JHSC Club and Community Nordic Update
Happenings of the JHSC Nordic Program, Trail Creek Nordic Center, and Local Nordic Community
Welcome to the December Edition of “What’s Going On” for the 2023-2024 season!
Thanks for reading the December edition of the Nordic News. This monthly post attempts to cover not only the happenings of the JHSC Nordic program, but also what’s happening at Trail Creek Nordic Center, as well as the happenings of the larger Nordic skiing community.
For newcomers, some clarifications might be in order! First off, the JHSC Nordic Programs are:
- Lollipoppers Grades K-1 January 3 - March 13, 2024
- Teewinots Grades 2-3 January 3 - March 13, 2024
- Devos Grades 4-5 October 30, 2023 – March 13, 2024
- Juniors Grades 6-8 October 2, 2023 – March 15, 2024
- Prep/Comp Grades 9-12 June 19, 2023 – March 30 2024
- JHSC Masters December 14, 2023 – February 22, 2024
More information can be found about the teams at the jhskiclub.org.
The Coombs Foundation sponsors the Ositos Youth Nordic program that skis at Trail Creek after the first of the year.
The Jackson Hole High School Nordic program also skis and races at Trail Creek throughout their season.
Finally, the public is welcome to ski at Trail Creek as well. This year, day passes are $20, an individual season pass is $325, and a family season pass is $550. Passes can be purchased at the Trail Creek web page.
In general, those looking for a quiet ski and plenty of parking will find weekday mornings are a good bet. Alternatively, for those wanting to see lots of kids having a fantastic time on Nordic skis and who do not mind parking a ways away, weekday afternoons are a sure opportunity.
JHSC Nordic is up and running like a locomotive with a full head of steam! The Prep/Comp, Junior, and Devo Teams are already training for the winter ahead, and Teewinots will start training in the near future. More are enrolled in the Nordic program than ever before - almost 250 athletes!
Due to strong community demand, extra programming days have been added this season for Teewinots and Lollipoppers, and preparations are busily being made for a great season. Lease equipment pickup, sweatshirt ordering, and much more are underway!
Training camp was held over Thanksgiving Break on Togwotee Pass for the Prep/Comp and Junior Teams. Dozens of local kids got on snow before almost anyone else in the country! We were really lucky to have snow and skiing when almost all of the country did not.
December marks the transition from summer to winter, and all of our high school and middle school aged athletes have put in countless hours of training to be the best they can be! We are looking forward to the winter ahead, which is packed with events, including the Winter Carnival at Snow King on December 22nd, the Betty Woolsey Classic on December 23rd, and the Johnny Curtis Memorial Junior National Qualifier at Trail Creek on January 13-14! More event information will be forthcoming, but we are really looking forward to seeing many community members out on snow this winter. Now it just needs to snow some more and we will be skiing at Trail Creek before we know it! THINK SNOW!
Will Wicherski
Nordic Program Director
Lollipoppers, Teewinots, and Ositos
Our smallest skiers won’t be at Trail Creek until after Christmas, but see details at the JHSC Nordic webpage.
Devos
Coach Kaya Morelli has been working hard with the Devos on dryland training since late October. The fourth and fifth grade Devos are at the developmental stage where racing starts to become serious, but they also have a lot of fun doing crazy things that hardly seem possible on skis. A sighting of this group cruising around Trail Creek is always entertaining!
Junior Team
Excitement Builds as Junior Nordic Gears Up for the Season!
As the winter chill settles in, our Junior Nordic Ski Team has been diligently hitting the trails, eager for a thrilling new season! Our dedicated young athletes have been lacing up their boots and sneakers and fine-tuning their techniques, preparing for the snowy adventures that lie ahead.
This year, our dynamic group of skiers has grown stronger and more enthusiastic than ever. With each glide and stride, our athletes are not only building endurance but also forging friendships and a shared passion for the exhilarating world of cross-country skiing.
As we anticipate the upcoming season, we can't help but celebrate the camaraderie and determination that defines our Junior Nordic Ski Team. Our coaches and young athletes alike have been putting in the hard work, and we are confident that this season will be one for the record books.
