NU Ski Trip to West Yellowstone Dec 9-11th

For x-c skiers, the West Yellowstone area is nothing short of a free heeler's Mecca. The 40 km Rendezvous trail system is impeccably groomed daily (by the 2002 Winter Olympics Head Groomer!) for both skating and classical technique and is within walking distance from virtually any location in town. It's the perfect venue for families, beginners, and experts... or ski from town into Yellowstone Park along the Madison River for nearly 10K of incredible views and potential wildlife viewing.

Come and find out why we go 'West' three to four times a winter.

We will stay at the West Yellowstone Comfort Inn ($55.20/night). The Comfort Inn has an indoor pool and hot tub, and serves a continental breakfast. Call Tunde or Gino for more details and about making reservations. 755-8214

Generation XC Youth Cross-Country Ski Program!

NEW PROGRAM*
Generation XC
Youth Cross-Country Ski Program

Goals and Program Description. The primary objective of the Generation XC ski program (GXC) is to promote cross-country skiing opportunities for youth in the Cache Valley area, with an emphasis on fun, fitness and skill building, through age appropriate practice groups for skiers of all levels, from novice skiers to advanced racers. To accomplish these goals, the GXC ski program will involve 4 practice groups phased in over the next two winter seasons. For the 2006-07 season, the GXC ski program offers the following practice group:

Recreational. The recreational group is open to all kids 8-13, including those who have never skied. The recreational group emphasizes fun and basic skill building through games and ski play. Skiers learn both classic and skating techniques.

Dates. The initial year of the GXC “Recreational” ski program starts on Saturday, January 6, 2007 and continues each Saturday for 8 weeks through February 24. The Saturday sessions will be held in and around Logan Canyon (snow permitting) and begin promptly at 10:00 am and continue until about 11:30 am. Parents will be responsible for transportation to and from the class and are strongly encouraged to participate.

Registration. Registration forms and information are available on the Campus Recreation website at www.usu.edu/camprec. For further information, contact Kevin Kobe at (435) 797-1502. The cost of the entire 8-week program is $50.

Equipment. Each participant will need an adequate pair of skis, warm boots and poles.
Discounted rental equipment is available for program participants from The Outdoor Recreation Center. Details and costs TBA. Call the ORC at 797-3264 for current information.

Uniforms. Each participant will be provided with a Generation XC uniform (wind jacket and pants), on loan for the season. Uniform pick up is scheduled for November 28 from 5 pm to 7 pm at the ORC. Please bring registration materials to the uniform pick up.

Register Early. For the initial, 2006-07 season, we will cap participation at 25 kids. Be sure to register before November 28 to make sure you don’t miss the cut off.

Additional Information. For more information, contact Kevin Kobe at (435) 797-1502.

Touring Upper Cottonwood

The snow conditions were fair for doing turns, but conditions for touring the higher elevations above Tony Grove Lake/Upper Cottonwood were really nice.
Parking just below the gravel pit turn off worked out well for a truck w/4x4. Some vehicles made it to the 2nd cattle guard.
The Forst Service posted some red-tipped bamboo poles a couple miles up the road (where the road crosses TG Creek). It looks like the "old" road/TG Ck trail starting at the highway parking area will be non-motorized for the time being.
The FS also posted a sign at the Highway turn off showing that the 2003 ROD boundaries are in place. A map is also posted showing boundaries.
Nice day.

If anyone else was out, leave a comment.

Snow Monitoring Web Sites & Topo Map Link

Scott at Trailhead recommended two links most of us are probably interested in.

The "Logan Summit Web Cam" link listed under Local Links in the right hand margin connects to the web camera up at the snow sheds in Logan Canyon.

The "Snow Depth" link listed under Local Links in the right hand margin connects to the National Weather site and reports recent precipitation and snow depth totals. Tony Grove is one of the locations found in the pull down bar as is Temple Fork.

I also added the Topo Zone Map site. Useful for determining the number of “verts” (as they use to say in Sun Valley) found on a favorite shot.

NU Ski Team Idea, Tuition Waiver, YS Nordic Fest.

