Prairie’s Edge Nordic Skiers

 PENS News Archives

·         3/7/2007  NEW  Fargo trails were groomed today, before the impending melting conditions arrive.  There is a double-header at Rainbow this weekend.  See Skinnyski.com Race Outlook for updates.

·         3/3/2007  10” of new snow in the FM area has finally given the area trails the coverage we need to have quality grooming in the city and good conditions for the weekend races and Rainbow and Maplelag.

·         2/26/2007   5” of new snow in the FM area and 10” in the lakes area should provide some of the best skiing conditions of the season.  See the Calendar page for some rescheduled Candlelight Ski events and some of the final races of the year.  With more daylight, March is one of the best times of the year to get some skiing in when there is snow.

·         2/22/2007  Most of the trails got toasted with the warm conditions, but any area that holds snow is good for “crust skiing” on the refrozen snow cover.  This makes for excellent skate skiing and is one of the best reasons to own a pair of skate skis!  You can go pretty much anywhere you want without being limited by a trail.

·         2/7/2007  With 3” of fluffy new snow, the trail conditions in the FM area should be much improved.  Grooming has been done at Edgewood and Lindenwood, so hopefully the temperatures will rebound for a good weekend of skiing.  Reports from Maplelag, Rainbow and now even Bemidji sound excellent for those wanting to travel.  See the Trail Reports page for links to the Parks grooming updates and skinnyski.com skier trail reports for these ski areas.

·         1/17/2007  A PENS club meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 20th at the Edgewood Chalet at 12:00.  All are welcome to attend and get updates on club activities and goals for the future.  The meeting will be followed by a Classic Ski Clinic from 12:30 to 1:00 and a Skate Ski Clinic from 1:00 to 1:30.  The clinics are lead by PENS members and will focus on 'Essential Skills to Improve Performance and Enjoyment'.

·         1/14/2007  A handful of hardy students turned out for today’s youth ski lessons with temperatures hovering around -7 degrees.  Erik made the most of the day by working with the two groups on balance, step turns, and hill techniques by “carpet skiing” in the Chalet.  The two groups did venture out for 10 to 15 minutes at a time before retreating to the warmth of the chalet.  The older group was able to successfully transfer their new hill climbing and descent techniques from carpet to snow.

·         1/10/2007  The Edgewood Winter Blast XC Ski Race scheduled for Saturday, January 13th has been postponed.  Fargo Parks hopes to announce a new date once we receive enough snow to groom.

·         1/10/2007  Ski lessons at Edgewood by PENS members are underway.  13 adults came out on Saturday.  8 students each in the 6-8 year old and 9-14 year old youth classes received instruction on Sunday. Here are some photos of the 9-14 year old group working on balance with the one ski “scooter” drill.  The lessons did receive several minutes of air time on both KVLY and KXJB TV.

    

·         1/3/2007   Skiing is underway in the FM area with the snowfall over the New Year’s weekend surviving the rain, ice and recent warmer temperatures.  Grooming has begun at Edgewood on the outer loop but conditions are still marginal for classic.  It appears that they used the new Track Truck groomer to smooth and pack the trail in preparation for future snowfall.  It actually looked pretty good and certainly did no harm. Skating is fair to good out on the course itself.  Good skis could be used as the cart paths are pretty well iced over.

·         1/3/2007   The XC ski lessons start this weekend.  Lesson Coordinator Erik Berg reports that there is enough snow at this time, so unless it rains or gets too warm this week, ski lessons are a go this Saturday for the 13 adults and on Sunday for the 8 kids currently signed up.  Those who would like to help please meet at the Edgewood chalet about 9:00 to 9:15 on Saturday, we may have to set some tracks then and at about 12:30 on Sunday.  Everyone is welcome to come and help!  Adult lessons are on Saturday Jan 6 and Jan 20 from 10:00 to 11:30. Youth lessons are on Sundays Jan 7-28.  6-8 year olds are from 1:00-2:00.  Older kids start at 2:30 and run until 4:00. Follow this link for details on the ski lessons: http://www.fargoparks.com/yprog_ugo.html 

·         1/3/2007   POSTPONED  The Fargo Parks web site states that the early registration deadline for the Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race scheduled for Saturday January 13th is Friday Jan. 5th.  Let’s hope the snow holds!  Last year there were about 50 skiers of all abilities who participated.  It was really a fun morning!  If you can ski around the outer trail at Edgewood, you can easily participate in the 5k classic race and experience the fun and camaraderie of a citizen ski event.  Plus you get a free lunch!  A reminder to the more experience skiers: the skate and classic races are scheduled so you can do both events.

