Happy Holidays!

The good news is that the bridge did not wash out, and I got the trails mowed. 

The bad news is that we need a lot of snow.  It is trying to snow today.  6" would be nice. 

I will update the blog before our first practice.

You can still sign up.  I am pretty sure that Winter will arrive at some point.

Not too late to sign up

We still have spots available, and also rental gear.  Just text or call me at 608-485-0876.  We can arrange a time to meet at my house and get the skiers sized up.  You can sign up and take the skis/boots/poles home.  Now we just need some snow.

Info & Sign-Up Night Details

Info & Sign-Up Night will be Monday, December 16th from 5:00 - 6:30pm.  It will be in the Cafetorium at Viroqua Elementary School.  I will give a short presentation at 5:00, then you can fill out the paperwork and get sized up for ski equipment (if you are renting gear).  Cost is $50 for the lessons, and an additional $50 to rent gear (for the season).

Practices will be Mondays in January (6, 13, 20 and 27) and February (3, 10, 17 and 24).  Skiers from 6 - 18 years old are welcome.  No experience is necessary.  We combine skiers in groups of similar age/ability levels and keep the group size to 10 or fewer.  Depending on how many kids sign up, we may need additional coaches.  Let me know if you are interested at Sign-Up Night.

Practices will be down at Timber Coulee, at the Westby Rod & Gun Club on County Road P.
See you soon, and start doing your snow dance!

Info and Sign-Up Night Monday Dec 16th

We will have the Information and Sign-Up Night on Monday, Dec 16th, from 5:00 - 6:30pm.  I'm waiting for confirmation on the location.  I will update as soon as I get the location finalized.

Practices will be at Timber Coulee again this year; Mondays in January and February from 3:45 - 5:00pm.  Fees will be the same as last year; $50 for the lessons and an additional $50 if you want to rent gear.

Sorry for the delay; I've been swamped lately.  But I'm looking forward to snow and skiing with you.

2020 Season Approaching

I am getting excited to ski again.  It looks like we might have a nice Winter this year.

We will have practices on Mondays in January and February from 3:45 - 5:00.  We will probably ski at the Rod & Gun Club in Timber Coulee again this year.  I am exploring another venue and will let you know which site works out best.

Sign up night will be Monday, December 16th.  Stay tuned for details.

That's a wrap, folks! Return gear to Bluedog.

Thanks everyone for another fun year of skiing.  I was happy that we had pretty good conditions this winter and I had fun skiing with everyone.  Thanks for your help and we'll be back next year.

Please return your rental gear to Bluedog ASAP so they can put it away for the season.

Still some snow!

...so I groomed today.  Conditions might be good or not-so-good by Monday afternoon, but there is still plenty of snow.  If you feel like skiing, I'll be down there at 3:45.

Stay tuned...

I'm going to check out the conditions at Timber Coulee for a possible practice on Monday.
I will update the blog late Sunday.

One Last Hurrah!

There is a big meltdown coming next week, so I think we should have one last practice on Monday. 
I can not be there on Monday, and I would like it if one or two parents could help by cooking the hotdogs, etc.

I will groom the trails on Sunday and drop off my grill, charcoal, etc at the Rod & Gun Club. 
Let me know who can cook the hotdogs, and I will get them to you this weekend.  Dan - 485-0876.
Thanks for another fun year!

Bundle up and ski Monday

It's going to be chilly, but I think we should ski.  Might as well enjoy the good snow while we have it.  Coach Dominic is out of town, so we will probably just split into 2 groups.

Keep an eye on the weather; practice is always optional.  We will save the hot dogs for a warmer day... maybe next week.

Great conditions at Timber Coulee

Thanks to Chris Jackson for loaning us his snowmobile while ours in the shop.  I got the trails groomed up today.  I set track down by Rod & Gun, but didn't have time to set track on the DNR land (just packed a skate deck).  It should all set up nicely tonight and be great skiing this weekend.  I hope you get out and enjoy it.

They have gobs of snow up at Porcupine Mountain, in case you were curious.

UPDATE: PRACTICE CANCELED

Temps are supposed to be in the single digits, with wind chill below zero.

Plus, the trails will be blown-out from the wind.

See you next Monday.

