Home
Web CAM
Laurel Ridge
Charlies Forecast
Ski Reports
PA Nordic Championship
Events
Gear Resale
Places to Ski
Membership
Lodging
Ski Post
Web Cam Fund
Volunteer
Links
Contact Us
 

Welcome to PACCSA Web Site. 

PACCSA Cross Country Skiing in Western Pennsylvania. 

 

       
 

 

Click for larger image

 WEB Cam

 Laurel Ridge State Park

X-C Ski Area

     

The 2008 Summer Biathlon season is upon us.

Email-Dennis McDonough denmcdough@hotmail.com if interested.
These are not PACCSA sponsored

 

  The first race is slated for April 19 at the Whitetail Preserve in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  This is the same venue which will host the 2008 Summer Biathlon National Championship and USA World Championship Team Trials July 18-20.

Below I?ve copied the most current schedule I have for this season. Obviously, there will be numerous additions to this schedule in the coming weeks as several race directors are still finalizing their calendar.  For current information, you can check out the United States Biathlon Association website at http://www.usbiathlon.org or the Pennsylvania Biathlon Club website at www.pabiathlon.org.



 I've attached to this email the entry invitation for the National Championship and World Championship Trials.  There is a lot of information included in this packet.  However, should you have any questions regarding this event, please feel free to contact me.  We in the Pennsylvania Biathlon Club look forward to hosting a great event in July and hope that you will be able to join us.





2008 SUMMER BIATHLON SCHEDULE

4/19, Whitetail Preserve, Black Creek Township, Luzerne County, PA
Frank Gaval
570-788-4219
 barbara@ccomm.com


 6/14, Harvard, MA
 Fred Benhold
 508-655-5902
muskellunge2@yahoo.com


7/5, Harvard, MA
 Fred Beihold
508-655-5902
 muskellunge2@yahoo.com



 7/12, West Yellowstone, MT
 Sara Hoovler
 599-4465
 randlesara@yahoo.com



 7/13, Bozeman, MT
 Steven Martinka
 406-949-3822
 steven.martinka@us.army.mil


 7/17 to 7/20, USBA National Championships & IBU World Championship Trials
Whitetail Preserve, Black Creek Township, Luzerne County, PA
Douglas Hoover
 814-832-2857
 hooverd@juniata.edu
 www.pabiathlon.org


8/2, Harvard, MA
 Fred Beihold
 508-655-5902
 muskellunge2@yahoo.com


 8/9, Oil City, PA
 John Sims
 814-354-2802
 mailto:pjam@venustel.com

 9/22 to 9/28, IBU Summer Biathlon World Championships
 Haute-Maurienne Vanoise, France
 http://www.biathlon-hautemaurienne.com

 Douglas E. Hoover
 Juniata College
 Track & Field and Cross Country
 1700 Moore Street
Huntingdon   PA   16652
Phone:  814-832-2857
Fax:  814-641-3508
 E-Mail:  hooverd@juniata.edu



 

 

 State Grant Work at Laurel Ridge State Park

 

As you may have read on this website, a grant was awarded by the state for improvements at Laurel Ridge State Park. Complete details of the grant will not be received  until later this spring or summer. The grant is for $100k, a percentage of which is PACCSA's responsibility, which will come from a combination of cash donations and volunteer trail work hours. The projects that the grant is to cover include the parking lot expansion, cable installation for a DSL line for improved transmission of the webcam/snow reports, and an extension of the Red trail at the Ridge.

At this point we are not sure how much of the work will be done in the summer/fall of 2008. It could even be postponed until 2009. However, PACCSA will be posting any updates or needs for volunteers on the web throughout the year. If you would like to be considered for the volunteer state grant work projects or just keep up to date one the projects, please click here to send us your name and e-mail address. You will receive e-mail updates throughout the year on the volunteer work projects.

 

 

The Cross Country Skiers' Responsibility Code

 

The following list of "rules" have been collected from numerous cross country venues....they are listed here as a reminder to all cross country skiers.


