We successfully moved the SnowCat to the Mountain Golf Course. We expect to groom as soon as this storm passes. Hopefully within 4 to 5 days.
Next, we will start planning for Spooner.
Nevada Nordic board members and volunteers have been digging our SnowCat out of the snow at Mt. Rose Highway so that we can move it to the Mountain Golf Course and start grooming there. However, there is still some work to do.
Any volunteers would be appreciated on Wednesday morning (Feb 21st) at 9 am at the pullout on Mt. Rose Highway.
Bring shovels!
Thank you, Nevada Nordic
We Are Grooming
Nevada Nordic is back at it for the 2018 - 2019 ski season. Read on to learn more about where we are grooming and how you can help us groom more! We hope to see you out on the trails : )
Old State Route 431
Thanks to NDOT, we have a permit to groom a little over 2 kms of Old Mt Rose Highway. Headed towards Reno, the grooming starts just beyond the second pull-out on the right-hand side of Mt Rose Highway. Our trail is a straight shot up and back down.
Please park on the South side of the highway in the pull-out area. Do not park on the opposite side of the road and cross the highway on foot. If it is snowing and/or the state is plowing the highway, do not park at all. We will only groom after a storm has passed and the roads are clear. Please come back a day or two later, after the plowing has been completed.
For the time being, we only have the capability to groom for skating. After New Year’s, we hope to get a track setter installed on our 1989 LMC 1800 snow cat. Our stretch of groomed trail is fine for interval training, and when snow is sparse, may be the only option available.
Our long-term goal is to have a cross country ski venue similar to what Diamond Peak had in the Mt Rose Area between 1989 and 2000. The process of getting there is painstakingly slow. At various points along the way, we will need you to write to public officials, and attend various government-agency public meetings. While we have access to IVGID’s five acres for permanent structures to house a lodge and store the equipment, we need permits to groom from the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the US Forest Service. We are anxiously awaiting the release of their master winter use plans.
Incline's Mountain Golf Course
We will groom a trail for skating and classic skiing on the Mountain Golf course as soon as it has enough snow. The loop trail will start and end at the Mountain Golf Course chalet. IVGID’s Golf Course Management has been extremely supportive. And, should we get another winter like 2016/2017, our snow cat will be at their disposal to remove snow and protect the fairways from icing damage.
Spooner State Park
The rangers at Spooner have welcomed and assisted us for the last four years. We plan on continuing this relationship this season.
Our snow-cat (LMC 1800) is trailer capable without having to deal with the “Wide Load” restrictions and regulations. It is a bit time consuming to load and unload the LMC 1800, but it is doable. We need a volunteer or volunteers with a ¾ to 1 ton truck who is/are willing to tow our equipment to Spooner and back. We will groom there when there is a need for a heavy machine with a blade.
Being one of the smaller snow cats, we believe that we will be able to groom North Canyon Road up to the North Canyon campground, and possibly all the way to Marlette Lake.
Donations and contributions designated for Spooner will be used to pay operating costs at Spooner. In between storms, Spooner volunteers will maintain the trails with the State Parks Alpina Sherpa and track setter.
Nevada Nordic Grooming Old Mt. Rose Highway in last April
Great news!
Our Snowcat has been repaired. We were able to groom Old Mt. Rose Highway 431 yesterday and today. The groomed trail is on the south side of the highway, across the road from Mt. Rose Scenic Overlook. We have groomed 1.5 miles from the green gate on the lower south side to the green gate on the upper south side of Mt Rose Highway. Unfortunately, we don’t have a classic track yet. During the off season, we plan on outfitting the Snowcat with track setters and have it ready for next year!
Please park on the south side of Highway 431, in the area where the old Diamond Peak Cross-country used to be. Please do not park on the north side to avoid crossing the highway for your own safety.
The groomed trail still has a good amount of snow on it. So much so, that the upper green gate is buried and not visible. We hope you will enjoy the last few days of the skiing season!
(The photos were taken at yesterday's grooming session)
Hi, Nevada cross-country skiers!
Good news first: Nevada Nordic obtained a permit to groom old Mt. Rose Highway from the green gate where the old Diamond Peak XC trailer sat to the green gate up close to the Meadows. We hope to begin grooming it as soon as we get our equipment fixed. With the amount of snow at this higher elevation, we should be able to keep a trail open until late spring.
Tahoe has offered one unique winter for us this year. Unfortunately, the wet, heavy snow and subsequent freezing have taken their toll on man and machine. We recently learned that the hydraulic system on our Snowcat had water in which froze. We also discovered an electrical problem that we are unable to fix until we resolve the hydraulic problem. We’ve identified a mechanic and hope that he will be able to review the machine this week.
In the meantime, we have made several attempts at grooming the Mountain Golf Course with our snowmobile and drag. One of our groomers, Brendan, ran the snowmobile repeatedly over the course to try and pack it down. We were close, however, the last two storms have been excessively wet, causing Brendan to be thrown from snowmobile a few times.
Thick, wet Sierra snow is the reason we purchased a Snowcat. Once we get it running, our goal is to groom as much as possible. We will send out an update with this news as soon as we can.
Thank you for your patience!
Photo Credit: Nevada State Parks
Winter is rapidly approaching, and you know what that means - XC Ski Season is almost here!
