Newsletter of the

Southern Oregon Nordic Club

SOUTHERN TRAX February 2017

Website: http://new.onc.org/sonc/

Email: [email protected]

http://www.facebook.com/groups/southernonc/

Live, Laugh, Love to Ski!

Backcountry skiing behind Mt. Ashland -- John Grimbergen

February

This is your club . . . Heading out onto the trails behind Mt. Ashland, we came upon skiers returning to the Sno-Park after their ski outing; we asked, “How was it?” and one dryly replied, “Only the reason for living.” Get out on a ski adventure with friends and share that magical feeling . . . the thrill of being alive and connecting with nature as you push yourself both physically and mentally.

General Club Meeting 7:00pm at D&S Harley Davidson, (upstairs), 3846 South Pacific Hwy, Phoenix

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Try to laugh at the falls, as long as no one is hurt, and know that when we fall we might be pushing our limits and courageously learning how to be better skiers—or we may have hit an icy patch, sticky snow, or just lost our balance, but it is all OK—falling is just a part of life.

March

Participate in a lesson, do a check of your equipment and/or rent until you know what type of Nordic skiing you most enjoy, be prepared, be safe, and find General Club Meeting some ski club friends; then join the many SONC members who say, . . . “I LOVE to ski!”

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Next General Meeting Weather Awareness & The Short-Long Range Snow Outlook for Southern Oregon

Newsletter February 2017 Please send articles and pictures for the newsletter to [email protected] by the 21st of the previous month. Thank s for your help! Margar et Mal lette

The newsletter will be posted on the State ONC website http://new.onc.org/sonc with the link e-mailed to SONC members.

Snow Conditions In addition to checking the area forecast, webcams are one way to check out the snow conditions at or near your planned destination. See area webcam links at http://new.onc.org/weather-information/

Nordic skiers recreate in a unique outdoor environment that often requires travel to and from snow pack areas. Join us on Groundhog Day to learn from National Weather Service Meteorologist Brett Lutz on how you and your friends can become even more snow savvy than you already are. Brett will show you where to find the most accurate weather information for your Pacific Northwest destination, give you tips on how to get the most up to date travel information, and will provide a summary of current and expected snow pack conditions for this Wet Season. Brett is an avid skier who has a keen interest in outdoor recreation, winter weather safety, weather, and climate. NOAA weather watchers, you won’t want to miss this one—plan to be there, February 2nd for this informative talk of the weather, refreshments, prizes, and maybe some discussion of whether . . . the groundhog saw his shadow (hope so).

Senior Ski Week at Diamond Lake On February 6,7,8,9, Diamond Lake Resort will reserve their lodge just for seniors participating in the Cross Country Skiing Program. They will have tours and activities for all abilities, and have even added a snowshoe tour for non-skiers. This program consists of discounted lodging rates, a program fee that covers all activities, guided tours, lessons, one lunch, one hors d’oeuvres service and a buffet dinner each night. Senior’s week is a great time to sharpen your skills, learn new ones, and make some great friends. Call 541-793-3333 for more information. This is not a SONC sponsored event, though many SONC members attend.

For more links on grooming, area webcams & weather see page 3. Feb-Apr area weather predictions

Pederson-Glasgow Loop - Kevin Wood

https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/NaturalResources /Documents/Weather/dlongrange.pdf

copy/paste this link from here - removing the space after “Resources” or see page 8

SONC Membership Perks SONC owns a cargo sled (not suitable for hauling children) that is available to members. Contact Bob Plummer at [email protected] SONC owns two hard shell ski cases that members can use for trips. Contact Stefanie Ferrara at [email protected] for the double case and Marian Crumme at [email protected] for the single case.

Buck Prairie

- Kevin Wood

Pederson Loop

- Ray Mallette

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Be Prepared At our January Meeting, our Club members shared their wit and wisdom to the delight of all. We laughed (thanks to Ms. Clueless and Mr. Wise Man) and we learned about the wealth of information in both our newsletter and website addressing “How to Have a Perfect Outing”.

