lessons (weather permitting) for those interested. In addition, we will be holding the best hand ski with all entrants collecting cards towards attempting to get a prize winning hand as they cover the ski or snowshoe course of their choice. All entrants will receive a complimentary scarf to warm them from the winter cold. Prizes are a departure as well this year with many focused on either trips or passes. A full list is elsewhere on the website. Snow or no snow, I urge you all to come out for the Best Hand Ski or walk in Saturday, January 7th. Please help support the club and its activities.

For a printable version of the flyer go to http://panhandlenordicclub.com/besthand11.pdf

The Panhandle Nordic Club will meet at 7PM on Tuesday, January 3rd in the basement conference room of the Fernan Ranger Station at 2502 E. Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene. After a short business meeting, John Williams of the Silver Mountain Ski Area in Kellogg, will speak to the group concerning the sport of skiing in our area in general, how the demographics of skiers has changed, and the economic impact of these changes on on the area. In addition we can discuss how the club might partner more effectively with Silver Mountain which does not offer Nordic Skiing, to steer its clients interested in the Nordic Ski or snowshoe experience to the Fourth of July Area.

Details are below:  For a printable version http://panhandlenordicclub.com/besthand11.pdf

Panhandle Nordic
Ski and Snowshoe Club 

20th Annual

Best Hand Fun Ski and snowshoe Event

In Conjunction with Idaho Free ski day*

Saturday, January 7^th,2012

The Event takes place at 4^th of July recreation area and is a fund raiser to support maintenance of the trails

Check In Time: 10:00 AM until 11:15 AM

EVENT STARTS: 11:30 AM

PRIZES AWARDED: 1:30 PM

Suggested Donation

$7.00- Club Members $10.00-Non-Members $5.00-Youth 13 and under $25.00 per family

Prizes include:

Catered Dinner in Your Home for 8

Idaho Park and Ski Sticker

Overnight Guided Upper Priest Lake Canoe Trip for Two w/Gear, Breakfast & Dinner provided

Guided Hike to a Scenic North Idaho Location with Lunch Provided

Bicycle Ride on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene with Ice Cream Stop in Harrison (Equipment provided if necessary)

Annual Mt. Spokane Groomer Pass

Methow Valley 3-Day Groomer Pass

Panhandle Nordic Club Annual Membership

Cross Country Ski Waxing/Waxing Clinic

Grand Fondo Ride Registration and Bike Tune Up

*Note: A $25 Park and Ski Sticker is normally required to park at 4^th of July Ski Area. Because this event is being held on Idaho Free Ski Day, the parking pass will not be required.

No Snow—It’s Still A Go (We’ll Walk the Trail)

Prizes Donated by Club Members and Area Merchants

Snow has come early again this year but, unlike last year, we are only beginning to build a base at 4th of July.  Last year we got too much snow to build a solid base early in December.  The latest news is  that ski conditions at 4th of July are not good enough for skiing.  However, the railroad grade at Lookout Pass is ready for skiing.  Go to the Idaho end of the parking lot and grooming is being done to the first chair, making a good base for skiing.

We are waiting for the end of hunting season on Dec 1 to begin to place the stoves and extra ski huts around the course. 

The Best Hand Fun Ski will be on Free Ski Day, Saturday, January 7, 2012.  The format has changed.  Ten main prizes will be awarded built around outdoor recreation.  Some of these prizes include trips or events hosted by Nordic Club members.  There is also a change in the rules:  everyone will receive 5 cards, but they will be able to turn in two of their cards and purchase two more cards for $1 each. 

Please spread the news to your friends about Best Hand Fun Ski and the change in date to free ski day. It is our moneymaking event and very important to the club.

Next meeting is Tuesday, December 6 at USFS Fernan Station (drive around back) and this is the cookie exchange meeting. So please bring cookies to be exchanged. If you bring 6 cookies, you can pick out 6 cookies to take home.  Some cookies will probably be brought in just for eating during the meeting.  This meeting is also the meeting at which we exchange our old ski gear.  You can rid yourself of extra gear or pick up some gear at this meeting.

The program will include a short talk by Glen Truscott on the essential gear a cross country skier should be carrying in their pack.  After Glen’s presentation, John Latta of the Stevens Peak Backcountry Coalition will talk concerning this popular and accessible backcountry skiing and snowshoe area.  John is a professional photographer, so we can expect some great views of this highly scenic area on the St. Joe and Bitterroot Divides

Hope to see everyone at the meeting.    

Geoff Harvey

1. Vehicle Permits

This year the state of Washington implemented their Discover Pass for Washington State Parks. There has been some confusion as to whether you need one to cross-country ski, snowshoe or downhill ski on Mt. Spokane as it is a State Park.

