Please note that the ski club meeting is: Thursday, October 14th, 7 p.m.
S K I T R A C K S
Newsletter of the Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Box 431 • Corvallis, Montana 59828
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0
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BITTERROOT CROSS-COUNTRY
SKI CLUB MEETING
Thursday, October 14 at 7 p.m.
Presbyterian Church, 1220 W Main StreetHamilton
Here is your chance to sign up for a night at the Gordon Reese Ski Hut. To be eligible, you must renew your membership on or before the meeting. Watch a nature photo show by professional photographer Patrick Chaplin while you wait to sign up. And treats, too!
===============================================================LOST & FOUND
There is a key ring and a set of keys at the hut. There are two Ford keys and a padlock key, along with what may be house keys. Call me at 961-3163 if they are yours and I’ll bring them down on my next trip to the area.
/s/ Mel Mooers===============================================================
TRAIL (etc.) REPORT
The annual work day/potluck was a great success. Although I received calls and e-mail that a number of regulars could not come, about 30 folks still showed up. The hut was thoroughly gone over and is neat and clean, awaiting December 1st when the hosting starts for the season.
Pat McCarron was back with us this year so the wood is stacked clear to the basement ceiling. There was a huge pile of wood waiting to be split and stacked and it was attacked with great vigor and enthusiasm. The two splitting crews didn’t want to quit, but finally did. A few hard-core members came back on Monday and finished, leaving it all stacked and covered for the future. I paced off the piles and estimated about 19 cords!
Some of you may have noticed some red trees showing up. Beetles were first discovered last winter by Mel Holloway. On the Monday after we finished with the wood, Jim Aronson and I met with Regional Entomologist Brytten Stead and did a brief survey of some of the green trees in the vicinity of the hut and found that a large number of the trees had been attacked by the Northern Pine Beetle this year.
As a result of this meeting, the retired foresters who belong to the Club, and a few others, surveyed over 90 plots on both sides of most of the upper trails and found that a significant number of trees have been attacked. These trees will be very obvious by next summer; however, it’s too late to save them from dying. We’re working with the Wisdom Ranger District trying to decide the best course of action at this time. The trees that have been attacked would have to be cut down, debarked, cut and split or burned to kill the beetles that are currently in the trees and prevent them from infesting additional trees next year. As you can see, this would be a monumental task, although the Ranger District is planning to send saw teams into the area in October. We may remove the dead trees that are near the trail before the ski season gets under way.
Our goal is to prevent the closing of this ski area as happened to the area on McDonald Pass this past year because of the threat of dead trees falling on skiers. Stay tuned.
/s/ Mel Mooers==============================================================
Membership Renewals / Dues
Annual Memberships EXPIRE November 1!
Renew your membership now!INDIVIDUAL $15 • FAMILY $25
SUPPORTING INDIVIDUAL $30
SUPPORTING FAMILY $40
LIFE MEMBER - $500
MEMBERSHIP DUES
Nov. 1, 2010 - Oct. 31, 2011
MAIL TO: Bitterroot Cross-Country Ski Club
PO Box 431, Corvallis, MT 59828Name(s) ______________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________
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BITTERROOT XC SKI CLUB
President George Corn 363-1163 gcorn@bresnan.net
Vice-President Earl Philips 961-0101 philips@montana.com
Treasurer Jeane Lippert 642-3379 jeaneenaej@cybernet1.com Secretary Kay Fulton 642-3794 kayinmt@cybernet1.com
Membership Jack Losensky 961-3757 losensky@wildblue.net
Newsletter
Editoral Pat Leonard 961-4959 toddypat@bitterroot.com
Production Shermans 961-3355
Mailing Barbara Losensky 961-3757 losensky@wildblue.net
E-mail Reine Hilton 375-1952 hilton@mcn.net
Programs Ginny Deck 961-4829 gindeck@cybernet1.com
Instruction Mel Holloway tromper@bitterroot.com
Trails Mel Mooers 961-3163 m.mooersmt@juno.com
Trail Map Debbie Leick dopochay@hotmail.com
Webmaster Toddy Perryman 961-4959 toddypat@bitterroot.com
Website http://www.bitterrootxcskiclub.net
Warming Hut Reservations 689-3371 (USFS Wisdom)