1. Always check posted trail conditions and obey all signs and posted warnings.
2. No pets on groomed trails (unless specific trails are so designated). They ruin tracks and are a hazard to other skiers.
3. Always maintain control of your speed and direction. Ski in such a manner that you can stop or avoid other skiers or hazards.
4. Ski within your abilities and time allowances.
5. Don't block intersections and avoid stopping in the middle of hills. Do not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible to others. Move off the trail quickly if you fall or during rest stops and equipment adjustments.. If you fall, fill in sitzmarks.
6. Move to the right to yield the track to a faster skier or to a skier coming downhill. On two-way trails, faster skiers and descending skiers have the right-of-way. To pass another skier, call "Track".
7. Always ski to the right when meeting on-coming skiers and when skiing on double track.
8. Don't walk in the set tracks or on the groomed trail. Keep to the side of the trail.
9. Don't litter - take out what you bring in.
10. Pay trail fees when applicable.
In case of an accident: place a pair of crossed skis in an "X" position close to the injured skier. Do not attempt to move them but ensure they're warm. Look around for trail markers, intersections or any distinguishing landmarks to aid in pin-pointing your location. If a cell phone is available, call for help and/or enlist the aid of a fellow skier. If skiing alone, ensure that others know your whereabouts.

 

 

VASA

 

Diane & Scott Rugh

Dave Helwig


North American VASA Races, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008

12K FREESTYLE (94 Skiers)
2nd M60-64   Richard Garstka - 1:00:59
5th  M55-59   David Jenkins - 1:07:11
2nd  F40-44   Naomi Jarvis - 1:17:20

12K CLASSIC (46 Skiers)
2nd F50-59     Diane Rugh -1:14:59
8th  F50-59     Terry Sitar - 1:29:49
3rd  M50-59    Dave Artis - 1:32:10
2nd F30-39     Linda Bollenbacher - 1:43:43

27K FREESTYLE  (188 skiers)
3rd M35-39     Jason Zimmerman - 1:36:11

50K CLASSIC (27 Skiers)

4th M50-59      Scott Rugh - 4:30:10
9th M50-59      William Speece - 5:14:19

50K FREESTYLE ( 133 Skiers)
2nd M40-44      Jim Samuels - 2:35:47
16th M50-54     Thomas Deljanovan - 3:22:12
15th M55-59     David Helwig - 4:05:25

Team PACCSA (R. Garstka, D. Jenkins, N. Jarvis) - 5th / 6 Teams - 3:25:30

Gran Travers 16K Classic Race
, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008
David Helwig - 1:29:55
 

 

 

 Hilltoppers from Ohio Nordic at Laurel Ridge

 

The Hilltoppers from Ohio Nordic took advantage of the trails Februaray 2nd and 3rd.

Although there was some ice falling from trees at times most of the trails maintained a decent base with two inches powder. They also did hold there races on Sunday.

If we have enough snow for the PA Nordic Championship races we will have the Children's races again on the 17th.

 

Children's 2k Race

2K Skate (race)

Clark, Jen 6:09

Apte, Sameer 6:16

Kozan, Chad 6:21

Cook, Olivia 6:34

Foley, Alex 7:07

Fuhr, Erin 7:39

Pulliam, Brooke 7:56

Brown, Allison 7:59

Apte, Gautum 8:07

Fuhr, Lauren 8:50

Marshall, Sasha 9:25

Wright, Gwen 12:26

 

2K – Skate (tour)

Schneider, Will 8:57

Nguyen, Annie 12:08

Schmidt, Courtney 12:21

Nguyen, Lillie 12:58

 

2K - Classic

Cameron Peters 11:53

Danielle Schmidt 11:57

Katie Nguyen 13:24

Will Turner 15:49

Michael Kramer 20:00

Audrey Huang* 21:39

Kara Schneider* 28:25

 

*Bunnyrabbits

 

 

 

 XC-Skiing lessons Article by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

 

Explore snowy trails in western PA with cross-country skis. Experience cross-country skiing as a form of winter exercise and recreation.  With PACCSA weatherman Charlie Becker.