Photo from last season. Fredrick "Fredrick of Sweden" Norrell, in Dry Canyon

Item #1. XC Generation Tuition Waiver

There is a tuition waiver available for a child who is interested in joining the XC Generation learn-to-ski program. Value $50. The criterion is financial need. (no need for paperwork or anything like that) Just contact Kevin, first come first served, confidential.
The XC Generation Program will be featured in a future blog (within 2 weeks) with all the details.

Item #2. Yellowstone Ski Festival

The 27th annual YS Nordic Ski Festival is scheduled for Nov 21-25. It looks like a great way to burn off the turkey. All the info is at http://www.yellowstoneskifestival.com/ or call 406-646-9427

Note: This is a different event than the annual NU skinny ski trip that goes to YS each December. This year experienced guides Tunde and Gino will lead a group of NU'ers to Yellowstone. We'll post/blog the details for that trip within the next 2 weeks.

Item #3. Possible NU Ski Team. Posted by Kevin as a comment yesterday. Good stuff.

***THIS IS JUST A DRAFT IDEA***

PLEASE GIVE ME COMMENTS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COOL TEAM!!
“Team Nordic United”Nordic ski team proposalNovember 13, 2006Goals and Program Description. The primary objective of Team Nordic United (TNU) is to promote cross-country ski competition opportunities for adults in the Cache Valley area, with an emphasis on fun, fitness and skill building.

To accomplish these goals, TNU will advertise and recruit persons interested in traveling to 4-6 ski competitions in the region during the 2006-07 season.The team is open to all persons aged 18 and above who are interested in a higher level of participation in local and regional races.

The team will meet approximately 1-2 days per week in early December and continuing through mid March 2007. Most of these activities will revolve around training, and planning logistics for participating in local and regional races.

Registration. Persons interested in joining TNU can contact Kevin Kobe at (435) 797-1502 or kevin.kobe@usu.edu.Equipment.

Each team member will need adequate pair ski racing equipment, including the type of skis for the type of racing desired (classic and skating).Uniforms. It is proposed that each participant purchase team uniforms (low key, nothing flashy) with the TNU logo. This could be simply wind jacket and pants, for warm up clothing and/or base layer racing garb, depending on what the team wants and is willing to purchase.

Cost. $125-$200 (uniforms depending on what the group wants)

Possible Race(s): (team members will be responsible for all expenses for races)

December 9-Wasatch Citizen Series, 10km Classic, Soldier Hollow

December 30-Wasatch Citizen Series, 15km Free Technique, White Pine

January 13th – Idaho Nordic Tamarack Loppet: 15km, 30km Free Technique, Tamarack Resort www.idahonordic.com

January 20th – Teton Ridge Classic: 14km, 28km Classic Technique, Driggs www.tetonridgeclassic.com

January 27-Wasatch Citizen Series, 10km Free Technique, Mountain Dell

February 3rd – Boulder Mountain Tour: 32km Free Technique, Ketchum www.bouldermountaintour.com

February 10th – Mink Creek Potato Cup: 5/5km, 10km/10km Pursuit, Mink Creek, Pocatello www.pokyxc.com

February 10-Wasatch Citizen Series, 10km Classic Technique, Sundance

February 24-Wasatch Citizen Series, 20km Free Technique, White Pine Farm

February 24th – Payette Lakes Marathon/Pre-Worlds: 15km, 30km Free Technique Ponderosa, McCall www.mwc2008.com

March 3-Yellowstone Rendezvous, Montana. www.rendezvousrace.com 2km, 5km, 10km, 25km classic, 25km and 50km Free Technique.

March 10-The Ullr Chase, Logan, Utah www.usu.edu/ullr 5km, 10km, 40km Free Technique

March 21-25 National Masters, Bend, Oregon. www.xcskiworld.com

Blog Site Of Interest

Kendall Card of Backcountry.com maintains the http://backcountryblog.blogspot.com/ site. If you get a chance check it out. He adds something of interest daily. The base jumper video posted on Nov 2nd was good. I listed the site in our “local favorite site list” since he is based in Park City.

Recieved a report that lots of folks were skiing, boarding and snowshoeing above Tony Grove Lake today. Driving to the lake was not a problem with 4 wheel drive (car or truck). There’s about 24 inches or so depending on the slope orientation. Very nice powder. The forecast is for another dump tonight thru Tuesday so the higher elevations may be in good shape.

John Louviere, Green Canyon Groomer provides Info

I spoke with John Louviere yesterday.

