PENS New Archives Page  

2008/2009 Ski Season

·        5/9/2009  PENS Relay Team runs in the Fargo Marathon
The flood has passed and Erik, John, Jeff and Arnie ran the Marathon relay again.  They turned in a good time finishing in 3:44 for 31st place out of 378 teams.

·        3/15/2009  PENS Annual Meeting and Ski Recap.
The PENS annual meeting was held on March 15th.  Most of the attendees skied a loop and enjoyed the bright sunny day in the soft snow.  The ski was followed by a meal and meeting.  The current board and officers were reelected for another year.

·        3/3/2009  PENS Annual Meeting and Ski Scheduled for March 15, 2009 at Edgewood Chalet.
Join PENS members for the annual meeting, ski and social.  This is a great time to join the club and enjoy some free food with your paid membership and have the chance to buy one of the remaining hats or headbands before they are all sold.  The price for a hat or a headband is $20.  See the calendar for more information.

·        3/2/2009  PENS Hats and Headbands are here!
Watch the trails for the new PENS ski hats and headbands that are available for sale to club members.  Greg, Arnie and Scott are shown below at the ’09 Rainbow Rendezvous.  Greg and Arnie are sporting the new hats.

                         

 

·        2/27/2009  PENS Rainbow Resort outing a big success.
The PENS outing to Rainbow was awesome with a turnout of 18 skiers hitting the great trails and enjoying the hospitality of this nice family run xc ski resort.

·        1/22/2009  PENS Candlelight Ski at Edgewood.
PENS members are busy making ice luminaries for an initial trial of a Candlelight Ski at Edgewood on Tuesday, January 27th.  See the Calendar link above for that date for more information!  If you can help, feel free to contact PENS@cableone.net.  If all goes well, we may expand the length of the lighted trail and do it again in February as more of a club event.  Also look for the other candlelight ski events coming up at Buffalo River and Maplewood State Parks on the calendar.

·        1/21/2009  PENS Ski Outing and Club Update.
Check out the club calendar for a ski outing to Rainbow Resort the weekend of January 30-February 1.  Just a reminder to the skiers out there who are not members:  Most of the discussion and information on skiing is going through the PENSxc Yahoo Group, which is available to paid members.  The club is up to 40 households and growing!  We are also in the process of taking orders for PENS ski hats and headbands which should be delivered by late February.  If you are a skier and haven’t joined the club, we encourage you to sign up!

·        1/21/2009  Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race Results.
Linked here from Fargo Parks:  Edgewood Winter Blast 2009 Results  The weather cooperated and we had a great morning of skiing followed by a well attended PENS social after the awards ceremony.  Lots of door prizes were given out to race participants and more to just the PENS members at the social.  There is also a photoset posted with the results on Skinnyski.com.

·        1/12/2009  Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race January 17.
Just a reminder that the Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race is on Saturday.  PENS is a co-sponsor of the event this year and has helped develop the race over the years.  For more information on registration and the schedule see the registration form.  

For those of you who have never tried a ski race, we invite you to come out and participate in this family event.  If you can ski around the outer loop of Edgewood, you have all it takes to participate in the fun atmosphere of a community ski event!  There are shorter kids races too. First timers can just line up towards the back of the starting group and ski at their own pace.  There are always way more recreational skiers than racers.  The back of the pack is where all the fun is!  Plus you get a t-shirt, lunch and the chance at some door prizes.  We hope to see you there!  If you have any questions on the race, feel free to email us at PENS@cableone.net

·        1/4/2009  PENS Daytime Ski Group.
A new daytime ski group has been added to the list of club activities.  Join PENS member Kelly Sassi for a ski at Edgewood on Mondays at noon.  Kelly has taught ski lessons in the past, so she’ll be able to give beginners some tips.  Other weekday skis will be announced via the Yahoo group as schedules and conditions permit.  The snow and grooming are great so now is the time to hit the trails!

·        12/17/2008  Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race registration forms are available.
The registration form is now available on the Parks website.