Click here to view

 

 

PACCSA / FAY-PENN / DCNR GRANT APPLICATION APPROVED

by Rick Garstka

In April, 2007, PACCSA, in cooperation with the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) and Fay-Penn, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization from Fayette County assisted in the application for a DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program Grant. The federally funded grant would be used to help finance a cross country / hiking trail extension and improvement project at the Laurel Ridge State Park's Ski Center. The project consists of construction of a new trail (which will be an extension of the current Red Trail with more intermediate hills), expansion of the main parking lot, underground infrastructure extension (for the installation of a fiber optic DSL line for the WebCam), and the acquisition of equipment for trail improvement and maintenance.

I am proud to announce that the grant has been recently approved for the sum of $100,000. Additional information concerning the details of the grant will be provided when available, including the request for volunteers to assist in the work projects.

The Fay-Penn Economic Development Council is the official grant applicant, and the project will be administered as a partnership between Fay-Penn, Laurel Ridge State Park DCNR and PACCSA. The grant is an 80-20 grant, meaning that the partners are responsible for providing 20% ($20,000( of the total grant amount with matching funds comprised of cash and non-cash (volunteer work) contributions.

While much work is before us, I'd like to thank Mike Krajovic (president of Fay-Penn); now-retired Bob Hufman, former Park Operations Supervisor at the Laurel Hill State Park Complex; Bob Mazur, PACCSA's Webcam / Trail Work Coordinator, and Tina Wargo, Fay-Penn's Contract & Asset Manager for their contributions towards the grant's preparation..

 

First week in January Skiing at Laurel Ridge

 

More PIX

 

 

2008 Schedule of PACCSA Events

 

Jan. 19,20 (Sat., Sun.) – Free PACCSA Ski Lessons

Jan. 26 (Sat.) – PACCSA Nordic Picnic

Jan. 27 (Sun.) - Free PACCSA Ski Lessons

Feb. 2(Sat.) - Free PACCSA Ski Lessons

Feb. 3 (Sun.) – Pa. Nordic Championship Races

Feb. 7 – 12 (Thur. – Mon.) – PACCSA trip to VASA races in Traverse City, Mich.

Feb. 16 (Sat.) - Free PACCSA Ski Lessons

 

 
 

PACCSA President Selected To Serve On The PA. Recreational Trails Advisory Board

 

Rick Garstka, PACCSA president, has been selected to serve as the Pennsylvania Cross Country Skiing representative on the Pennsylvania Recreational Trails Advisory Board (PARTAB). The appointment is effective immediately and will expire on October 31, 2010.

 

PARTAB, along with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), is responsible for providing federal funding to communities throughout the Commonwealth to develop and improve trail opportunities for their residents.

 

 

   By PACCSA president Rick Garstka

                     garxcski@verizon.net

 

 
 

MIKE DIBERARDINIS, PA. SECRETARY OF DCNR, VISITS WITH PACCSA AND FAY-PENN AT THE LAUREL RIDGE XC CENTER

Michael Diberardinis, the PA. Secretary of the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR), recently made the trip from Harrisburg, PA and paid a visit to the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center to meet with representatives from the Fay-Penn Economic Development Group and PACCSA.  On Tuesday, May 1, 2007,  Mr. Diberardinis , who was joined by a large group that included  Cindy Dunn, Director of the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation; Kathy Frankel, DCNR-BRC  – Pittsburgh Regional Office; Tracy Stack, DCNR – Pittsburgh Regional Office; David Woodwell, Western PA (Pgh) Vice-President of the PA Environmental Council; Anna Breinich, also from the PA Environmental Council; Ted Eubanks, Austin, TX; Frances  Stein, DCNR State Parks, Region 2 Office; John Hallas, DCNR Ohiopyle State Park; Douglas Finger, DCNR Linn Run State Park; and Jim Juran, DCNR Laurel Hill Complex, made time in his busy schedule for a tour of the Laurel Ridge area and afterwards a viewing of a short PACCSA presentation.

Bob Mazur, PACCSA’s trail-clearing and webcam coordinator, prepared the slideshow and pass-outs for the presentation and handled the spokesman duties. Rick Garstka, PACCSA’s president, and Mike Krajovic, president of the Fay-Penn Economic Development Group, offered their assistance. The presentation focused on PACCSA’s long-time involvement at the Laurel Ridge Ski Center, its well-established working relationship with the DCNR, the improvements (including the trail work) at the Ski Center, and the recent  Fay-Penn/PACCSA/DCNR application for a DCNR state grant for trail extension and parking lot enlargement work.