John is the Program Administrator for Outdoors Programs at USU.

John answered some questions and I thought I would pass the responses along.

Nordic United: Are you going to Groom Green Canyon?

John Louviere: Yes!

NU: What do you anticipate as a weekly schedule?

JL: Probably twice a week. It’s weather dependant. But we try to groom on Thursday evening for sure so the track is ready for use on the weekend. And then we try to groom on Monday or Tuesday.

NU: Is the track more suitable for skating or diagonal stride?

JL: We set the track for diagonal stride. But depending on conditions some people are able to skate ski.

NU: And the plan is to groom the trail from the gate at the bottom of the canyon to the end of the Green Canyon road where the fence line is.

JL: Correct.

Note: If someone knows the exact distance from the gate to the end of the road, send in a comment with information. I think it is about 4 miles.

NU: What is the situation with the newly installed gate just down drainage from the Preston Valley trailhead?

JL: The Forest Service installed the gate and I think they plan to close it as snow starts to accumulate on the upper portions of the road. They will close the lower gate as snow accumulates in the lower portion of the canyon. Then the grooming will start.

NU: You run a greatly appreciated service. How is it funded?

JL: The operation is funded by USU through student fees.

Note: Check out http://www.usu.edu/camprec/ for related Outdoor Rec programs at USU.

NU: Talk is….you guys are going to place a yurt up Green Canyon at the end of the road. What is the latest scoop?

JL: Yes. The plans are in the works. And I plan to hear from the FS today for final approval.

NU: That’s a great location. Will you blog us with details when you get them?

JL: Yes. And I’ll post comments concerning the grooming activity throughout this ski season.

NU: Great. It sounds like we have a problem with our phone connection?

JL: Well, I’m on my cell, riding my bike up hill to a meeting.

NU: Would it have been better to have called you back at a more convenient time?

JL: No, it’s no problem.

Note: These groomers are tenacious.

NU: Thanks for everything!!!!!

XC Ski Info and How to Leave a Comment

1- Does anyone one have updates from the canyon?

2- If you would like to leave a comment:

- Press on comment. For the day/posting you would like to comment on.
- Fill in the the box with what you want to say, for example conditions at a ski trail you skied earier in the day.
- When you try to "post comment", the site will ask you to fill in the following: user name, password, display name, and email address
- record these 4 entries for future postings
- then press post comment.

It's A Party

Join Nordic United for the Annual Party at the Cache Valley Learning Center
Thursday Nov. 16th, 2006 starting at 6:00 pm

Check out the details at the NU web site:

http://www.nordicunited.org/

Snowmobilers Rip It Up at Tony Grove w/Photos

On the afternoon of October 29, 2006, we hiked from Tony Grove Lake to Cold Water Spring (pictured to the left). The distance is 1.5 miles on a trail closed to motorized vehicles with wheels but evidently open to snowmobiles.

I took a few pictures along the way and I'm going to submit a report to the Forest Service. The report will be filed through the Bear River Watershed Council's effective "SNO" program.

When we arrived at the lake there was no snow on the parking lot or on the trail going across the dam. As we started walking we noticed several snowmobiles had driven thru the mud across the dam. We followed the Cold Water Trail to the CW Spring as had several snowmobiles. The deepest snow cover was 6 inches (average depth was 2 inches) and there were distances of over 50 meters that had absolutely no snow but this did not stop the snowmobilers from doing what they do best- rip it up.

This picture was taken along the trail. The recently released FS Preliminary Environmental Assessment document states that snowmobiles do not access this area until there is adequate snow coverage. This statement is used to endorse the recommended "Proposed Alternative" designed to drastically decrease the acreage set aside for non-motorized use.

Remnants of a way-gnarly-solid- mud "rooster tail." About half way between TG Lake and CW Sprg.

Alot of young trees were killed.

This shot was taken of very recent snowmobile tracks at the Backcountry Trailhead near Tony Grove Lake on Oct 29th. I followed the motorized bush whacking tracks across this sage brush meadow.

The final three images are of the Tony Grove Campground/Off Road Vehicle Park.
Interestingly on October 29th the SL Tribune ran a story on page B12 entitled "Snowmobiles tear up the sod at annual drag race on grass." The article said the racers top 100 mph!