Meissner Nordic Ski Club hosts cross country trail maintenance parties every year before it starts dumping snow. This year, the work parties are on Thursdays and Saturdays until the end of October. Volunteers are asked to be at the grooming shed at 9am to get going on trail projects.
The trails are located at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park, just 14 miles away from Bend. The Meissner Nordic club and the Forest Service maintain a total of 47 kilometers of trails. Meissner Nordic Ski Club is a volunteer-based organization, and the cross-country community relies on it for a smooth season of fresh tracks.
From cutting back brush to removing downed trees to removing rocks from the trails, there are many tasks. Before each work party, a few members scout the area to see which spots need the most attention.
Larry Katz has lived in Bend for over 26 years and has been an avid member of the Nordic skiing community in Central Oregon for a long time. Katz joined the Meissner Nordic Ski Club almost 12 years ago and has been on the board since 2011. Attendees can find him scouting trails and volunteering to make Central Oregon’s cross-country environment safe and steady for skiers.
Removing large hazards from the trail, like fallen trees, rocks and stumps are at the top of the priority list, but cutting back overgrown shrubbery is important in maintaining clean and open trails. Katz said that getting the edges of the trails cleaned up is important during low-snow years, so sno-cats can farm snow off the edges and drag it onto the trails.
“We need people to volunteer and to help maintain the trails,” Katz said. “It always makes me happy to see how many people come out and enjoy these trails during the season.”
Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy boots and bring working gloves. Hand tools and power tools will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own. Depending on volunteer numbers, the tools may be limited.
The Meissner Nordic club is also hosting its season kick-off party at 6pm on Nov. 7 at Embark Bend to get ready for the season. Grooming is planned to start on Dec. 1 and will continue through March.
Meissner Trail Maintenance Work Parties
Virginia Meissner Sno-Park
Thursdays and Saturdays through October, 9am
NF-4615, Bend
meissnernordic.org
This article appears in Source Weekly October 20, 2022.
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