·        12/15/2008  PENS December Meeting.
The next meeting is planned for December 21 at 1pm at the NDSU Downtown Campus.  Cookies and hot cider will be provided.  We will have a presentation on the North Country Trail by Matthew Davis, the coordinator for the MN and ND sections of this multiuse trail system that is planned to extend into our area.  We are also planning a basic waxing clinic and hope to have someone from Paramount Sports available to answer questions on waxing and xc ski equipment.  Afterwards, anyone who wants to ski can make the short drive over to Dike East to ski the Lindenwood trail.  Parking is available on the south side of the NDSU Building or on NP Avenue.  Enter using the East doors on the NE corner of the building.

·        11/19/2008  PENS members to teach XC ski lessons at Edgewood for 4th year.
PENS members will again be teaching xc ski lessons through the Fargo Parks University of the Great Outdoors program.  There are more sessions available this year, both for classic and skate techniques.  See the Parks website for registration information (go to Youth or Adult Programs, University of the Great Outdoors for the class listings).  You must be pre-registered and there is a limit on class size, so sign up today!

·        11/19/2008  PENS Members to have entry in Holiday Lights Parade, Tuesday November 25.
PENS will be in the annual Holiday Lights Parade put on by the FM Downtown Community Partnership.  Our goal is to increase awareness of our club and promote XC skiing to the general public as a great winter activity.  We will be handing out flyers promoting our January lessons at Edgewood.

·        11/19/2008  PENS Fall Kickoff Meeting and Social is set for 11/23/2008 at Edgewood Chalet from 1-3:30 p.m.
Join us this Sunday at Edgewood to start the season.  All previous, current and prospective members are welcome, from beginners to experienced skiers.  If you have questions on skiing or how to get started once the snow flies, we are here to help.  (Directions:  The Edgewood Chalet is the old clubhouse at Edgewood Golf Course in NE Fargo.  Go to the end of Elm Street and follow Golf Course Road into the course, staying to the right.  There is a big new clubhouse, but we'll do most of our activities in the far east parking lot and the Chalet just to the north.  FM Map / Edgewood Map)

·        11/12/2008  PENS Fall Membership Information – New Features and Events
There are many changes to report for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.  The PENS board has worked in the off season to add more value to your club memberships.  Please see the link below for our fall membership letter which details most of the changes.  To join PENS please click on the link above to print our Memberhip Form.  We hope to see you on the trails!

2007/2008 Ski Season

·        6/3/2008   PENS at the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival
Keeping true to our Nordic heritage, PENS members will be giving roller skiing and CAT skiing demos at the Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival in Moorhead.  The demos will be held at 11 a.m. on both Friday, June 27th and Saturday, June 28th on the paved trail near the Stave Church.

·        6/3/2008  PENS Relay Team runs in the Fargo Marathon
Well, the snow finally stopped falling and spring came to the FM area to stay.  After one of the longest ski seasons in recent memory, board members Arnie Ostgarden, Jeff Quam, Erik Berg and John Pfund hit the pavement to run the Fargo Marathon on May 17th.  A great time was had by the team – the event really is well organized.  The PENS team came in 29th out of 258 teams with a time of 3:47.

      

Arnie, John, Erik and Jeff                    Arnie on the first leg.            Jeff and Erik at the exchange.   John finishing in the dome.

·        5/2/2008   Re-Cap of PENS Annual Meeting, Ski and Social
The annual meeting took place on Sunday, March 16th at the Edgewood Chalet. The afternoon started with a group ski with 9 skiers hitting the trails. This was followed by the meeting with a light lunch catered by Divots. A fun time was had by all – see photo of Jeff and Erik below!  Some nice door prizes were given out, including some donated gear from Paramount Sports (thanks Craig!) and two Paramount gift cards purchased by PENS.