Be Safe A lone lost skier was rescued after she spent the night at Buck Prairie! Skiers at Mt. Shasta got stuck in a sno-park and called AAA--they were told that no one could come; so they were attempting to dig out their car with what looked like a bulb planter! Although the roads were plowed, a SONC skier’s car was “trapped” in a hotel parking lot! Could these things happen to you? Be prepared and be safe on your next ski outing: • •

Dress in layers, including a wind block/waterproof shell. Suggested contents for a day pack: o Water & snack o Extra gloves/hat o Warm layer for cool down during breaks, i.e., lightweight down/poly fill coat o First aid supplies, i.e., moleskin, bandages, ibuprofen o Repair supplies, i.e., duct tape (rolled onto poles), cording, multi-tool, wax o Hand warmers o Map, phone/flashlight & whistle o Avalanche areas require more equipment and training http://shastaavalanche.org

WARNING: As you drive to snow, be sure to have a snow shovel as well as other emergency supplies such as a sleeping bag, chains, tow strap, flashlight, jumper cables, and food in your car. Don’t rely on a phone call to emergency—be prepared to be safe, and have fun!

Ski Tips Tip for steep downhills. Hold your poles about midshaft, just above bended knee height and parallel to your skis to help with balance and avoid using poles to slow yourself down-- Michael XC Skiing is a matter of carrying your center-of momentum down the trail with the least amount of energy, the most control, as quickly as you wish, given your present level of conditioning. (XC Zone script)--Edgar

B=Body L=Legs U=Uphill E=Eyes

P=Poles A=Arms W=Weight . . .

More on BLUE PAW as a mnemonic device in the Dec 2016 & Jan 2017 newsletters: http://new.onc.org/sonc/southern-oregon-nordic-club-documents/

Webcams: A Check on Current Conditions http://www.mtashland.com/webcam/ (Mt. Ashland) http://jacksoncountyor.org/roads/Roads/Road-Conditions-Cameras (Buck Prairie)

W here are the trails? çççç Is there snow?

We have a variety of trails that cover everything from groomed tracks to back country. Most of the trail systems have multiple trails that you can string together to make loops up to about 12 miles long. The Nordic club has a description of many of the trails and maps in .pdf format and directions on how to get there on our website at http://new.onc.org/nordic-trails/southern-oregon-trails/

For those interested in groomed trails we post the grooming status on our website every time we groom. You will find the trails listed by name, when they were groomed and whether or not they have both skate and classic tracks. Take a look at http://new.onc.org/sonc/sonc-grooming-update/

If you would like to check the snow levels at various areas try the NRCS National Water and Climate Center. This link will take you to the page showing our area. Just click on the dot that you are interested in (you may need to expand the map to see every dot) and a description of that site will appear. Then, click on the 7 day or 30 day tab at the bottom of the site description and you can see the daily or hourly snow depth. Either report will give you a good idea of how much snow there is, how heavy (wet) it is and how fast it is melting. If you see the snow depth decreasing (melting) and the following nights temperature is below freezing, then the next morning is likely to be very icy. Try this NRCS site link on page 8 and see if it makes sense to you! Bob Plummer

https://www.tripcheck.com/TextPages/CAMreport.asp?curRegion=7 (ODOT SW OR) http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/medford/recreation/hyattlake-webcam.php (Hyatt Lake) http://www.nps.gov/crla/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm (Crater Lake) http://visitmtshasta.com/live-cams/ (Mt. Shasta) http://www.mtbachelor.com/site/plan/info/winterconditions (Mt. Bachelor) http://www.onthesnow.com/california/webcams.html (California) https://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/RCMap.asp?curRegion=0 (ODOT webcam map)

If a link does not work, try copy/paste to your web browser search bar—see page 8 3

