Joey Payeur
Another season of outdoor recreation is awaiting snow enthusiasts courtesy of the Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club, which held its annual general meeting last Wednesday.
“We had new people out at the meeting with fresh ideas coming from around the table, and we appreciated that,” noted club president Jim Krag.
The Rocky Inlet trails will host one major new event this season, which also marks the inaugural campaign of a group aiming to bring the enjoyment of cross-country skiing to a younger generation.
The Muskie Nordic ski team—after taking a one-year hiatus—will celebrate its return to competitive action by hosting a meet Jan. 9.
Meanwhile, local resident Tara Tolley is spearheading a junior cross-country skiing and snowshoeing program for youths aged seven-12 that will run Saturday afternoons starting in January.
With all the activity planned for the trails, the club has decided to purchase a second groomer for more specific purposes.
“Last year, we opened up a trail for beginners and novices we called the ‘Snowberry Trail,’” explained Krag, which he described as being four km in length and having gentler slopes and corners than the main one.
“With the new groomer, we can turn the path into a side-by-side classic skiing track so people can ski side by side,” he added.
Krag said trail conditions are better than at this time last year, but they still could use some help from Old Man Winter.
“There’s an excellent base down there and it’s been rolled several times already, but we need a few more inches of snow to create a classic track,” he noted.
“We need more snow to cut into the snow to get the grooves in so we’re not cutting into the rock,” he explained.
“We’re hoping we can do that sometime this week if we can get another four cm.”
Krag declared the trails to be open, adding that people already have been walking the snowshoes trail without snowshoes.
“We haven’t put out the [snowshoe and skiing] equipment out for use at the trail shack yet,” he cautioned.
“It’s a safety issue at this point.
“For skate skiing, some areas are in really good shape and some areas still need some more snow,” Krag reiterated.
Club memberships are available for a discounted rate until Dec. 31.
The early-bird rate for an individual is $75, which goes up to $100 on Jan. 1.
For two-member families, the cost is $125 ($150 after Jan. 1), while families of more than two add $30 for each additional member.
Membership forms are available on the club’s Facebook page at Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club or by e-mailing rlnordic@gmail.com