Rain?!? then Snow then Cold

I will try to groom on Sunday, and then it will be windy Sunday night.  It will be cold on Monday.  Practice will be optional; check the weather and come down if you feel hardy.

I have hot dogs from Organic Valley, but we will wait for a warmer day to have a cook out.  I think we will still be able to ski again a week from now.

Fresh snow

Come and get some fresh powder on Monday!  The snow and grooming are so fresh that conditions might be a little soft.  But I'm not complaining.

Skating on Monday (older kids)

We didn't get enough new snow to groom on Friday, but it should snow again on Sunday.  I plan to groom Sunday afternoon. 
I will bring the skis and longer poles (Dan and Dominic's groups) to practice on Monday.  See you then!

Melt down

Bring your skis; hopefully there will still be enough snow left to slide around.  You might want to throw in your hiking boots also, just in case there is not enough snow left.

The weather looks nasty, so dress accordingly.  See you Monday!

All groomed up

I groomed the trails Thursday evening, so they should be in great shape on Friday.  I hope you can get out and ski this weekend.  Watch the weather - there is supposed to be a thaw coming. 

It will be best to get out early in the morning before the tracks soften up.  Grooming is usually not done when the temps are above freezing, since it can destroy the snow.  Same with skiers... be mindful that you don't go when its too warm and leave deep ruts.  I won't be able to groom again until after it cools off (Tuesday?)

Also, there is the Ski Jump Tournament at Snowflake this weekend.  It will be busy down there, parking may be limited, etc.  Keep your head up and stay out of their way.

Practice today (if you can make it)

I will try to groom before practice.  The tracks will be soft.

I don't know what the roads (and parking area) will be like.  Come if you can, and we'll go skiing.

The Good, The Bad and The Snowy

Good news: TC is groomed up nicely (the upper field is still a little thin in places).  There is more snow in the forecast. 

Bad News: Depending on the timing and amount of snow on Sunday night/Monday, it may be difficult to drive down for practice on Monday.  I suggest you bundle up and get out this weekend, just in case we have to skip practice on Monday.  Then it gets really cold.

Snow News: More is coming.  Get your Pepsi.

Bundle up and come out for practice

Check the weather forecast and dress warmly, with lots of layers.  Face masks and mittens may be the way to go today.  The building will be open at 3:45 if anyone needs to go inside and warm up.

Practices are always optional.  With the unpredictable nature of winters lately, I think we should take advantage of every chance we get to ski, even if the conditions are marginal.  More snow is in the forecast!

Bring your skis!

There should be some nice hard tracks on Monday.  Conditions are "pretty good"; the upper loop could use a little more snow to level it out.  Please stay off the tracks today (Saturday).  You are welcome to go ski on Sunday, once the tracks have had time to set up overnight.

Please do not ski across either bridge - you will damage your skis.  Watch out for grass and dirt, too... that will get stuck in your grip tape and make your skis slow.  But you should get out and enjoy the new snow!  See you Monday.

Another Dryland Practice

The older kids (Dan's and Dominic's groups) should bring their poles and wear sneakers or hiking boots again.  We will do a little hill bounding and check out the trails up the valley.  I also need some help moving a few logs around, so dress appropriately.  Polar Bears will have agility course and games.  See you Monday.

Bring your skis!

There is currently enough snow to make it work.  But it is supposed to rain tonight.  So bring your boots, too.  Rubber boots/rain boots might be the best bet in case it gets really sloshy out there.  See you tomorrow.

Shoes or skis?

I will update the blog on Sunday afternoon regarding the first practice.  You probably won't get an email until Monday, so just check the blog on Sunday evening.

With rain in the forecast, I am betting we will have "dryland practice" on Monday.  Wear some clothes that you can be active in, and some old sneakers or light hiking boots.  Bring your ski poles.

Here is an opossum for good luck:

Check the blog Sunday evening and keep doing your snow dances.

Happy New Year!

Winter is trying to return (after taking vacation in December).  The surprise snow is very welcome.  I packed it down for a base, but we will need a little more to set tracks.  Hopefully it doesn't get too warm later in the week.  More snow may be on the way early next week.

I'll update the blog on Sunday in terms of what to expect for the first practice.
Get your skis this week since Bluedog is closed on Mondays.