SONC Scheduled Events 2017

FEB

JAN

Date

Day

MAR

Trip/Event

Location

Rating

Dist/Time

Coordinator

Phone

14,21,28

Sat

Tour/Lesson

Ski Tour/Lesson

TBD*

All

TBD*

Michael Dawkins

541-482-2703

29

Sun

Ski Tour

Ski Tour

Petunia Trail/High Lakes

Intermediate

8 miles

Kevin Wood

541-261-3547

2

Thurs

Meeting

Club Meeting

D&S Harley-Davidson

7:00pm

Sandra Claypool

541-890-6854

4,11,18,25

Sat

Tour/Lesson

Ski Tour

TBD*

TBD*

Michael Dawkins

541-482-2703

Thurs

Meeting

Board Meeting

Call for Directions

7:00pm

Sandra Claypool

541-890-6854

7:00pm

Sandra Claypool

541-890-6854

TBD*

Michael Dawkins

541-482-2703

16

APR

Category

All

2

Thurs

Meeting

Club Meeting

D&S Harley-Davidson

4,11,18,25

Sat

Tour/Lesson

Ski Tour

TBD*

16

Thurs

Meeting

Board Meeting

Call for Directions

7:00pm

Michael Dawkins

541-482-2703

6

Thurs

Meeting

Club Meeting/Potluck

D&S Harley Davidson

7:00pm

Sandra Claypool

541-890-6854

All

* If trail and weather conditions allow for lessons the time and location will be announced in the weekly SONC outings email. These Nordic ski-related events are not associated with ONC but may be of interest JAN

28

Sat

Snowshoe +

All Out 2017

FEB

6,7,8,9

M-Th

Overnight

Ski Program

Bull Gap Sno-Park Diamond Lake Resort

All

All Day

TBD

MAR

18

Sat

SkiTour

John Craig Memorial

Sisters, OR

All

13 miles

Oregon Nordic Club

Hyatt Lake SONC Meet & Greet, January 21st

All

REI Roxanne Tenscher [email protected]

onc.org

-- Kathy Fennell

Google Groups allows you to create and participate in online forums and email-based groups. You can also use your Group to share documents, pictures, and calendars invitations. If you do not wish to be a member of this group you can unsubscribe by sending your request to Bobbie Plummer at [email protected] Would you like to lead a ski tour on your own, any day of the week on your favorite ski trail; or maybe you would prefer to lead a group following a Saturday ski lesson with Michael Dawkins? Contact Tom Dube [email protected] 541-702-1746, and he will be happy to answer any questions you may have, help you get started, and get it on the calendar. ***We need ski tour leaders at all ski levels.***

Notices Facebook Have you seen SONC on Facebook? We are working on updating our FB page and would like your help. Our goal is to promote Nordic skiing, and Facebook is another great way for people new to or just visiting Southern Oregon to find us. If you have a FB account, check it out, request to be a friend, like us, and consider posting your latest ski adventure. Facebook Administrator Kevin Wood

SONC Membership Please give a warm welcome to the following new SONC members: Art & Carolee Buck, Rees Jones, Lindy Miller, Dan & Ellen Rubenson, Anne Sloan, Mary Smelcar, and Gayle Stokes. We currently have 112 household memberships and 3 lifetime members. Your support is greatly appreciated! Membership Chairperson John Grimbergen

http://www.facebook.com/groups/southernonc/

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Mt. Shasta Ski Weekend 2017 The weather for the Mt. Shasta Ski Weekend went from blue skies, to clouds, to over a foot of fresh snow, to rain—making travel from Southern Oregon on Saturday dangerous, and therefore keeping away club members hoping to drive down for the day. In spite of the wild weather, skiing, wine and cheese, and eating out with friends made for a fun weekend away.

Photos by: Sandra Claypool, Marion Crumme, Tom Dube, Edgar Hee, & Ray Mallette

Officers and Board 2016 – 2017:

Friends of the Ski Community:

President:

Bobbie Plummer 541-488-5003 [email protected]

* Offers discount to club members who ask at store before sale is rung up.

Vice-president:

Marian Telerski [email protected]

541-535-5166

Secretary:

Marian Crumme [email protected]

541-531-3010

Membership:

John Grimbergen 541- 488-1735 [email protected]

Trails Liaison/ Grooming Coordinator:

Bob Plummer 541-488-5003 [email protected]

Treasurer:

Edgar Hee [email protected]

Newsletter:

Margaret Mallette 541-708-0433 [email protected]

Meetings:

Sandra Claypool 541-890-6854 [email protected]

Ski School:

Michael Dawkins

Bob Plummer 541-488-5003 [email protected]

Black Bird, Medford (snowshoe & ski rental for adults & children, group discount for 4 or more)

541-779-5431

State Rep: State Rep:

Kevin Wood 541-261-3547 [email protected]

Mountain Provisions, Ashland (backcountry xc ski rental)

541-708-6350

Outings Schedule:

Tom Dube [email protected]

541-734-4872

541-482-2703

*Tögnar Toolworks, Ashland 800-299-9904 (call in order for 10% discount—free local pick-up) *Rogue Ski Shop, Medford