The group is shown below standing in front of the garage area of the warming hut at the Ridge.



 PACCSA WEBCAM / TRAIL DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION

 

PACCSA, in cooperation with the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) and Fay-Penn, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization from Fayette County, has recently assisted in the application for a DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program Grant in the amount of $114,500. The federally funded grant will be used to help finance a cross country / hiking trail extension and improvement project at the Laurel Ridge State Park's Ski Center. The project consists of construction of a new trail (which will be an extension of the current Red Trail with more intermediate hills), expansion of the main parking lot, underground infrastructure extension (for the installation of a fiber optic DSL line for the WebCam), and the acquisition of equipment for trail improvement and maintenance.

 

The Fay-Penn Economic Development Council is the official grant applicant, and the project will be administered as a partnership between Fay-Penn, Laurel Ridge State Park DCNR and PACCSA. The grant is an 80-20 grant, meaning that the partners are responsible for providing 20% of the total grant amount with matching funds comprised of cash and non-cash (volunteer work) contributions. PACCSA's match commitment to support this project will be in the amount of $21,660, distributed thusly:

 

General Labor  - Red Trail Construction:               305 hrs. @ $12.00/hr:        $ 3,660

General Labor – Parking Lot Expansion:               100 hrs. @ $12.00/hr:        $ 1,200

Chainsaw Operator  - Clearing & Grubbing:           105 hrs. @ $22.00/hr:        $ 2,300

Backhoe and Operator – Red Trail Construc:          300 hrs. @ $35.00/hr:       $10,500

Cash Donation:                                                                                               $ 4 ,000

                                                                                                      Total:      $  21,660

 

Because the grant application had to meet the submittal cutoff date of April 13, 2007, much preparation was needed to be completed in a very short period of time (about two weeks). I'd personally like to thank Mike Krajovic (former PACCSA president and current president of Fay-Penn), without whom this grant application wouldn't have been possible; Bob Hufman, Park Operations Supervisor at the Laurel Hill State Park Complex; Bob Mazur, PACCSA's Webcam / Trail Work Coordinator, and especially Tina Wargo, Fay-Penn's Contract & Asset Manager, who collected all pertinent information, prepared and coordinated the voluminous grant application. She did a super job!

 

Now, we must wait until September to find out if the State approves the application. Stay tuned for the result!!


  

 

WEB CAM

  Thanks for all the WEB CAM/Trail donations you have made.  These funds will be used to operate/maintain/upgrade the CAM as well as  trail improvements and possibly help with the installation of the DSL line.

The problem is the cam is on a phone modem and the phone company said the Concession phone line near the end of the line so is not too reliable. I look at the web site and pictures are only half downloading then modem hangs up because of noise. The modem is new. The ranger that lives down the road has the same service and he said he gets kicked off all the time too. I notice when its icy out near freezing its worse. Been like this every year. So that is why the pix are not every hour sometimes. The fix is DSL which phone company said should be available in summer because they plan on pulling fiber up the road. Then there will be no problem if we subscribe to it. Part of the grant is for digging the line from road to concession for the DSL line. There will be some other benefits if we get DSL next season that I can get into later. Of course we have to hope phone company does pull fiber up the road like they say they are, if they do not there are some other possibilities we are working on with the park. Anyway its good enough to get us through this season

 

Trail Work

Laurel Ridge State Park Summer 2007

Work was done on the Red trail replacing clogged drains, covering rock, improving drainage in problem areas, and widen a few places. We do not have a lot of dirt for leveling the trail so each year the dirt settles a little less around the rocks and we get o more level trail.

Some new drains were added out past the field on the Orange trail where have been trying to dry up the trail more year by year.

The Garstka loop at the top of the first hill off the Red trail was changed along with leveling some, widen in some places, and lengthen a little. The loop now will be combined with the green trails across from the Garstka loop. This will make for easier grooming as well as on continuous level loop that will be good for skating and classical.

