Machickanee Cross Country Ski Club
February 2008 Newsletter

Ski Club Meeting
Our next Ski Club Meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 11th, at 7:00 pm at the Oconto Falls High School.  Use the Commons Entrance (near the PAC).  Turn right to the first hallway on the right.  We will be in room 129 (first room on the right).  Look for signs.  (Our last meeting was in the Commons area.  We will have a sign at the entrance if we are meeting there instead of Room 129.  We will be planning our February 16th Candlelight Ski, the Spring Ski Trip February 29th - March 2nd, and our Spring Fling on March 9th.  If you have any ideas or preferences for locations for the Spring Fling or the Spring Ski Trip, bring them along.  The floor will also be open for general discussion and inputs for additional activities.  We didn’t use candles at the January 19th candlelight ski, so no need to stuff candles for February 16th. 

Candlelight Ski
Conditions look like they will be great for the Candlelight Ski on February 16th, 6:30 - 9:00 pm.  Our January 19th ski turned out very well.  The track was good, the moon was perfect, and the fire was warm.  We had a small but enthusiastic turnout, despite the cold weather.  The wind break that was set up near the bonfire helped a lot.  Spread the word for February 16th, bring your kids, bring your friends, and invite your neighbors.  Don’t forget the hotdogs, marshmallows, and beverages.  Plan on a great evening around the bonfire and skiing under the moonlight

As always, we need help getting set up.  If you can give a hand, show up at the trail head around 5:30 for a work assignment.  No hard work, it just takes people to get it done.  No skiing until after 6:30 pm to allow time for the candle lighters to get off the trails!  Volunteers for entertainment (i.e., guitar, harmonica, etc.) are encouraged.

Trail Manager Report
Except for a few warm and wet days, the skiing has been good to excellent since December 3rd.  Usually, our season doesn’t get going much before the first of the year and the normal season usually lasts around 7 weeks.  The last couple of years have been much worse.  Last year the trails were groomed on 1/9 for the first time and 4 times between 2/26 and 3/4, pretty much a one week season!  This weekend (2/9 and 10) will be our 10th this year, and the trails have already been groomed 10 times.  Barring unforeseen conditions, we have a base that should hold up at least thru February.  We will continue to groom at least once per week as long as we can.  The oak leaves are starting to fall.  Cold weather, new snow, and regular grooming should keep their impact to a minimum; however, there isn’t much we can do about them if the weather gets warm.  Check our website for up-to-date conditions. 

It was nice seeing the UWGB ski team Sunday, February 3rd.  They had a contingency of approximately 20 skiers taking advantage of our trails.  I had a nice conversation with their coach, Butch Reimer, when I finished my ski for the morning.  The track was slow that day, but they didn’t seem to mind. 

We are still looking for tires and a rim for the grooming trailer.  We need one, and preferably two, P235 70R15 tires and one 15”, 5-hole, 4 3/4” bolt circle rim (I am told it is GM).  If you know where we can get our hands on the tires or the rim, give us a call (or email). 

There are always sticks and branches falling down on the trail, especially when we get heavy snow or ice.  If everyone would took just a couple of seconds to remove a few sticks each time they skied, it would make for better skiing for all and better for grooming.  Don’t ski over top of branches; that packs them into the track and freezes them into the trail.

 

Spring Ski Trip
We will confirm the destination for our Spring Ski Trip, February 29th thru March 2nd at our February 11th Ski Club Meeting.  We looked into the Afterglow Lake Resort, near Phelps, based on the recommendation of one of our members.  It looked great, but for a number of reasons it isn’t working out.  Bring any suggestions you may have to the meeting.  We will need a head count for rooms by February 15th, so let us know no later than then if you plan to go.  Non-members are certainly welcome on any of our ski trips, so feel free to bring your friends.
 
We are planning a three day trip, leaving on Friday and returning on Sunday.  If you can’t make Friday and want to join us on Saturday, let us know.  We will make alternative travel plans for anyone that can only make Sat/Sun, so don’t let that stop you. 

Spring Fling
We will need a head count by February 24th to confirm reservations for our Spring Fling on Sunday, March 9, 5:00 pm - ???.  Location will be determined at the February 16th Ski Club Meeting.  We usually get started with a cocktail hour at 5:00 pm with dinner to follow around 6:00 pm.  Be sure to mark it on your calendar and plan to be there.  As always, non-member guests are welcome.  If you are interested in attending, be sure to give Chris Walters or Ray or Chique Tabar a call, e-mail us, or drop us a note.

This is a good chance to swap ski stories and get information on the upcoming Ski Trip.  It would be nice to have a really good turnout.  What else have you got to do on a Sunday night in early March!

There will be a short meeting after dinner to give a wrap-up on the season.

Dues/Finanaces
You will be receiving a notice if your dues haven’t been paid for this year.  If you get your newsletter via regular mail, the notice will accompany this newsletter.  If you are an email recipient, the notice will come as a separate email.  Your continued support is very important to the continued success of the Machickanee XC Ski Club.  Our expenses so far this year, including insurance, trail maintenance, incorporation papers, land use permit, equipment maintenance, etc., etc., and donated services (totaling $1,530), are over $3,200.  Thanks to Brandon Miller (Webman Design/website hosting), Chris Walters (snowplowing), Bob Walters (equipment use for workbees), Chique Tousey-Tabar (photography for Oconto County Discovery Guide to offset the cost of our ad), and Ray Tabar (grooming) for donated services.  And thanks to the Oconto Falls Lions Club for a $150 donation, recognizing Chique’s support in helping them with ticket taking at the Packer games. 

If anyone would like a copy of our financial report, please contact us or attend the Spring Fling.

                          Chris Walters, President                                         920-848-3808
                          Chique Tousey-Tabar, Secretary/Treasurer            920-846-2965
                          Ray Tabar, Trail Manager                                         920-846-2965
           
                                                     Machickanee X-C Ski Club
                                                     148 South Chestnut Ave.
rtabar@ez-net.com                      Oconto Falls, WI  54154                     www.skimachickanee.com