541-772-8047

*Northwest Outdoor Store, Medford 541-245-4000 (snowshoe rental, Trading Post consignment in store) REI Medford

541-732-1938

Mt. Shasta Nordic Center

530-605-9395

*Lake of the Woods Resort

866-201-4194

Ashland Outdoor Store 541-488-1202 (snowshoe & classic xc ski rental for adults & children) *Get n Gear, Ashland (snowshoe & ski rental) Diamond Lake Resort

541-482-5181 800-733-7593

541-702-1746

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SONC Scheduled Events 2016 - 2017 Shared Transportation Costs: SONC policy is that members who provide rides to trailhead locations for other members shall receive a donation to cover their vehicle costs. The amount of the donation is based on the distance traveled. The suggested donation amount per person is: • Short trips, such as Buck Prairie and Mt. Ashland – $5 • Medium trips, such as Summit Snow Park and Pederson – $10 • Long trips, (Crater Lake, Diamond Lake & Mt. Shasta) – $15 • Overnight destinations such as Bend – arrange with driver. Since the outing destination is usually known in advance, plan ahead, and bring the suggested amount with you. Donations are usually given to the driver at the beginning of the outing.

Important Notice about Nordic Skiing: Nordic skiing includes risks and hazards which can never be eliminated because of the inherent nature of the activity. Anyone choosing to participate in Oregon Nordic Club activities should be aware of prevalent risks and hazards. By making the decision to participate, each person must accept individual responsibility for their safety, realizing that accidents can result in personal injury or even death. The Southern Oregon Chapter's ski tour ratings are based on a combination of factors including tour distance, elevation change, steepness, and navigation. While ratings primarily reflect required technical skills (climbing, descending, turning etc.), difficulty ratings are adjusted upward as increased stamina is required. All ratings assume average snow conditions (packed powder). Low snow cover, re-frozen snow/ice, deep new snow will increase the actual difficulty of the trip. If in doubt, check with the trip coordinator.

Ski Tour Ratings: Beginner • Cross-country skiers with little or no previous experience • Bring water, food, extra clothing, personal first aid items, etc. • Trip Length: 2-3 hours of skiing

Novice • Reasonable skill in the basic techniques: diagonal stride, sidestep, kick turn, step turn, snowplow, and snowplow turn. • Control speed on gradual downhills and sidestep steeper pitches • Able to ski 2-5 miles on rolling terrain • Able to follow marked ski trails • Trip Length: 2-4 hours of skiing

Intermediate • Proficiency in all the basic techniques plus the traverse and herringbone on moderately steep terrain. Typically a full season or more of progressive experience • Climb and descend long, moderately steep and short, steep sections of terrain • Good stamina, ability to ski 8-10 miles or make long climbs • Trip Length: 3-5 hours of skiing

Advanced • Excellent proficiency in all ski touring techniques and wide range of snow conditions • Negotiate long, steep sections of terrain including densely wooded areas • Strong skier able to ski 10+ miles with long uphill sections in widely varying snow conditions • Navigate poorly marked trails • Trip Length: 4-7 hours of skiing

Expert • Excellent all around ski touring and mountain person • Negotiate very steep terrain in nearly all conditions • Exceptional endurance - ability to ski 15-20 miles with long climbs • Navigate using a topographic map and compass • Trip Length: 6-8 hours of skiing

Trip Responsibilities¨ Trip Coordinator Responsibilities: 1. Identify yourself as the Trip Coordinator at the meeting point and/or at the trail head. 2. Have participants complete "Trip Register" including emergency contact with telephone number. Communicate trip liability waver information. 3. The Trip Coordinator should remind participants of trail etiquette (ski to right, downhill skier has right-of-way). 4. Trip Coordinator should use a map of ski area to orient people to the route. 5. Trip Coordinator should inform participants when a lunch break can be expected and the ETA back to the vehicles. 6. Coordinator should identify a lead skier and the last skier. If enough people are on the outing, have a troubleshooter to roam back and forth among the group. 7. The Coordinator should remain until all skiers return. 8. Return "Trip Register" to Bobbie Plummer.