This winter, Nevada Nordic is preparing to groom a cross country ski trail at the Mountain Golf Course. The course will be narrow, 8 to 10 feet wide, and carefully designed to ensure no adverse impact on the fairways. We are almost ready, but we need one last thing to turn this course into a reality. We are looking for financial support to purchase a small SnowCAT.
We need a SnowCAT to help us groom trails after heavy Sierra storms. Snowmobiles can maintain, but not establish, a level graded trail, and we require a tiller due to the constant freeze/thaw we experience on most days. Luckily for us, we have located a reasonably priced SnowCAT that is in very good condition. It is the right size to groom narrow trails on the golf course, and more importantly, it comes with a blade necessary to level trails after storms. AND it has a tiller! It also has the advantage of being trailer-able.
The cost of the SnowCAT with a trailer is $27,300. With an additional $2,500, we can also improve the track-setter for classic tracks and NN should be SnowCAT set for the next decade!
Please consider donating to support this initiative and help bring this great asset into our community. Please also keep in mind that we intend to use this equipment at the Mt Rose area once we have secured all of the appropriate permits.
The board has agreed to match the first $10,000 of donations.
Donations can be made by check to Nevada Nordic mailed to PO Box 5406, Incline Village, NV 89450, or by credit card on our donation page.
Thank you for supporting community XC ski trails in Nevada!
Please reference this trail map when you head out to Spooner!
UPDATE (2/16/17) Key Points:
*Spooner will be groomed Saturday morning 2/18/17 after Friday nights snowfall – If you are there extremely early, please don't use the trail for two to three hours to allow the freshly groomed snow to set up properly.
We are getting closer to having the snowmobile (Sherpa) serviced. It needed bearings which will hopefully arrive next week. We thank Nevada State Parks for its efforts in getting the Sherpa fully functional. Until we get Sherpa working, we have no way to carry out daily clean ups of the divots and post holes in the trail caused by users not adhering to trail etiquette.
*Please respect trail etiquette: Snowshoers to one side of the trail, track is for classic skiers, the middle of the groomed trails are for skate skiers and classic skiers. If one person tears up the trail, it affects everybody's experience.
UPDATE (2/10/17) Key Points:
*Spooner will be groomed Saturday morning 2/11/17 after the snowstorm- Please don't use the trail until an hour after it is set.
*Please respect trail etiquette: Snowshoers to one side of the trail, track is for classic skiers, the middle of the groomed trails are for skate skiers and classic skiers. (We need everyone to follow this etiquette because we can't groom and maintain trails on a daily basis - if one person tears up the trail, it affects everybody's experience).
For More Details:
Matt from Sierra Snowcats Inc. will groom with his CAT tomorrow evening (Fri 2/10). If you are there in the evening, please do not use the trail until it has set up. It takes an hour or so for the snow in the trails to settle after the grooming.
The snowmobile (Sherpa) is in for service. We don't know if we will have the Sherpa this weekend. It is always important for snowshoes to stay to one side of our groomed trail. The center should be left for skate skiers. If there is a track, it is for classic skiing.
If the center or track get marred up by snowshoe divots or post holes, we can periodically clean it up with the Sherpa. Unfortunately, we may not have the Sherpa for a while. Thus, it is important that skier/snowshoer etiquette be followed to prolong the CAT grooming.
Should be a good weekend!
Photo Credit: NV State Parks
Important Action Item: Let NV State Parks know Spooner State Park needs a snowmobile.
Good Morning Nevada Nordic Enthusiasts!
We need your help to acquire a snowmobile with Nevada State Parks. Could you please send a letter by the end of this week to Janice Keillor, Park & Recreation Program Manager. You can email her at jkeillor@parks.nv.gov or you can mail the letter to:
Janice Keillor,
Park & Recreation Program Manager, NV State Parks
901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 5005
Carson City, NV 89701-5248
Feel free to draft your own language or use what's included below:
Dear Janice,
I am a member of the public who uses Nevada Nordic groomed trails at Spooner State Park and I am an enthusiastic supporter of Nevada Nordic initiatives. As part of its mission, Nevada Nordic works to bring groomed cross country skiing trails back to Northern Nevada. As collaborators with the Volunteers in Parks program, it initiated public cross country community ski trails at Spooner State Park last year, and will continue grooming this winter.
Because of the age of existing snow mobile (Sherpa) at Spooner, I understand its remaining useful life is limited. Further, as a utility machine, it is great for pulling a load on flat well packed snow. But, is unreliable when the snow is anything but hard-packed. At present, Nevada Nordic’s largest expense is for periodic CAT grooming to enable the Sherpa to groom in between storms.
A second snowmobile capable of maneuvering and packing a trail will reduce the need for the CAT and enhance the sustainability of the program.
I wholeheartedly recommend your approval for the purchase of second snowmobile to improve and prolong the cross-country ski trail program at Spooner State Park. The collaboration between Nevada Nordic and Spooner State park is good for the community and I would like to see it continue into the future.
Thank you for your consideration,
Grooming coming soon starting 2017
Please join us on November 30th to let IVGID know we want to build a XC ski lodge and multi-use venue on the Incline Meadows property along Mt Rose Highway. This is your chance to have your voice heard!
SPOONER LAKE, Nev. – For the first time in four years, Spooner Lake State park is home to a system of meandering cross-country ski trails that wind through dense forest, across an open meadow and along the banks of Spooner Lake.