You DO NOT need a Discover pass if you are in a Sno Park area – which are the cross-country and snowshoe parking lots. You do not need one for the Downhill ski parking lots. You do need one for elsewhere in the park.

YOU DO NEED a Sno Park permit OR if an Idaho Park N Ski Permit.
YOU DO NEED a Grooming permit for cross-country skiing.

For Washington residents a seasonal Sno Park permit is $40.00
For Idaho residents a Park N Ski Permit is $25.00 or $7.50  for a 3 day pass.

Note these are Per Vehicle.

If you are only going for a one day per year, check the link below – because it is confusing and you are better off carpooling with someone who has the permits.

To Buy Grooming Passes and Washington Sno Park permits online and also get the official word on what you need Click Here 

You can also get them at Fitness Fanatics at 12425 E. Trent, Spokane.  509 922-6080

Park N Ski Permits are currently sold in Coeur d’Alene at  Park N Ski Stickers are available at Vertical Earth, Phil’s Army Navy, Bicycle Sales of Fourth Street, Ski Shack and also at the Rose Lake Store.  They will be available for sale at the December  Panhandle Nordic Club Meeting on Tuesday, December 6th. 

Please designate Area 11 as a portion of these funds come back to the operation and maintenance of the trails at Fourth of July Pass.

Note for Fourth of July Pass:  You need a Park N Ski permit (Or Snow Park permit) to park north of the Interstate, EVEN if you are not near the parking lot.  Both Idaho State Police and the US Forest Service can ane will ticket you.

2. Links to Mt Spokane cross-country area and Other NE Washington Sno Parks

Mt. Spokane x-c grooming is scheduled to start December 1

The Mt. Spokane x-c ski Snow line  is (509) 238-4025

For Maps of Mt. Spokane ski trails Click Here.

Information for Sno Parks in Northeast Washington Click Here

The closest one other than Mt.Spokane is Geophysical which is North of Newport.   This would be a good day trip as the club hasn’t been there for a while.

3. Non-Club Lessons and outings

About the Dec. 4th Skate Ski Lesson at Mt. Spokane, You need to register in advance.  The cost is $41.00 plus an additionsl 2.50 fee.  See http://spokaneparks.org/  The course number is 19255

Spokane Parks and Recreation offers a number of opportunities for outings, classic cross-country ski lessons, snowshoeing, ice skate lessons, etc. 

You can also arrange  your own private or group lessons.  All activities have a fee. 

You can see or download their Fall – Winter schedule  click here  This partiicular brochure ends Dec. 31. Although it does list some Jaunary events.  If you are looking at this late December or early 2012, go to http://spokaneparks.org/  for their latest one.

Post Falls Parks and Recreation has a lesser number or winter activites that include x-country ski lessons, snowshoeing, a winter wagon ride, and tubing.   For a schedule fees, and to register Click Here.

4. Reminder, If you have not changed or added your email address to the new google groups mailing list please do so.  Go to http://panhandlenordicclub.com/about-the-club/getting-email/ 

I will not be mailing out to the other two lists for very much longer. 

If you do not know if you are on that list or not, add you email on the form on the above link and you will find out.

Hilma

 Notice How Long It Is With All the Numbers.  In order to get a shorter name, we need 25 “Likes” according to Facebook rules.

So please, if you have a facebook account, even if you are not a regular Facebook user, please click the above link and Like the page.

If you are a frequent Facebook user and would like to be added as an Administrator, please leave a comment on the Facebook page.  As far as I know there can be LOTS of Administrators.

The Facebook will NOT be the official page for information.  The official page will still be http://panhandlenordicclub.com  And the official email will still be by email.

If you didn’t get the message – we are switching to google groups for our email list.  So if you have not switched over – go to http://panhandlenordicclub.com/about-the-club/getting-email/ and follow the short instructions to get added to the list.

Thanks,
Hilma

You can find them on the menu tab above called “Webcams”.

Also on that same page are links to Webcams in Idaho, Washington and Montana.

Plus the Idaho and Washington links provide reports on road conditions, travel advisories, and weather.

The Palouse Divide was included because they have 20 miles of cross-country ski trails maintained by what appears to be a fairly active club.  The trails are groomed at irregular intervals by volunteers.  A Park N Ski Pass is required.

For information go to http://palousedividenordic.org/

The Palouse Divide Nordic Ski Area lies 39 miles northeast of Moscow, Idaho on Idaho State Highway 6. The area is labeled “North South Ski Area” on some maps.

There is a lodge nearby that is open with advance reservation.  They have group rates,  But no rates are currently posted on their website.  http://www.myidaholodge.com

 Also note:  The preliminary winter calendar is now up.