Info on ski manufacturing and ski fit
While you are waiting for the storm to blow through, might check out the attached YouTube video from Pioneer Midwest.
Pioneer Midwest – Behind the Scenes into Fast Skis – YouTube
Rumor Brewing Winter Festival Sunday Dec. 17
Greetings,
Rumor Brewing, located in Cedar Crest (behind La Cabra Coffee) will be hosting an event next Sunday, 2-6pm featuring music and activities. See attached flyer for details. Hope you can make it!
Ski Trail Work Day Sat. Aug. 12
Hello all,
Over the last 2 months, Scott, Bruce and I have made good progress; leveling out the south section of the Klaus trail, and below bunny hill, rerouting the sharp downhill turn above the upper 10k meadow and also, with permission and guidance from SRD, and Russell Berman, we have made a new connection linking up to the upper Challenge Trail which we also plan on grooming to create a new upper loop option from Ellis. All of these improvements will make for safer, more enjoyable skiing next season.
We now need your assistance with finish work on these sections and we are planning to have a trail work day Sat. Aug 12. Details on meeting time and place to follow.
Please RSVP to me. Tools will be provided thanks to FOSM and SRD but you will need your personal protective gear, including hard-hats. Let me know if you need a hardhat as well.
Hope to see you Saturday Aug. 12
Jeff
505-228-9150
Grooming Jan.14, and other info
Scott, David and I completed grooming of the trails Saturday with assistance from Steve Roholt on the shovel. Despite lack of new snow, trails groomed up well except for burned out areas on the Service Rd. and lower 10k meadow. Set classic tracks where snow permitted. Highway was clear as of Saturday. Sunday through Wed forecast for snow (yea!) and winds (boo!) so we are planning next groom for Thursday Jan. 19.
Also our XC clinic is planned for Sunday Jan. 22
Clinic Information:
January 22nd, 2023 Meet at 9:45 at the gravel pit area (park at Ellis and go up the service road a quarter mile). If location needs to change due to conditions, we will notify via email. Clinic instruction from about 10am – 11:15am. Must have your own equipment.
Options:
– Kids age 5+, Classic Technique, led by Jon D & Liz Q
– Adults, Classic Technique, led by Steve R
– Adults, Skate Technique, led by Karl W
Please RSVP for the clinic via this form and then email sandianordic@gmail.com with the signed waiver attached. The clinic is free for members –
Also there may still be spots available for the 19th Annual Snowshoe Race hosted by The Friends of the Sandia Mountain to be held Saturday Jan. 21 see FOSM Sandia Snowshoe Classic for details.
Sandia Nordic Welcomes New Groomers!
We have added four members to our grooming staff this year; David Dunlap, Jim Dryden, and Ray Itrurralde of Sandia Nordic, and Joseph Jafa-Martinez (SRD Trails Foreman) who all got some machine time yesterday. The expansion of our staff will facilitate our ability to maintain the SNSC trails which are now “official” Forest Service Seasonal Trails. The Klaus trail will now be regularly groomed thanks also to the trail work that members of SNSC, FOSM, VFO and Forest Service SRD staff put in last summer. Thanks to Steve Roholt for his snow shoveling work also. We are working on an accurate map of the trails, including Klaus, and will post maps near the trailheads (Ellis and 10K). Klaus trail begins near the Ellis trailhead as an extension from our existing trail, paralleling and crossing Rocky Point Trail at 2 points as it heads south terminating just to the N of our storage shed near the downhill ski area. The N 1/2 mi of Klaus is suitable for novice skiers, a couple hills and turns on the S 1/2 mi. make that section more suitable for more experienced skiers. There is also access to Klaus from the Service Rd approx. 1/3 mi from the trailhead near the snowboarders area. The snow quality right now is great on Klaus and for most of our lower trails. Coverage is thin near the N end of the lower 10K meadow and the Service Rd, so watch for rocks in those areas. Also stay tuned for info on our upcoming ski clinic, tentatively scheduled for Sunday Jan. 22.
