ASHAWA TRAIL SKI CLUB NEWS January 7, 2005 Dear Friends of the Ashawa Trail: As this is being written, the -30 temperatures of the past few mornings are giving way to more moderate temperatures and a forecast for a week of snow flurries. This is great news because there is already a favorable amount of snow depth providing a base for the trail system. The Wood Loop has actually been packed already and is open for skiing even though snow depths are not yet adequate for tracking. We are excited about the promise of additional snow which would allow our grooming crew to get out and prepare the three loop systems for skiing in the very near future. Club volunteers have been out on the loops clearing dead fall and brush from the trails and relocating the trail where necessary. One such area is at the beginning of the Wood Loop. When you pull into the Wood Loop parking lot, you will notice that the vista of the woods has changed. The private property owners, who generously allow us to maintain our parking lot and part of the trail on their land, found it necessary to have a stand of overly mature aspen trees harvested on the hill just west of the trail head. The hill, now "bald", provided an opportunity to create a new small loop with a view of Lake Vermilion and a great downhill run to the parking lot. The new "outbound" trail follows the base of the hill around to the north and west and the "inbound" trail climbs over it in an easterly direction. It is an interesting and fun addition to this popular loop. The Club has held two organizational meetings recently, the last one being on January 4th at the new Harvest Moon restaurant near the Ashawa Trail. President, Pat McDermott, reported on the condition of the loop trails and organized a work party to clear dead fall and brush from the Sunset Loop and Black Spruce Loop on Saturday, January 8th. Any Club member interested in volunteering for trail maintenance or grooming work should contact Pat McDermott at 218-666-2766. McDermott asked for a motion to authorize the purchase of a new chain saw capable of dealing with the large trees which often fall across the trail. He and Mike Wilson reported that they had been using their own chain saws which broke under heavy use. The purchase from Vermilion Small Engine in Cook was authorized. Treasurer, Lori Peetsch, reported on the Club's financial condition. There was $5792.73 in the checking account which is designated for operating expenses and a total of $2024.29 in savings accounts which is designated for the purchase and replacement of grooming and maintenance equipment. The social committee reported on upcoming events. The next event will be a ski outing followed by a "pot luck" social on Sunday, February 6th. Details will be posted on the Club's web site and in the local newspapers. A very encouraging number of new members turned out for the meeting. They asked many excellent questions which resulted in a lively discussion about the Club's long range goals, the need for an increased publicity effort, how to best grow the membership, the need for a year around events calendar and how to inspire enough volunteer help to accomplish all these things. New blood is always welcome in a volunteer organization. Trail Administrator, Dale Lundblad, reported that he will work to update and expand the content of the Club's web site in order to make it a more effective tool for communicating with members and those interested in using the trail system. The URL of the web site is: http://www.LakeVermilion.com/skitrail. Membership renewals were discussed along the rising cost of maintaining the trail and equipment. Please use the enclosed form to renew your membership today and donate to the groomer fund if you can. We need to purchase a heavy duty 10' X 12' trailer to haul the two snowmobiles and groomer on. Please include your e-mail address so we can communicate with you more effectively. Encourage friends and family members to join. Thank you for your support! See you on the trails!