·         1/2/2007    For the racers out there, the Minnesota Finlandia race in Bemidji has added a new category this year.  There will now be a 25k pursuit style race, with the first 13k on the east side of the course skied with the classic technique and the 12k on the west side skied with the skate technique.

·         1/1/2007    The Ski Clinic at Rainbow Resort with Subaru Factory Team members on 12/27 was cancelled, but they did offer some excellent instruction by Jill Troutner, an accomplished ski racer and biathlon skier formerly of Tulaby Lake, MN (Waubun).  Attendance was light with only 3 skiers making the trek due to the limited snow.  The trails were skiable, but marginal, so the instruction took place on the lake where there was a decent classic track set and the skating was excellent.  Some of you may remember Jill from last year’s ski clinic and demo held at Edgewood.

·         12/21/2006  There is still a little skiing going on in the area with Maplelag making the best of what little snow they have.  Locally we have one new trail maintenance update posted on the Trail Reports page.  Lets hope we can make up for our brown fall with a snow filled 2007!

·         12/3/2006   See the Links page for the addition of a local XC retailers section.

·         12/3/2006   The Pole Walk was held yesterday at Buffalo River State Park.  PENS member Jeff Quam reports, “We had a nice outing on Saturday. It was a little brisk but certainly not bad for an average winter day! Rebecca & I went out today for more of the same at Lindenwood and had a great time. Watch for a notice for another Pole Walk for next Saturday at Lindenwood Park.”   With the accumulation of about an inch of snow on Sunday night and more expected Tuesday and Thursday, hopefully we can include the skis with the poles this weekend!

·         12/3/2006   Check the Trail Reports section for an update on trail work by the city at Lindenwood Park.

·         12/2/2006   The Nordic Ski Team in Fergus Falls has graciously extended an invitation to local FM skiers to attend their meet even if the skier is not part of an organized team or club.  Any FM area ND or MN high school skiers interested in competing in high school meets in MN can contact PENS for more information. 

·         11/28/2006   See the Calendar page for updates including:
     - PENS outing:  Fall Pole Walk at Buffalo River State Park, on December 2nd.
     - 2007 dates for Candlelight Skiing at Buffalo River State Park and Maplewood State Park.
     - The ski racing season in the area is less than a month away with a ski clinic at Rainbow Resort and a race near Park Rapids.

·         11/22/2006   The Fargo Parks website has been redone so hopefully all of the links from the PENS site have been updated.  Of particular note, the Parks grooming reports will now be located now on their What’s New page.

·         11/22/2006   Check out the Maplelag website for an update on their excellent grooming equipment and fall trail work.

·         11/22/2006   Rainbow Resort held the first annual Fall Nordic Pole Pedal Pant Triathlon this past weekend.

·         11/21/2006   A big thanks to club member Gary Brekke for his work to cleanup the Lindenwood/Dike East Trail in Fargo.  See the Trail Reports section for details.

·         11/20/2006   The first PENS activity of the year was held Sunday, November 19th from 2 p.m. to about 4:30 at Edgewood GC.  A group of about 10 skiers started the beautiful afternoon at the entrance to Edgewood with a ski swap that was a real “trunk sale”.  Good discussions were held on ski and rollerski equipment.  It was great to see both old and new faces and the enthusiasm that exists for the upcoming season.  If anyone wants to email PENS with equipment to sell, we will put a Classified page on the website.  The ski swap was followed by a trail walk/cleanup around the perimeter of the golf course.  See the Trail Reports page for details.

  

·         11/17/2006  ’06-’07 Season Kickoff  The first PENS activity of the year is scheduled for Sunday, November 19th from 2 p.m. to about 4:30 at Edgewood GC.  Activities Planned:
Ski Swap:  Bring your unwanted skis and ski related equipment along to sell. Or show off that new set you recently bought.  There should be someone available to help with questions you may have about ski gear.
Trail Walk:  Rumors have it that the trail has been widened in some places so we plan to walk the trail to take a look as well as pick up sticks.  Bring your ski poles and do some ski bounding on the trail to help get those muscles ready for skiing.
Social:  This is a chance to see old friends again and connect with other skiers before the snow flies so we hope to see you there!  We may meet someplace afterwards for drinks, eats, and stories...

·         11/17/2006  Ski Lessons are scheduled for youth and adults during the month of January 2007.  The lessons take place at Edgewood as part of the Fargo Parks “University of the Great Outdoors” courses.   See the Fargo Parks website for information and registration.  PENS members who want to help out are encouraged to contact PENS.  This is the second year that PENS is providing the staff for the lessons.  Last year’s youth program was a success and we look forward to introducing the sport to more area residents.

2006 Instructors:  (L to R)  Dan Thureen, Erik Berg (lesson coordinator), Jeff Quam, John Pfund, Bruce Ray and Arnie Ostgarden.