Get ready for a winter filled with frosty fun, skill-building, and the joy of speeding down the trails with a fantastic group of fellow Nordic enthusiasts. We can't wait to hit the snow-covered landscapes together and make this season unforgettable for our Junior Nordic family!
Stay tuned for more updates and announcements as we embark on this snowy journey together. Let the countdown to an epic skiing season begin! ❄
Cheers,
George Cartwright
Junior Nordic Team Head Coach
Comp/Prep Teams
The Prep/Comp Team just returned from our annual Thanksgiving training camp. Thanks to Turpin Meadow Ranch for hosting us while we trained, slept, played, and ate delicious food for 8 days! Coach Jon Filardo played a huge role in facilitating the grooming of our ski terrain off of Togwotee Pass, where we were able to find excellent skiing conditions.
Camp consisted of at least one ski session each day, with either a run around Turpin Meadow Ranch or a second ski up on the pass in the afternoon. The team participated in a 5k skate time trial effort where every athlete demonstrated strong improvement in their ski technique and really showed all the time and hard work they have been putting in throughout the summer and fall!
We got to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast at the ranch with many of our team families, and it was a great way to celebrate the holiday and the start of the winter season. We are now back home, recovering from the big training camp and setting our sights on the first races of the season at the IMD Opener in West Yellowstone, MT, on Dec. 16-17. While it hasn't snowed enough to ski on our home trails yet, we are making the most of our valuable resources by doing some dryland and going up to ski on Togwotee to get some time on snow. Cheers to the start of winter, think snow!
Luna Wasson
Head Nordic Coach
Let it snow!
Perhaps we got a little spoiled last year, with skiable snow arriving mid-November. This year is a bit of a reality check, as we await skiable snow with December drawing near. Early season storms whetted the appetite, and the roller made a maiden voyage in the fields, but the official snow tally as of report time is just a few inches on the ground. The forecast for early December, however, looks promising!
Trail Creek is in great shape this year, with the big news of the procurement of a new Ski Doo snowmobile that will allow the grooming game to get it on as soon as the white stuff does arrive. The Husky has returned from its summer spa at Prinoth in Salt Lake City, and is rejuvenated and ready to roll when the snow gets deep enough.
The race schedule is busy at Trail Creek again this winter, kicking off with the Betty Woolsey Classic Race on December 23rd. Next is a 3-day combined IMD Qualifier/ Wyoming High School Race on January 12-14. Mark your calendars for the Moose Chase on February 17th and the Skinny Skis Finale on March 17th. Wrapping up the season, and new this year, is the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) Spring Series Race March 30-April 1st. In total, eight days of racing and a lot to look forward to!
On the wildlife front, which is such a huge part of skiing at Trail Creek; the lack of snow has kept things pretty quiet in the fields and woods. Thus far no moose have been sighted, but there has been sign of elk activity. The greatest entertainment has been provided by our resident fox, who is quite habituated to humans and has been seen at close range working hard, successfully mousing around the field.
REMEMBER to get your passes purchased (at the Trail Creek Page) so you’re ready to jump on the snow as soon as it falls. It’s going to be a great Nordic year!
Youth racing kicks into high gear in December with IMD racers heading to West Yellowstone, MT December 15-17 for the IMD Opener. Wyoming High School racing happens December 8-9 at Laramie, and December 15-16 at Casper.
Masters have plenty of opportunities as well in December with the JHSC Masters Clinics on Thursdays beginning December 14th, and the Betty Woolsey Classic Race at Trail Creek on December 23rd.
In short, there is no lack of opportunity to ski or spectate in the busy month ahead, so get those skis waxed and be ready to keep on skiing! Click here or on the image below to go to the full calendar, complete with clickable links.
Thanks so much to the skiers and sponsors who make this all possible, with an extra special thanks to our season pass holders!
Thanks to our amazing staff!
Thank you to the multitude of youth athletes, for your dedication and support. This program is for you!
A special thanks to Jackson Hole Nordic for being a strong supporter of our programs.