    

·        3/9/2008 PENS Annual Meeting, Ski and Social Announcement
The PENS Annual Meeting, Ski and Social is scheduled for this coming Sunday, March 16th, 2008.  We will be meeting at the Edgewood Chalet.  The Chalet is now closed for the season but we will have the building opened for the club by 1:45 p.m. and start with a group ski (groups will go out both classic and skate) from about 2 to 3.  Looks like the snow should hold through the week so conditions will be good!  The Annual Meeting and election of the board will start at about 3:15 with a social and food to follow.  Soup, snacks and beverages will be provided.  Hope to see you there!  A final agenda will be sent out later in the week.

·        3/9/2008 Classifieds Page 
We’ve added a Classifieds Page where we can post your ski related items for sale.  So before you pack those unused ski items away one more time, send PENS an email with your items wanted/for sale along with your contact info, and we’ll get it on the list.

·         3/9/2008 PENS Ski Outings 
This weekend saw a quite a few skiers getting together for group ski outings.  Both Saturday and Sunday a handful of skiers gathered to ski together at Edgewood.  Thanks to Phil Sarnoff for leading the groups!  The trails were groomed for the Sunday session after the day long snowfall on Saturday. Thanks to the Parks for getting out and grooming the trails right away. 
On Sunday, a group of PENS skiers ventured out to Lake 5 for a day trip.  Here’s the report from Jay Richardson:  Gorgeous day in the woods–bright skies, no wind, 20 degrees and four inches of fresh snow. The trails were soft yet firm, the skiing was fast and fun, and the burgers at Billy’s totally ROCKED!  Jeff, thanks for organizing; Beth, thanks for sharing your fantastic XC ski park.  Photo from Jay:

·        3/3/2008   2008 Ski Event Recap 
This past weekend brought the major regional ski event season to a close.  Many PENS members have been able to participate in events including City of Lakes Loppet, Mora Vasaloppet, Minnesota Finlandia, American Birkebeiner, and this past weekend’s events, the Rainbow Rendezvous and Maplelag’s Lotvola Cup.  The races closer to home saw a large number of FM area skiers participate with 9, 7, and 15 skiers respectively at the Finlandia (Bemidji), Rainbow and Maplelag events.  See SkinnySki.com for results and lots of photos. 
If you weren’t able to make it to one of these fun events, mark you calendars now and set a goal for next year!  The PENS board is planning now for more club activities for next season.  Anyone interested in helping with our goals of increasing opportunities for youth skiing and having more social, educational and ski outings for the club membership is welcome to come to our March Board Meeting tomorrow night at Divots at Edgewood GC at 6:30 p.m.  We will also be planning the March Annual Meeting.

·        3/3/2008   P-P-P Cancellation
The Pole-Pedal-Pant race at Rainbow this coming weekend has been cancelled.  Detailed announcement.

·        2/14/2008  Winter-ific Day Postponed 
The Family Winter-ific Day at Edgewood featuring free ski rentals has been postponed from 2/10/2008 to 2/17/2008.

·        1/28/2008  PENS Day Trip Feburary 2nd 
Join PENS members for a day ski trip to beautiful Rainbow Resort (http://www.rainbowresort.com/index.html). Rainbow has a variety of trails for all abilities of skiers. Doug and Linda Schumann of Rainbow have offered PENS members a 20% discount off their daily trail fee of $10. If you are not yet a member, you can join that day.
The day trip will be led by PENS board member Jeff Quam. Please RSVP to Jeff at jaq@702com.net if you would like to go. The group will meet at Jeff's business in Moorhead, JAQ's Garage at the NW corner of Hwys. 75 and 10 to car pool at 8:45 a.m. with departure planned for 9:00 .
Lunch and refreshments are available for purchase at the resort. If you are interested in an overnight stay this weekend, please contact Rainbow directly to see if there is an opening, and let them know if you are a paid PENS member!