 

Widen at 2k on Red Trail

 

Widen at 1k Red trail

 

Pix 2006

 

 


 

SKI Trips

 

If you want to post any group ski trips you are planning throughout the winter or want to post any pictures or write-up of ski trip you took this winter e-mail us and we will post.

 

 

PACCSA SKI SUIT UPDATE.....March 25, 2007

Three PACCSA suits and 20 hats are still available for purchase.

Call Rick Garstka if interested at 412-462-7493 or send an email to garxcski@verizon.net

 

 
 

WARMING HUT

   

 

The warming hut is now locked and except for the trail clear  will not open daily till buck season is over in mid December. If we get an early snow there is a possibility someone could be there with key.

 

Some Additional Information on the Warming Hut:

 The building (which houses a bathroom) will be open during the week starting mid December till the end of March for any skier using the Laurel Ridge trail system. While PACCSA members will oversee the general maintenance and overall condition of the building during ski season, there are several responsibilities that the week-day skiers must assume......

 

 WOOD-BURNING STOVE- Inside the building is a wood-burning stove, and a bin of firewood is located just outside the main doorway. Filling the stove with wood and starting a fire will be the skiers' responsibility. Please remember to keep door closed on wood burner. (It might not be a bad idea to keep some extra matches in your car or jacket pocket if you're going to ski during the week). Ok to leave stove burning when you leave, again just make sure door in closed on the stove.

 

WAX BENCH Any skier may use the waxing bench / waxing iron in the new building. However, to ensure that the iron is TURNED OFF and the PLUG PULLED from the electrical outlet after it has been used. The receptacle on the waxing bench is controlled by a manual timer as an added safety feature. Also, clean up any loose wax, papers, containers, etc. that has accumulated on and around the bench with vacuum under table.

 

TRAIL FEES- There is no fee for trail utilization during days when the main concession is closed (generally Monday through Thursday). However, when the concession is open (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and Christmas break), please make sure that you remember to pay your trail fee at the main concession. Trail grooming will be performed when the concession is open, as in previous years.

 

GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THIS BUILDING & BATHROOM- It is the skiers' responsibility to keep the room clean, with trash placed in the supplied receptacles, and everything in its place when you leave. The Park does not clean this building; Skiers are responsible for cleaning the floor and bathroom. So please pickup after you’re self. Any sweeping of the floor by anyone would be appreciated. Lights/Bathroom door The main light in the skier’s room will turn off automatically so no need to turn it off. Please make sure all outside lights are turned off when you leave, as they do not turn off automatically. Also make sure the bathroom door is closed when you leave.  When Warming Hut not to be used The Park closes at dusk and warming hut is not to be used after dusk. Also the warming hut is not to be used after 5pm on the days the concession is open.  Thanks for you’re cooperation

Also would be help if skiers brought firewood in from outside when the bin is low. The wood is a little damp if put in stove directly from outside.

 

PACCSA

 

Note: Any help in cleaning of the building & bathroom inside or outside is very much needed in order for us to keep access of this building open during ski season. Mainly need trash picked up and floors kept clean.

 

PACCSA Purchases G2 Tidd Tech Tracksetter

 Because of the generous donations to PACCSA's Webcam / Trail Improvement Fund, PACCSA was able to recently acquire a new Tidd Tech G2 Tracksetter at a cost of $1383.45. The G2 tracksetter, which sets tracks for diagonal striders, will be used with the Generation 2 Tidd Tech groomer presently in use at Laurel Ridge. Now, both striders and skaters will have state-of-the-art grooming equipment to prepare the trails at Laurel Ridge. Technically speaking, the tracksetter is close-coupled and semi-rigidly attached to the rear of the groomer's compaction bed. An electric actuator applies up to 200 lbs. of down pressure through two constant-pressure gas-filled cylinders. Because of the G2 tracksetter's unique attachment design, this down pressure is applied much more effectively than conventional designs that let the tracksetter float on a center pivot. The stability and efficient application of down pressure allow the G2 to set track at much higher speeds than a conventional machine. The Tracksetter is easily positioned anywhere across the width of the G2 groomer without tools. The track cutter (which sets the tracks) is a pair of 45 deg. angled teeth which are highly resistant to collecting debris, yet provide good protection for the track shoes in low snow conditions.

 

Hit Counter