Box 431 • Corvallis, Montana 59828

FEBRUARY 2011

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PROGRAM FOR MEETING

Thursday, February 10, 2011

1220 W Main Street, Hamilton

Here is your chance to learn all you wanted to know about our Bitterroot Underground Water System. Tracey Turek, owner of Water Right Research LLC, will speak to us on basic hydrological information and water flows, including surface flows and aquifer interactions in the Bitterroot Valley. She has a degree in Natural Resources Management from UM School of Forestry with specialized training in geographic information systems and comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I’ve spent the last month (while not skiing , that is) trying to learn as much of our Club’s history as possible. There’s a lot to learn and I’m far from finished. I’ll keep plugging away, so bear with me.

One thing which already caught my attention is that the Club’s membership has been slowly shrinking during the last several years. I’d like to do something about that. If any of you have suggestions for things we could do to increase membership, please let me know. I’ve already received a few suggestions.

First, it turns out there is a welcoming service here that provides helpful information to people who have just moved to the Valley. This service has graciously agreed to let us provide printed information for the welcome packet they hand out.

Second, as most of you know, our annual lesson day is very successful at attracting attention to the Club and bringing us new members. It has been suggested by several folks that we could extend the lessons by providing instructors on an as needed basis on additional dates. I believe that is a good idea so I’m soliciting people to serve as instructors. We can keep a revolving list of instructors and provide the next name (e-mail and/or phone number) on the list to anyone wanting help. It would be up to those two people (the person soliciting help and the instructor) to work out the time for a lesson. I’ll talk about this in more detail at the February meeting, so think about it and give me some feedback.

Third, it would be nice to make an effort at attracting families with young children to our Club. It was suggested that one way to do so would be to offer a day of lessons directed specifically at helping young kids learn a few things about skiing. I’m looking for some ideas on how to flesh out this idea and make it work. Help! If we can get enough member support, I think this is something we could do this season. If it’s successful, it could become an annual event.

I want to compliment our volunteer trail groomers. We’ve received an almost unbelievable amount of snow lately —some dumps of a foot or more. The crew has worked itself to exhaustion, and beyond, one or more times a week just so you and I can have fun skiing. Thanks, guys!

AS THE GROOMING MACHINES APPROACH

I am sure skiers wonder why we always want to run where they want to ski, and there are reasons. It’s not just to see you move, although that is sometimes entertaining. We may be widening the trail, packing, smoothing or leveling an area where we want to set tracks, or actually setting tracks. Or maybe we are just making the trails pretty.

We can always recognize a Club member or someone who has had one ski run over a time or two. (Having both skies run over is definitely not recommended!) Those who have been thus initiated can stand flat footed and leap completely clear of the trail. Judy LaSalle holds the area record at nearly 3 meters. I expect it to soon become an Olympic event. Some can even sense the vibration in the snow of the approaching machines,. They will be well clear of the trail and have a smug “I cheated death again” expression on their faces.

So we do appreciate those who don’t just stand there with their backs to us, shoulders hunched, waiting to be yelled at, but actually look to us for directions to move and move quickly. We pull the heaviest drags that we can and if we have to stop on an uphill trail to wait for someone to clear the trail, we’re probably going to be stuck. We can do that often enough ourselves without any help. Thank you.

/s/ Mel Mooers

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PHANTOM PHILANTHROPIST

The grooming crew got a very pleasant surprise recently as we finished and returned to the truck. A person or persons unknown had left a very generous gift certificate to a favorite local restaurant for each of us.

Our motivation is two-fold, one is contributing to a worthwhile cause, helping provide a healthy recreational opportunity. Two is being able to see the results of our efforts, nice smooth trails and straight tracks, at least until it snows again.

We receive lots of positive comments but this most generous recognition really put the icing on the cake!! A thousand “Thank You’s” to that person or persons.

/s/ Mel Mooers and crew

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JANUARY 2011 MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

January 13, 2011 by Kay Fulton

Membership: Jack Losensky reported that there are currently 300 members compared to 305 last year at this time. This number included 30 new families and 23 individuals.

Ski Lessons Day, Saturday, January 22: Mel Holloway, the coordinator, reported that he has about 14 instructors signed up and they will have their preparation meeting on Wednesday the 19th. The groomers are set to groom both Friday and Saturday morning. They will be staying overnight. Gordon Reese will be one of the groomers!!

Extravaganza, February 26th: Carol Batcher, the organizer, explained that not only do we have the Famous Gourmet Dinner & Night at the Hut for 4 (prepared by The One and Only Chef Paul Sharp) but Triple Creek has offered a second prize which will be a night at Triple Creek for two with dinner and breakfast. The winner will have his, or her choice. The other prize will go to the second ticket holder. She asked people to help in selling tickets. The committee had been delayed in starting the campaign and needs all the help they can get. The money raised goes for the grooming —gas, upkeep, etc.

Trails Report: Mel Mooers reported that “Nothing Had Gone Wrong the Previous Friday!!” There is some new fresh snow but they’re predicting a storm for next week. Mike Hoyt reminded everyone to sign in since the numbers are very important to the Forest Service.

New Business: Mike Hoyt is coordinating a “Photo Show” for the Spring Potluck. If anyone has some good pictures of activities at Chief Joe, please submit them to him via e-mail, on a CD, etc., and he will put the pictures together for a show to share with everyone at the potluck. The larger the resolution the better, but he can work with whatever is submitted. Be sure to say when it was taken, who took it, and who is in it.

Earl Philips reported that the Chamber of Commerce has an orientation type of program for new businesses in the community and he suggested the Club try to be one of the presenters for that program in order to inform new people about the Club and CJ.

Program: Kirsten Siefert gave a slide show (Real Slides!) on the two amazing sailing trips she and Art did through the Hanseatic League. They sailed for two weeks, two different times, on a three-masted sailing ship; the first, across the Mediterranean Sea and up the coast of Europe and the second, from England to Scandinavia. The ship itself was as marvelous and exciting as the lands they visited. The pictures were wonderful and the narration superb! Thanks, Kirsten and Art.
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