·         1/20/2008  PENS Ski Clinics at Edgewood Chalet:
-This Tuesday, Jan. 22, Erik Berg and Jeff Quam will be giving a Classic technique ski clinic at 6 p.m.  The forcast is for a high of 10, so it should be a nice night under the full moon.
-The following Tuesday, Jan. 29, - POSTPONED to Feb 5th due to expected cold temps this week - the same duo will be giving a Skate technique ski clinic at 6 p.m.
-The clinics will be geared to the beginning to intermediate skier looking to get some pointers and honing their skills.  The clinics are free to paid PENS members or are available for non-members for a $10 fee for each session.  (Non-members will be required to sign an event waiver form.  The waiver and membership application form will be available at the sessions.  Dues are $20, so a paid membership pays for the cost of both sessions!)
-Bring your own equipment or rent.  Classic skis are available for rent at the chalet (rental not included in clinic fee).  Skate ski rental is not available.  Headlamps are recommended, but would not be necessary for the more experienced skier for the classic clinic since it is a full moon.  LED headlamps are available for as little as $10 at local retailers.  Contact PENS@cableone.net if you want more info on headlamps.

·         1/15/2008   Full Results of the Winter Blast XC Ski Race now available on the Parks website.  Also see the Race summary on Skinnyski.com along with a photoset from Rebecca Smith.

·         1/14/2008  The Edgewood Winter Blast Ski Race took place Saturday, January 12th.  The race saw the biggest turnout in it’s history with about 66 skiers participating in the races.  Thanks to Fargo Parks and Rec for putting on a great event!  And thanks to PENS members Arnie Ostgarden, Bruce Ray and Rebecca Smith for helping out and cheering on the racers.  Here is a preview of the results:  PENS member Justin Hayes was the overall winner in the men’s 10k skate and 5k classic events.  Member Linda Cooper won the women’s 10k Skate and Jane Sederquist took top female honors in the 5k skate and 5K classic. Mike Reponen skated to victory in the 5k men’s skate event. 
-This event saw some good TV coverage with a race preview on WDAY on Thursday featuring PENS member Jeff Quam and Renny Fuglestad.  Fox News and Channels 4/11 both covered the race on Saturday. 
-A short PENS meeting was held after the race.  Door prizes were drawn from the paid PENS members registering for the race.  Three LED headlamps were given out, going to Justin Hayes, Paul Froeschle and new member Allison Wallace.

·         1/8/2008   Ski lessons taught by PENS members began this past Sunday and run through the end of the month.  Approximately 35 students are in the classes with half the participants in the 6-14 youth classes and the other half in the adult classes.  The mild weather made for a busy day at the chalet with lot of action at the rental counter.
A PENS board meeting was held after the lessons to set standing board meetings and work on plans for our support of the Edgewood race.  The first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 at Divots in the new Edgewood clubhouse was selected.  This coincides with our Tuesday night ski at Edgewood.

·         1/4/2008   The Edgewood Winter Blast ski race is scheduled for Saturday, January 12th.  See the Fargo Parks Website for details and the registration form.  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.  You don’t have to race – just ski at your own pace.  Plus you get a free lunch!  A reminder to the more experience skiers: the skate and classic races are scheduled such that you can do both events.  The last time the race was held there were about 50 participants.  With this year’s snow the turnout should be even better!  There will also be a short PENS meeting after the awards are presented.

·         1/3/2008   XC ski lessons at Edgewood taught by PENS members are starting this coming Sunday, January 6th at 1pm.  Anyone willing to help with the logistics of getting 20 kids outfitted and out the door to ski are encouraged to come out and help!  Both on-snow helpers and helpers in the chalet are needed.  An organizing meeting for instructors led by Erik Berg will start at 12 pm in the Chalet.  Also, there will be a short PENS board of directors meeting after the lessons.

·         12/29/2008  The first Official club meeting was held on 12/16/2007!  See the minutes for the summary of the meeting.  Here are the officers and directors that make up the 7 person board:
     John Pfund, President (and webmaster)
     Erik Berg, Vice President (and ski lesson coordinator)
     Rebecca Smith, Secretary/Treasurer (i.e the one who does most of the work)
     Jeff Quam, Director (and trails/grooming liason to the Parks Departments)
     Arnie Ostgarden, Director
     Dan Thureen, Director
     David Swenson, Director
    

·         12/14/2007  The club Bylaws, Membership Application, and Agenda are ready for this Sunday’s meeting at the Edgewood Winter Chalet at 1 pm.  We hope to see you there!