Sandia Ranger District Volunteer Appreciation Event Oct. 21
The SRD is planning an event to honor all the volunteers who work with the district including those of you who volunteer to help build and maintain the SNSC groomed trails. More details to follow.
Klaus Trail Work Continues
Many thanks to all of the volunteers who showed up on Saturday to work on the
South Klaus Trail! Also thanks to FOSM for their support and use of their tools and to the Sandia Ranger District (SRD) for their assistance with the ski trails. We had another fantastic turnout for the second group volunteer work day of the summer. 15 volunteers worked to hand finish an additional 1,000 feet of rough-cut trail that had been leveled with the mini excavator over the past few weeks by Scott, Bruce and Jeff. We will continue leveling S Klaus with the excavator and tackling a technical steep rocky section with help from the SRD. A few weeks down the line there will be another Saturday work session, so stay tuned.
Blackmore, Patricia Madden; back row: Dana Price, John Groth, Tom Kirchgessner,
Jeff Huser, Zach Casias, Brandon Smith, Steve Roholt and Chris Laursen. Not
pictured: Lily Spoerke, Chris Mommsen, Ginny Broman
Next Sat. trail work day scheduled for Aug. 13
With monsoons still rolling in this week ( a good problem to have) we are postponing trail work to Sat. Aug 13. Good progress continues with the excavator on Klaus Trail to the south, so there will be plenty of finish work to do by then.
Please RSVP to Jeff Huser jhuser54@comcast.net and soon Scott will also have the web/ app sign up available. Still in testing mode so appreciate you giving that a go as well.
We will meet up at the Ellis Trailhead parking lot at 0830 Aug. 13, hike in about ½ mile to the work area and work till around 12:30.
PPE requirements include: hardhat, protective eyewear, long pants, gloves, sturdy hiking shoes or boots and bring a long sleeve shirt for when we do brush clearing. If you need a hardhat let me know. We won’t take a formal lunch break but do bring hydration and snacks and take breaks as needed. If you have a hand saw that might come in handy. If you need a hardhat let me know.
Work Continues on the Klaus Trail
After Saturday’s great work, Sunday the FOSM saw crew led by Sam Beard and including Scott Dietrich, Michael Arndt, Sim Cook, and Cliff Giles continued clearing corridor along a new reroute of a steep section of the old Klaus trail. This week we are continuing with the excavator to level the trail to the south. This reroute section will require a significant amount of leveling, stump pulling and rock work, possibly utilizing some rock cages to create a level base on the lower side of the trail. Likely we will be organizing a Saturday work group for Aug. 6 so stay tuned for that announcement.
Glide Wax is Your Ticket to Ride
Just a note from an author with some experience waxing skis but by no means an expert. Getting a good glide (not just walking) on skis is dependent on a number of factors, including equipment, good technique, conditions and proper ski base preparation. When you can get all that working for you, the XC experience is almost magical. Regular attention to the ski base (tips and tails of classic skis and complete base of skate skis) is very important. Keeping the base clean of dirt, pine sap, old wax, goo, dog poo, etc.. and applying glide wax, will make a big impact on your ability to glide. For centuries now applying a solid wax using an iron, followed by scraping and brushing has been the gold standard and still is probably the best but is also very labor intensive. The relatively recent advancements in spray and liquid glide waxes are providing a viable option to solid wax with the advantage of greater ease of application and are worthy of your consideration. The biggest downside is price, but some of the liquid products are getting less expensive. I apply hard wax at the beginning of the season, then every week, clean the base with a glide cleaner, apply spray or liquid wax, let dry (30 min. or longer or even overnight), lightly brush and good to go. End of season will apply a coat of wax and leave on to protect the base from drying out. Not sure about local availability of liquid or spray waxes, but readily available online from companies like New Moon Ski and Boulder Nordic Sport. There are many online videos on waxing to check out as well.
Also great for improving your glide is to attend our ski clinic, tentatively scheduled for Sunday Jan. 22. There you can also talk to some real experts on this subject as well. Welcome your comments and THINK SNOW!