Trip Participant Responsibilities: 1. Contact trip coordinator before participating in any outing so they know who to expect at the meeting point and understand the expected difficulty and duration of the trip. 2. Please participate in those outings that match your abilities. Understand that trip difficulty and duration will be dependent on weather and snow conditions and on the abilities of the group. 3. Dress properly for the activity (Moisture wicking nonabsorbing base layers and avoiding cotton base and insulation layers that retain moisture. Dress in “layers” to avoid overheating.) 4. Share ride expenses. 5. Cooperate with the Trip Coordinator and participate in making and abiding with decisions affecting the safety and well-being of the group. 6. Participants should leave an item at the side of the trail (or tell someone) if you must leave the route for any reason. 7. Carry safety and first aid equipment appropriate for the outing and expected weather conditions.

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MEMBERSHIP FORM / GROOMER DONATION / LIABILITY WAIVER Checks should be made payable to SONC. Please mail to John Grimbergen, 334 Starflower Lane, Ashland, OR 97520

Household Membership: $ 20.00 check #________ date __________ Groomer Donation Fund: $_________ (for grooming the road from Hyatt to Buck Prairie) TOTAL$__________

Name(s)_______________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________ City________________________________________ State____________ Zip________________ Phone: _______________________Email____________________________________________________________ (only one email address per household) SONC will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the club. Name only will be furnished to outdoor stores giving member discounts unless you decline by checking here [ ]. SONC publishes a contact list for members only with name, phone number and email. Check here if you do not want to be included on this list [ ]. Number in Family Participating (All must sign below) Adults __________Children ____________ Assumption of Risk and Liability Waiver Outdoor adventures by their very nature are inherently dangerous and involve some degree of risk. I am aware that participating in the Oregon Nordic Club’s activities may expose me to certain risks and dangers including, but not limited to the hazards of mountainous, aquatic, or wilderness terrain, accident, illness, the forces of nature, and travel to and from the activity location or point of departure. I am aware that it is not possible to foresee all of the potential hazards of outdoor activities. Each participant in a Nordic activity is responsible for his or her decisions. To the best of my knowledge, I feel physically and mentally able to assume full participation in the activities in which I will participate. I understand that the Oregon Nordic Club is a volunteer organization and that trip leaders do not have medical or rescue training. In consideration of voluntarily participating in this outing, trip, or activity, I have and do hereby assume all the risks inherent in these activities and agree to hold harmless, from and against any and all liability, claims, and demands of any nature, including but not limited to liability for negligence, the Oregon Nordic Club, and any of their agents, tour leaders, officers, assistant leaders, instructors, and other participants. I acknowledge that ORS § 30.975 provides that an individual who engages in the sport of skiing, alpine or Nordic, accepts and assumes the inherent risks of skiing insofar as they are reasonably obvious, expected or necessary. Inherent risks of skiing include, but are not limited to, those dangers or conditions which are an integral part of the sport, such as changing weather conditions, variations or steepness in terrain, snow or ice conditions, surface or subsurface conditions, bare spots, creeks and gullies, forest growth, rocks, stumps, lift towers and other structures and their components, collisions with other skiers, and a skiers failure to ski within the skiers own ability. I have read and understand the statements on this page concerning the Oregon Nordic Club’s Outing Program. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PRINT YOUR NAME SIGN YOUR NAME ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PRINT YOUR NAME SIGN YOUR NAME ___________________________________________________________________________________________ PRINT YOUR NAME Signature (if participant is a minor, participant’s Guardian must sign)

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If a link does not work try copy/paste into your web browser search bar. It appears to be a problem with the Mac/MSWord/Adobe pdf file conversion—I have tried unsuccessfully to figure out a work around. Let me know if you have suggestions. --Margaret Mallette Feb-Apr area weather predictions from page 2 (click on the link below)

https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/NaturalResources/Documents/Weather/dlongrange.pdf NRCS link from page 3 “Where are the trails and is there snow?”

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/webmap/index.html#elements=&networks=SNTL&states=!&counties=!&hucs=&minElevation=& maxElevation=&elementSelectType=all&activeOnly=true&hucLabels=false&stationLabels=&overlays=&hucOverlays=&mode= data&openSections=elements,location,networks&controlsOpen=true&popup=&base=esriNgwm&dataElement=WTEQ¶mete r=PCTMED&frequency=DAILY&duration=I&customDuration=&dayPart=E&year=2016&month=10&day=22&monthPart=E&l at=43.294&lon=-121.525&zoom=8

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