CFBB gives $1,000 to nordic club

The Community Foundation for Better Bigfork announced on Monday their grant award of $1,000 to the North Shore Nordic Club, the local volunteer ski group that maintains cross-country ski trails at Blacktail Mountain near Lakeside and Foothills Road near Bigfork. This is the fourth year CFBB has awarded the ski club a grant in support of its general operations.

"The Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork is very supportive of the Nordic Club," said Paul Mutascio, president of CFBB. "We're glad to see North Shore Nordic and the services it provides doing well and growing."

Club president Dave Hadden said that CFBB's support has been important to the Club's success.

"The ski club really appreciates the Community Foundation's long-standing help and commitment to promote our cross-country ski program in Bigfork and Lakeside," he said.

Don Bauder, treasurer of the ski club added, "Groomed ski trails in Bigfork and Lakeside add a very special quality to these towns. We know that people come from all over western Montana to enjoy these trails."

"And we greatly appreciate the support of Saddlehorn and a third anonymous, local foundation for significant financial assistance," Hadden added.

Hadden said that the Club works cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service, Flathead County Parks and Recreation, and Montana's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to provide Nordic skiing at the two locations.

Hadden spoke about the improvements the Club, the U.S. Forest Service and DNRC have implemented for the coming ski season. These include:

? Resumption of grooming at the Foothills Nordic Trails after a year's hiatus. The DNRC has completed their logging of the Foothills area. The club will be grooming an all-new trail system.

? Purchasing a new snowmobile to provide dedicated equipment at both Blacktail and Foothills areas. This will help save money and reduce wear and tear on equipment.

? Purchasing a new Yellowstone Track Systems "Jumbo Roller" to better compact and prepare fresh snow at Blacktail.

? Increasing grooming at Blacktail Mountain. The Whitefish Mountain Resort will no longer be sponsoring a Nordic trail system. NSNC at Blacktail will provide the only early and late season, groomed Nordic skiing in the Flathead Valley.

? Expanding the upper Blacktail parking lot to accommodate more vehicles.

? Placing a storage container for equipment storage along the Blacktail trail near the upper parking lot to provide better economy.

North Shore Nordic Club is committed to continually improving Nordic skiing in the Lower Flathead Valley. The club has been searching for creative ways to fund these improvements.

The NSNC is entirely volunteer-directed and employs just one person to groom trails. Nevertheless the Club carries considerable expenses for payroll, insurance, purchase and operation of snowmobiles, grooming implements, maintenance, gas and oil.

Grants will cover only about half of Club operating expenses, and grants will not pay for season start-up expenses. For the balance, the club relies on cash donations from local skiers and businesses.

For more information readers can check the NSNC website at www.northshorenordic.org, for updated reports on conditions and grooming schedule.