·         12/13/2007  PENS has been in contact with Fargo Parks, and they are hoping to groom Rose Creek before the weekend, and get some trail signs up especially at Lindenwood to try to keep the walkers off the groomed ski trails.

·         12/12/2007  Moorhead Parks reports that they will begin grooming this week with some trails ready for the weekend.  Also, see the Links page for a couple of new additions in the local retailer section.  Two new independent running stores have opened in Fargo this year.  Both carry some apparel that would be suitable for skiing.

·         12/11/2007  Don’t miss the PENS meeting this Sunday, December 16th, at the Edgewood Chalet.  Bring your skis and ski before or after the business meeting at 1pm, if it is not too cold.  We will be reviewing the steps taken so far to incorporate the club including the bylaws and officers.  We have two spots to fill on the board of directors so there will be an election for those positions.  We are also ready to formally accept memberships in the club and collect dues.  We hope to have a ski waxing demonstration and as always if you have questions about your equipment, bring in your gear!  An agenda, the bylaws and a membership application will be sent out later this week.

·         12/9/2007  Cold temperatures have put a little damper on the skiing this weekend, but the trails are in great shape for this early in the season.  See the Trail Reports page for links to updates on most of the trails in the area.  If you have an update on a trail that is currently not posted, please email the report to PENS.

·         12/6/2007  Two more inches of fluff have added to the over one foot of snow on the ground.  See the Where to Ski page for an additional “bonus trail” in the Fargo Parks system.

·         12/3/2007  SNOW! And more to come tomorrow.  See the trail reports page for links to grooming updates and trail reports.  Please post your outings on the links to skinnyski.com or send your reports directly to us at PENS to post on this site.  Take a look and try skiing somewhere new this year.  The Calendar page has also been updated as much as possible for the season.

·         11/19/2007    The Season Kickoff Meeting was held this past Sunday at Edgewood GC.  Eight hearty souls came out in the snow and wind, and wisely decided to socialize and brainstorm for the coming ski season in the warmth of the new clubhouse.  Once the snow subsided, a handful of the group made their way around the outer loop of the Edgewood ski trail to pickup branches and trim brush along the sides of the trail.  The good news is that the trail has been widened and graded for most of the whole loop, making for a very smooth surface.  It is mostly loose dirt, so hopefully we get a good coat of freezing rain to seal it up before the snow comes!  The group also scheduled some upcoming meetings.  On Tuesday, November 27th, we will be having an informal meeting to finish up the draft of the proposed bylaws of the club at 5pm at Atomic Coffee in Downtown Fargo.  Then on Sunday, December 9th CHANGED to December 16th, a meeting is scheduled at the Edgewood Winter Chalet at 1 pm to review the bylaws and elect two directors.  This has been a long time coming, so please come out to give your input during this important formative meeting for the club!  A draft of the bylaws will be sent to the email list prior to the meeting.

·         November PENS Newsletter

·         10/29/2007  PENS member Gary Brekke gives the following update from the Lindenwood Park Ski trails:  Greetings!  I walked Lindenwood - Dike East ski trails yesterday morning picking up sticks and trimming face slappers ... There are three large trees down on the Lindenwood stretch that the Park district will have to cut ... they mowed from Dike East to Lindenwood and that stretch looks ready for snow ... short sections of the Lindenwood trail would benefit from mowing too ... besides the downed trees things looked good and the trail is drying up enough for biking ... Enjoy the slide from fall to winter!

·         10/12/2007  PENS is again teaching youth and adult Cross Country ski lessons through the Fargo Parks in January.  The class offerings have expanded this year with the addition of a skate ski class.  PENS members lead by course director Erik Berg (PSIA certified in XC Skiing) will be providing the instruction.  See the Fargo Parks University of the Great Outdoors page for more information and on-line registration.

·         October PENS Newsletter

 

2006/2007 Ski Season

·         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.

3.     The proposals for new trail signage.

4.     A PENS logo.

5.     The upcoming ski lessons in January. 

6.     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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