SKI   TRACKS

Newsletter of the Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club 

Box 431 • Corvallis, Montana 59828

OCTOBER 2011    

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OCTOBER MEETING

Thursday, OCTOBER 13 

7:00 P.M.

First Presbyterian Church 

1220 W Main Street, Hamilton

Come one, come all, and sign up for your special night at the Warming Hut at Chief Joseph Ski Area!

 

All you need to do to be eligible is renew your membership on, or before the meeting.

 

While you are waiting for your turn to sign up, Mike Hoyt will entertain us with his excellent Slide Show of winter activities and 

scenery at Chief Joe and around the Valley, including contributions from the members of the Club.

 

And, we’ll have treats, too!!

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

For those of you who missed it, thirty of us had a great work day at Chief Joseph a few weeks ago. Because so much firewood had already been cut, split and stacked the previous year, the work this September consisted of moving enough firewood into the basement of the cabin to last the winter and a few other tasks — cleaning the cabin and preparing it for winter use and cutting young trees from the off-trail slopes on the east side of the CD Trail for those who like to practice their telemark skiing.

 

Meanwhile, the two Mels, Jim Aronson and their respective support teams cut downed trees, stumps and logs from the lower trails to make grooming easier this coming season. Of course there was plenty of good food, some of it prepared by the Club’s chef, Paul Sharp.Yum!! 

 

We’ve seen the end of the need for people to climb on the cabin roof to shovel snow (when they should be skiing) to keep water from leaking through the porch roof. Kelly Zeiler and I spent several hours on Thursday, September 8, installing several layers of water and ice shield under the metal roofing above the porch and several feet up the main cabin roof.

 

Once the metal was removed to allow the repair, we quickly discovered what had caused the problem. The original roof felt (tar paper) along the seam between the main and porch roofs had deteriorated to the point that it was no longer waterproof. This allowed water, backed up by the ice dam, to filter through to the wood and porch below. With the new rubberized layers in place, any water backed up by ice should flow off the edge of the roof, as originally intended, and no longer cause problems. Sorry guys, no more high altitude snow removal required!

 

Massa Lumber was kind enough to provide the snow and ice shield to the Club at cost ($220). This relatively new product was not generally available when the cabin was built but it is now routinely installed on the roofs of most buildings constructed in areas of the world where ice dams are likely to occur, like ours. It should last for quite some time, probably until the metal roof requires either major repair or replacement.

 

Don’t forget to attend the October meeting. Current members are eligible to draw free nights at the cabin, so don’t forget your checkbook if you haven’t already paid your annual dues for this coming ski season.

 

To keep you entertained while the drawing is taking place, we will be showing the video compiled from the many pictures contributed by our Club’s members. Those who viewed the premier showing at last May’s potluck dinner found it highly entertaining. So, don’t miss it!

 

/s/ Michael Hoyt    

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ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WORKDAY AT CHIEF JOE

 

Thirty of our faithful members showed up and did an outstanding job of making the Hut ready for the ski season by cleaning, putting screens away, etc. Even the chimney got cleaned. Wood is stacked high in the basement and the telemark trails across Picnic Meadow were cleared of seedlings. The lower trails were cleared of down and hazardous trees and the bridges rebuilt. The potluck was, as usual, unbeatable. Thanks to all who made it a fun and worthwhile event.

 

All we need now is about 18 inches of fresh snow. However, as anxious as I am to ski more this coming season, I can wait as long as this beautiful fall weather continues.

 

A down note is the increased evidence of the progress of the bark beetles, with no end in sight. 

 

May you all get the day you want at the drawing for Hut reservations at the October meeting.

 

/s/ Mel           =============================================================================================