It's as if Mother Nature finally got the call that Wood River Valley nordic skiers were withering in the endless sunshine that kept them waiting on the sidelines throughout early December.
Within the past week or so, their pleas for winter weather were finally heeded, and with it, enough snow fell to allow the Blaine County Recreation District to begin grooming its 160-kilometer system of nordic trails.
That snowfall was followed up by a pounding winter squall that's really begun to set things right. Up and down the valley, the recreation district's groomers are hard at work trying to catch up before the next bit of snow enters the picture, perhaps as early as tonight or early Christmas day. The district is responsible for the Quigley, Wood River, North Valley and Galena trail systems.
What this snowfall means for local nordic skiers is that they now have many places to unload their skinny skis and head out.
Open and groomed are the 32-kilometer length of the Harriman Trail, the Gladiator, Senate Meadows, Jenny's, Nello's, Ted's, Cabin and North Wood sections of the Galena Trails, the North Fork Loop and the Prairie Creek Loop as an out-and-back.
The snows have even prompted the opening of the 10-kilometer Quigley Canyon Trails system, east of Hailey.
Only half the 32-kilometer Wood River Trails system, from Bellevue to East Fork, has been groomed. The remainder, from East Fork to Hulen Meadows, has not yet been groomed. Once the season is up and running, the rec district will groom the two sections of the Wood River Trails on an alternating two-day basis.
Many of the trails have been groomed for skate only, with classic tracks not yet set. Check the district's Web site at www.bcrd.org for further trail openings and grooming information.
The district has scheduled nordic lessons at Quigley for Jan. 5.
On the North Valley Trails, there are also 30 kilometers of trails for snowshoeing. These trails can be accessed at North Fork Loop, Billy's Bridge and Galena Lodge.
New for this year, the district is making a change to its Hailey-area grooming pattern that should please south valley skiers.
"We've been able to groom Fox Acres Road Trail," said Eric Rector, district director of trails and operations. "We're connecting Wood River Trails to Quigley. It's contiguous now."
Nordic passes are required for most of the trails the rec district manages. Adult season passes for ages 18 and up cost $199, with youth passes for ages 13-17 costing just $29. Children ages 12 and younger ski for free.
Adult season passes for Quigley Canyon only cost $99. Skiing on the Wood River Trails is free for everyone.
Local Nordic ski racer Alexa Turzian, wearing bib number 29, takes off during last Saturday’s Winter Start race at Galena Lodge. Enough snow fell during the past week to allow the Blaine County Recreation District to begin grooming most of its 160-kilometer system of Nordic trails.
Photo by Willy Cook