·        11/16/2006  Webpage updates have started for the upcoming ’06-’07 ski season.  Please contact PENS with any comments or questions regarding the site.  If any members (or your kids!) have a desire to update or take over the site and put more time into it, feel free to contact PENS.

2005/2006 Ski Season

·         2/23/2006  The weekly Bemidji Area Trials Report put out by the Bemidji Area XC Club will now be linked on the Trail Reports page.

·         2/23/2006  PENS member Gina Kinsler is teaching a Kayaking 101 course through the Fargo Parks “University of the Great Outdoors” program.  See the Fargo Parks website for registration information.  The course starts May 30.

·         2/23/2006  PENS member Mark Hagen announced the formation of a triathlon club - FM Area Tri Club.  The club email is fmtriclub@aol.com.   They will soon have a website also.

·         2/20/2006  One new addition to the Calendar page:

1.      Saturday, Feb. 25th, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.  Friends of Maplewood State Park are having their Candlelight Ski at Maplewood State Park.

·         2/7/2006  The PENS Ski Clinic was held today with a turnout of around 25 skiers coming and going throughout the day.  Thanks to Jill Troutner for taking time out of her training and racing schedule to do the instruction and presentations.  Skiers at all ability levels were able to take something away from the clinic to improve their skiing!  Thanks also to Paul Gerten, a rep from Alpina-Madshus for bringing a nice selection of demo classic and skate skis and boots.  He also gave a nice presentation on new ski equipment.  And a big thank you to Rebecca Smith and Jeff Quam for organizing the event and bringing the food.  Dallas from Paramount Sports was also on hand to do waxing for the participants.  A great time was had by all!

·         2/7/2006  See the new Calendar page for a listing of local events of interest to cross country skiers.  One new event listed:

1.      Sunday, Feb. 12.  Family Winter-ific Day at Edgewood Chalet.  Activities include free cross-country ski rentals.

·         2/6/2006  PENS Clinic update:   Paul Gerten, a rep with Alpina Madshus ski equipment will be here with lots of demo skis, boots, etc.  He will talk about equipment...what to look for in a ski...what type of ski fits the skier, whether touring, racing, or backcountry.  This is a fabulous opportunity for your own "hands on experience" --to actually try out some equipment,  and ask questions from a truly knowledgeable source.   They assure me they will have lots of sizes and styles to try.  This will be available to us in the afternoon session, and until we loose daylight.

·         1/30/2006  Thanks to PENS member Gary Brekke for his continued monitoring and fine tuning of the Lindenwood/Dike East Trail!  See the Trail Reports page for an update.

·         1/29/2006  Youth Ski Lessons concluded today with a 1k timed ski for the students.  Each student received a report card outlining the skills learned, a certificate and a T-shirt.  Thanks to Craig Bjur from Fargo Parks for the organization and work on the Parks side.  Thanks to Erik Berg, the lesson coordinator from PENS for developing the lesson plans and leading the group instruction.  The first year was a big success and we look forward to doing lessons again next year.  The weather certainly cooperated as we were able to get the kids on snow in mild conditions all four Sundays.

    

·         1/24/2006  Grooming Update:  Fargo Parks has purchased a used Track Truck grooming machine and tried it for the first time.  The machine did a good job on refreshing some of the classic tracks.  The skate trail at Edgewood didn’t fare as well on this first pass but was repaired this week.  The machine apparently suffered some mechanical problems, but hopefully it will be back in service soon.  It was the goal of the Parks that this machine would allow them to get out and groom all the areas faster after a larger snowfall.  This also has a better ability to reset tracks after the trails have started to ice up than the current snowmobile and tracksetter.   Please contact PENS if you have any comments on the grooming.  We have a grooming committee that is in regular contact with the groomers to provide consistent feedback.

·         1/20/2006  The Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race was a big success.  Approximately 50 adult and 15 youth skiers came out to enjoy the good conditions.  5 skiers did both a skate race and the classic race.  Thanks to Jeff Heisler, Recreation Specialist from Fargo Parks, and the Edgewood Chalet staff for the work to put on this event.  This was the biggest turnout ever for the race since its inception in 2000.
Preliminary race summary:  9 skiers did the 5k or 10k Skate event at 9:30.  Lisa Marquardt from Concordia was the winner of the 10k in with a time of just over 30 minutes.  Lars Moller won the 5K classic race with a time of 16 minutes and change over a field of 43 skiers.  Linda Cooper was the fastest women in the 5k classic after a good race in the 10k skate.  Full results from the Park website.  See Johny Mellow Sports for pictures of the race to view and purchase (thanks to Marylin Laliberte for coming out to shoot the photos).

