Panhandle Nordic Club Members: Early October is upon us. The huckleberry patches are crimson on the high slopes of the Bitterroots. Leaves are starting to turn on the hills around Fourth of July. Our first meeting is a little over a month off on November 14th, election year Tuesday putting it back a week. It is time for the Nordic Club to attend to those fall chores at the Fourth of July Park & Ski Area necessary to greet the fall and winter snow. It is also time to start planning to take advantage of the early November ski swaps, if necessary.

The Nordic Club has planned a workday on Saturday October 21st. Meet at 9 AM at Fourth of July to complete some chores at the ski area. Annual maintenance of the warming hut and Peaceful View shelters, some road base maintenance and brush cutting up on Spencer’s S and White knuckles will be the tasks to be completed. Wear rugged clothes; bring gloves, lopping shears, shovels, spades, if you have them, water and a good lunch to enjoy in the fall sunshine with other members. Plan to spend an enjoyable fall morning and early afternoon caring for the ski area and facilities that gives us all so much enjoyment each winter.

If you are in the market for ski gear, the annual opportunity of the fall ski swaps is fast approaching. Nordic, cross-country and skate skiing gear is available at these events along with alpine skiing gear. If you want to sell old gear at the ski patrol swaps, you can do that as well by registering it the day before. The Mount Spokane Ski Patrol Swap will be on Saturday, October 28th at the Spokane Interstate Fair Grounds on Broadway and Havana in Spokane. To sell items register them, Friday, October 27th from 3-9 PM. A week later the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol sponsored swap occurs on November 4th at the Kootenai County Fair Grounds 9AM - 3PM. bring in items for sale on Friday 3-9 PM on Government Way in Coeur d’Alene and Fitness Fanatics (12145 E. Trent) has their preseason sale that traditionally has great bargains. If you are outfitting your skiers, these swaps are the economical way to go.

Seems like the long warm and dry summer was but a few weeks past. Well it was, but that means the ski season will soon be here. Time to prepare.

Web Note: Our group on Yahoo Groups is panhandlenordic. I send my email through them now. If anyone wants to upload photos you can upload them to our group page at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/panhandlenordic/ or go to Yahoo.com and click on Groups and search for panhandlenordic.

I can then add a link to your pictures.

To access the site - You will probably need to become a Yahoo member. - it is free and easy and trust me they don't bug you.

Links of Interest

For information about Mt. Spokane x-country ski events,
trail maps, permit information, trail conditions etc. go to
www.selkirknordic.org

Cross country skiing in British Columbia
http://www.canadatrails.ca/xc_ski/xc_bc.html

Priest Lake ski conditions www.priestlake.org
208=443-3191