Category: Events

Early December update

Winter is finally here, and we are excited to bring you some important updates as we kick off the season! With the recent snowfall and exciting developments on the horizon, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

  1. Snow Conditions at Chief Joseph Pass: We’ve received some fantastic news from Chief Joseph Pass – nearly 2 feet of snow has blanketed the area in the last four days! We’re are planning to start grooming later this week, but that could change because of the weather.
  2. Lake Como Trails Update: Lake Como receiver around a foot of snow, but then it rained on the lower half of the trails. We’re keeping an eye on conditions, but it’s going to take at least one more good storm before we can start grooming. We’ll keep you updated on any developments.
  3. Exciting Trail Changes at Lake Como: This winter, we’re thrilled to reveal some exciting changes coming to the Lake Como trails. Several sections of Lower Road have been re-routed off of the keep trucks off the groomed trails. Stay tuned for more details and updated maps as we start grooming.
  4. Club Meeting on December 5: Join us for a club meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, December 5 from 6-8 pm, at the Rocky Mountain Grange Hall in Hamilton, Montana (1436 S 1st St, Hamilton). It’s a potluck event, so bring your favorite dish to share. During the meeting, we’ll discuss our plans for the upcoming season and provide opportunities for you to get involved as volunteers.
  5. Upcoming Race – Rust Buster on December 16: Mark your calendars for our upcoming race, the “Rust Buster,” taking place on Saturday, December 16, at Chief Joseph Pass. It’s a 10km classic ski race with a 3km option for kids in both skate and classic styles. Don’t miss out on the chance to participate in this thrilling event! You can sign up at skisignup.com/Race/MT/Sula/ChiefJoseph.

As we embark on another fantastic season of cross country skiing, we encourage you to stay connected with the club, participate in our activities, and enjoy the beautiful winter wonderland that our trails have to offer.

Thank you for being a part of our cross country ski club. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting and on the trails!

Como Trails work day, October 29

On Saturday October 29 we will be having our annual work day to get the Como Ski Trails ready for winter. We will be pruning brush to clear trails for grooming. We will meet at 9 am at the 550/550a junction, just above the boat ramp, split into a few groups and head out. Stay for a few hours, or all day.
If you have a hand saw or loppers bring them, but we will also supply tools.

Chief Joseph Pass work day, October 15

On Saturday October 15 we will be having our annual work day to get the Chief Joseph Pass ski are ready for winter. We will be stacking firewood in the cabin and clearing trails. We will meet at 9 am, split into a few groups and head out. Stay for a few hours, or all day.

If you would like to work on clearing trails and have a hand saw or loppers bring them, but we will also supply tools. 

Chief Joseph Pass work day 2/26/2022

Join us this Saturday for a work day! We will be trimming brush and branches to polish the trails as the snow pack has increased this season. 
We will meet at 10:00AM in the parking lot. We will have some tools, but feel free to bring anything you are comfortable using, i.e., trimmers and hand saws. 
Choose to ski, snowshoe, or wear comfortable shoes that will keep you warm. Bring water, a lunch, warm layers and anything else you want! 
Come help out for an hour or plan to wrap up around 2PM!

Wednesday night ski group

We are going to try something new this season, a Wednesday night fitness skiing group. This group will meet at a different location around the valley every Wednesday night during ski season at 6:00 pm, weather permitting, for a ski that will last around 2 hours. The is a fitness oriented group, and is not intended for beginner skiers, but it is a great opportunity for people who have not skied at night, or at less developed areas to learn those skills. Most weeks will be skate skiing, but we will classic when conditions are not ideal for skating. Notifications about where each weeks event will happen will go out on Tuesday. Signup for the email list is available at https://groups.google.com/g/bitterroot-wednesday-night-ski

Ski Education days

We will be hosting 2 ski education days this winter, on Saturday January 22, and Saturday February 5. We will meet in the parking lot at Chief Joseph Pass at 10 AM.

Club ski coaches will be present for skate or classic clinics for kids and adults. Bring your family up for lessons or to just join a group for some company while you’re out gliding!

Please respect each other’s space and maintain social distance as we do our best to safely enjoy the outdoors.

Get in touch with Valley Bike & Ski or Lost Trail Powder Mountain for rentals!

Trail Work Days

Please join us to help get the ski trails at Chief Joseph Pass ready to go for ski season. We will be having 2 work days, Saturday October 30, and Saturday November 6.
We will meet at 9 am at the Chief Joseph Pass parking lot, then split into groups to work on several different projects.
We will likely be working until 4:00 pm, but will have opportunities for people who would like to stay for half the day.
Bring lunch, water, warm clothing and work gloves. If you have a pruning saw or loppers feel free to bring them, but we will also supply tools.

Bitterroot Gives in Partnership with Missoula Gives

Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club is participating in a fundraiser for Non-Profits in the Bitterroot Valley (Missoula Gives/Bitterroot Gives). Join us and help us raise enough money for the Equipment Trailer we need to replace. We will need $12,000. 

  • Starts May 6th at 5pm and goes all day May 7th until 8pm.  
  • Help us Spread the Word–share with friends on Facebook, Instagram, e-mail.
  • Access our site at:  http://www.bitterrootgives.org and click on our Logo to DONATE! 

Or you can send a check to:   
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
P.O. Box 431
Corvallis, MT.  59828

Upcoming volunteer days at Chief Joe

The snow is piling up quick this year, and it’s time to prune back branches that are hanging down over the trails. The overhanging branches get in our faces while skiing, and can damage grooming equipment. We will be having 2 work days this winter, Saturday January 16 and Saturday January 30. We will be meeting at 9:30 am at the main parking lot at Chief Joe then heading out on skis or snowshoes to work at several spots on the trails.

No experience or tools are necessary, the ski club will supply tools and training.

Bring gloves, food, water, and a helmet if you want to use a pole saw.

Stay for the whole day, or half a day.

We are hoping to get 9 volunteers, so we can send out 3 crews each with 1 pole saw, 1 pruning saw, and one person to move branches.

Please email jesse@datamongers.net with any questions.

March Meeting

Please join us for our March meeting on Thursday March 12 at 7 pm. The meeting will feature a presentation by Byron Bonny about wildfires.

Byron Bonny – was with the Forest Service from 1969 to 2001. Currently, he is a Community Forester with the Bitterroot RC&D. Besides his current role as a Wildland Fire consultant in the Northern Rockies, he works with private landowners in Ravalli, Missoula, and Mineral Counties dealing with hazardous fuels treatments.

The Fire Environment has changed over the past several decades because our climate is warmer and dryer.

Extensive research has confirmed that the best thing you can do to protect your home from wildfires is reduce fuels within 100 feet of your residence.

Byron will give a presentation about how best to protect your home from wildfire.