·         1/14/2006  New Trail Signs have been placed at Edgewood.  Thanks to Fargo Parks, Jeff Quam and Rebecca Smith for getting this done.  Signs should be showing up at the other ski areas if they are not posted already!

·         1/8/2006  Youth Ski Lessons began today with 18 participants between the age of 6 and 14.  The lessons are at Edgewood on Sunday afternoons in January as part of the Fargo Parks “University of the Great Outdoors” courses.   All slots were filled in the course.  Lots of fun was had by both the students and the instructors!  PENS members who want to help out are encouraged to just show up on Sundays in January from about 1:00 to 3:15.

1.      Instructors:  (L to R)  Dan Thureen, Erik Berg (lesson coordinator), Jeff Quam, John Pfund, Bruce Ray and Arnie Ostgarden.

2.      Students in Action on 1/8/2005!  Skiing without poles to work on balance.

·         1/7/2006   Ski Ambassadors.  With the nice weather and new rental skis at Edgewood, there are a lot of skiers out.  We’d like to resume our presence at the Chalet on Saturday afternoons from about 1-3 p.m. to assist beginning skiers with making their first experiences a positive one.  If you can help out, please contact PENS or just show up at the Chalet on Saturday afternoons.  This is a lot of fun and a great way to meet more skiers.  First time skiers really appreciate some basic help with getting their skis on, how to put their poles/straps on, and how to get on the trail without going down the big hill.

·         1/30/2006  The PENS Ski Clinic announced below is set for Tuesday, February 7th at the Edgewood Chalet.  There are spots for 25 skiers and the clinic is currently half full.  PENS members should rsvp to reserve a spot before the clinic is opened to the general public.  Skiers of all abilities are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to advance their knowledge and skills!

·         1/7/2006   Grooming updates.  See the Trail Reports page for links to reports on Skinnyski.com for the main trails in the area.  We’ve submitted the other trails in the area to Skinnyski.com, but they are not yet available for report posting.  So, we’ll try to include some of the other trails like Rose Creek and Prairiewood on the Trail Reports page.  Send a trail report to PENS for any trails in the FM area other than Edgewood or Lindenwood (which can go to Skinnyski).

·         1/7/2006   New signs have been made for trail markers, trail etiquette, etc....and are ready to be put up.  This is for Edgewood, Lindenwood, and Rosecreek. Any volunteers to help?  Contact PENS.

·         12/20/2005   Tuesday evening ski outings are being held at Edgewood.  Usually 6:30 p.m.  Come out and meet and ski with some other club members.  Full moon occurs mid-month so on a clear night there is enough light to see.  Otherwise a headlamp is recommended.  The LED models are lightweight and inexpensive.  The three bulb models are bright enough to light the trail.  This is an informal gathering…just show up!

·         12/16/2005   The next meeting is planned for Saturday January 14th after the ski race (~12 noon).  Work on the Bylaws is continuing.  We would like to incorporate as a non-profit entity.  If anyone has any experience with this legal process, help would be appreciated!

·         12/13/2005    Registration Forms for the Edgewood Ski Race are now available from the Fargo Parks.  This is a citizen ski event for all!  If you can ski around the classic trail, you can do the race! We encourage everyone to support the race by participating or just coming out to watch.  The more people that come out to participate, the more xc skiing will be on the radar for the Parks Department, regarding grooming, rental equipment, etc.

·        12/13/2005   The December PENS meeting and social was held Saturday December 10th at the Edgewood Chalet.  Chili and cookies were served.  Most folks went out and skied after the meeting.  Discussion was held regarding:

1.     The proposed club bylaws.  The goal is to have these finalized by this spring.  This will allow the club to incorporate as a non-profit entity so that we can receive donations and start to promote our own events and programs.

2.     The new grooming machine that Fargo Parks is looking at:  ASV Track Truck.

1.     The proposals for new trail signage.

2.     A PENS logo.

3.     The upcoming ski lessons in January. 

4.     The Parks Dept. is getting new rental skis this year for the Edgewood rental shop.  This is good news!

·        12/5/2005   Now that there is snow, please watch your email for Tuesday evening ski outings as conditions permit. Fall Conditioning Sessions were held Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. at Dike East in October and November.  There was good participation from a wide variety of skiers.

·        11/23/2005  The second PENS meeting of the season was held on Sunday November 20th at Gander Mountain.  An initial draft of club bylaws was reviewed.  Jeff and John gave an update on a recent meeting with Fargo Parks personnel regarding trails and grooming.

·         10/26/05   The first pre-season activity for the ’05-’06 season was a meeting held on Sunday afternoon, October 23rd at 1 p.m. at the Gander Mountain store community room.  Read the meeting summary.

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