Message from the President

Such a wonderful winter! I'm guessing the best we've experienced in the past 10 years or more. Snow, cold, movement to the sky, children laughing, and wisdom keepers skiing through woods into winter darkness... pure bliss.

I would like to extend a hearty welcome to our new members (25 at last countJ) and hope that you folks will contact board members with your interests and energy!

A special thanks to grooming coordinator Dave Jones and groomers Jamul Hahn and Mark Aagenes for making Pattee Canyon such a special place to ski this winter. Thanks to Gordon and Jessie Opel for their work in making this year's Ozone Race the best ever. Also, thanks to the Forest Service, especially Joe Kipphut, for their support of nordic skiing in the Missoula area through efforts to facilitate grant proposals and coordination to improve winter recreation and reduce user conflict at Pattee Canyon.

In the coming year we would like to develop greater individual and business support for our youth ski program either through volunteer or monetary contributions. Please contact Charlie Wellenstein with any ideas you may have on this subject.

Words of wisdom from "Jackrabbit" Johannsen to our youth, "All my life I have been anxious to see what lies on the other side of the hill, and at the same time I have never failed to enjoy the scenery along the way. With all my senses tuned in - sight and hearing, taste and smell and touch - I was able to reap full benefit from each experience. So, I say, set your goals high, and stick to them, but approach them step by step so that at any given time your expectations are not impossibly out of reach. Climb your mountains slowly, one step at a time, following a well-planned route. And when at last you stand upon the summit, you can look beyond, to the farthest horizon!"

Tom Daer, President

Treasurer’s Report

Hello fellow skiers. We've had a great year of skiing thus far and with luck we'll have good spring skiing as well. The weather has been snow-friendly, the grooming has been top-notch, and the grooming equipment has a new home in a concrete shed. While the shed may look plain, to the ski club it's a thing of beauty in that it securely houses the equipment with room for maintenance. The shed was created through the efforts of hard-working club members and a juicy grant from the Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

While the State grants are a great boon and well appreciated, it is the club membership dues that pay for much of the grooming costs, routine maintenance, fuel/oil, new equipment, as well as newsletters and a web site. We're in the black, but if the season goes long (please please), then costs add up. So, if any member has not sent in dues yet (please please), let it be known that it is rumored that you ski faster when you help with the grooming. Many thanks and see you up at the trails.

Ed vanAelstyn, Treasurer

Calendar Ski of Events 2000-2001

March

3 Ben-Ali Haggin’s Mile High Nordic Ski Race, Mt. Haggin Ski Area, Anaconda MT

9K, 19K Freestyle 11:00 a.m. mass start; junior, youth, novice 1K, 2K, 5K 10:00 a.m. start

Joe Griffin 406-782-0316 or 406-782-0900

10 Yellowstone Rendezvous, West Yellowstone.

50, 25, 10 km skating or 25 km classic.

American Ski Marathon Series, 406-646-7701

*New* 17&18 Izaak Walton Inn’s Snow Rodeo Saturday at 1p.m. rodeo events including pole bending, barrel racing, “steer” dodging, “bronc” riding. Saturday evening, bonfire and marshmallow roast at telemark hill. Sunday scavenger hunt. Registration Saturday March 17 11am to noon. Izaak Walton Inn 406-888-5700.

*New* 24 Alice Creek Saturday 10:00 start time. Race day registration. 18K, 40K, kid’s loop. Food by the Windbag. Entry fee $10 includes race, food, trail fee, and entry into cool raffle. Questions, contact Beckners@mcn.net

OZONE PURSUIT 2001

The ski club's annual race, the OZONE PURSUIT, was a smashing success this year. Held on January 6 & 7^th in Seeley Lake, the 2 day pursuit format consisted of a skate race on day one followed by a classic race on day two. In a pursuit format, day one is a time trial. On day two, the leader starts at time zero. If the second place racer was 1 minute back, he starts 1 minute back on day two, and must try to catch up to (or pursue) the leader. The OZONE is one of the only pursuit races in the area, and it has proven to be a pretty popular (though grueling) format. This year 36 adults and 17 juniors raced in great weather and snow conditions. The future of nordic skiing seems assured with almost a third of the field in the junior races! Skiers filled up at the post race feed and stocked up on prizes at the raffle. Thanks to the sponsors: Open Road, the Trailhead, Atomic Ski, Alpina Racing, Sporthill Clothing, Swix, Pioneer Sports (Toko & XL1), R>J> Guiney & Associates, Rudy Project, and Nordic Equipment Incorporated. Thanks to all the racers for participating and to Gordon Opel for organizing this great event! See results and some great photos on the web page. More race photos are posted on the web page.

The MISSOULA NORDIC SKI CLUB is a nonprofit community group whose mission is to promote cross-country skiing in the Missoula area. The club maintains and operates the equipment used to groom the ski trails at Pattee Canyon Recreation Area—a service provided under a special agreement with the Lolo National Forest. Yearly membership fees are $15 Individual, $25 Family, $50 benefactor, $75 Business, $150 Corporate, and $1000 life. Send check to: Missoula Nordic Ski Club, P.O. Box 7354, Missoula, MT 59807.

Your tax-deductible membership fee will:

*Help support cross-country skiing and ski-trail grooming in Missoula

*Buy you a subscription to the club's newsletter, X-C MONTANA

*Allow you to take part in instructional clinics and other club activities.

CLUB OFFICERS and PROGRAM COORDINATORS

Tom Daer, President Kathy McGann, Secretary Diane & Jeff Brooks, Newsletter

Cary Larson, Vice President Dave Jones, Grooming coordinator Gordon Opel, Race director

Ed VanAelstyn, Treasurer Ross Miller, Equipment maintenance

Jim Buckley, Instruction Charlie Wellenstein, Fund raising

Inside This Issue

Treasurer’s Report

Ozone Pursuit Results