News archive

Rollerskier meetup 9am Saturday 24 May, Jail trail/Eliza furnace trail, Pittsburgh. Let us know if you'd like to join us, or join our email list.

Check out our rollerskiing page! 

On Saturday, February 15th, skiers from PACCSA's Yellowjackets youth program traveled up to Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA to participate in the "Wildcat Dash" kid's races.  It was a great day of competition in a storm that made the Wilderness Lodge trails look like a beautiful snow globe.  The Yellowjackets team in particular had a fantastic day with lots of podium finishes!  Click this article for more information and results!!

Saturday, February 22 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Laurel Summit Nordic Ski Patrol warming hut on Laurel Summit Road.   

Check out an assortment of lightly used outdoor gear at Yard Sale prices, proceeds going to Laurel Summit Nordic Ski Patrol.

Borah have opened a clothing store for us until midnight on Feb 16th.  We have met the minimum requirement for all of the items in the store, so if you would like just one jacket or one hat or anything else, go ahead and place your order.  The orders received will be batched for the first open ship date in Borah's production schedule.  There are sketches of the items on the store website.

This bunch of skiers enjoyed the group outing at Laurel Mountain this morning.  Many thanks to the groomers for getting interstate and loop trails into such nice condition. 

Unfortunately there are several long stretches of trail (Towhee and Lippo's Loop) where the snowpack has been washed away by water sitting or flowing underneath the snowpack, or flowing along the trail beside the snowpack (click here to see examples).  It's not possible to make a continuous loop for the race course without going off trail through the trees, and the trail isn't wide enough to make an out-and-back.  It seems unlikely that it could be fixed by moving chunks of snowpack from the woods onto the trail.  The race has been cancelled, and we're not going to use the backup date as the forecast is bad midweek.  

The skiing is pretty good on the parts of trail that are not affected by the washouts.  The surface is a little powder over a thick crust over denser stuff.  If you would like to join in some fun group activity tomorrow (Feb 2), meet at the warming hut in time to start skiing at 9:30am.  Pay attention to where you walk on Summit Rd, as it is icy beneath the snow.  We will be selling Kind-a-hard (to-plan-a-race-these-days) t-shirts and go for a group ski; if there are enough of us we might do something like a short relay on part of interstate, just for fun.   Please let us know if you might join.      

We will decide by noon on Saturday Feb 1st whether to go ahead with the race.  It's likely that we will need to do some trail repairs in the traditional manner by moving snow onto the trail with shovels.  If so, the work party will meet at 2pm on Saturday at the warming hut, and will ski out to the problem spots.  If you are able to help, please let us know.  If we do have to cancel the race, we will issue refunds to those registered, but also arrange an alternative low-key fun ski activity that uses the trails in be

Locust Camp Road is a designated snowmobile trail that should only be used by snowmobiles in the winter months.  DCNR Forbes State Forest has a brochure listing which trails are available to which users linked to this page - look for 'Winter Trail Etiquette Brochure (PDF)' in the Snowmobile Trail Maps section. Thank you!

There's still time to join the PA Nordic Challenge!  The challenge itself is to complete 8 or more cross-country ski-themed training sessions of at least 30 minutes each, during the key winter months of January and February, consistently exercising throughout the winter, as no more than two sessions per week count towards the challenge, to win a small prize.  See the challenge page for more details - sign up before February!

There are a few spots left in this morning's 11am group lesson at Laurel Ridge. Click here to register.   General information on PACCSA ski lessons is linked here. To receive notifications when more lessons are announced, make an eventbrite account and follow PACCSA there.   

Happy new year!

Yes, we have a new snowmobile!  It's still at the dealer's, waiting for one last modification, but it's ours.  Thank you for your help!

Yes, the nordic challenge is back again for 2025. 

Yes, we are teaching group lessons again.    

Yes, we are planning to hold a race on Feb 2nd/9th.  Ski races are a lot of fun!  If you are able to help, please let us know.  

On Dec 28th we sent an email to PACCSA members, containing the latest newsletter and a fun social media survey.  If you cannot find it, check your spam folder.

For the past 15 years, PACCSA has been teaching children how to cross-country ski through the Yellowjackets youth development program.  Kids between the ages of 5 and 16 can take advantage of the program, which teaches skiing skills through fun activities and games.   Skill sessions are held on most Saturdays in January and February at the Laurel Ridge State Park XC Skiing Center.  Experienced coaches guide beginners through basic skills such as falling and rising, diagonal stride skiing, turning, and hill-climbing techniques.  Older kids will learn more advanced skills, including the skating technique.  Fun competition opportunities are also available with neighboring youth programs in Erie and Cleveland.

Registration for the Yellowjackets is open NOW!  The program fee is very reasonable ($40 for ages 5-6, $50 for ages 7-16) and includes a Yellowjackets team hat, an instructional workbook with stickers, and hot chocolate after each session.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! Registration closes on January 2nd, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to introduce your children to the joys of cross-country skiing!    

The 2025 Kind-a-hard classic cross country ski race has been cancelled due to multiple wash-outs on Lippo's Loop and Towhee trails. 

Thanks to the volunteers from PACCSA and Ski Patrol who removed hundreds of sticks from the trails at Laurel Mountain on December 8th. We were unsure how long the skiing would last that day, it was pretty good right up until we stopped mid-afternoon. 

Let's meet at the warming hut at 10am on Sunday 8th December to ski, snowshoe or hike, depending on the trail conditions, and remove sticks from the trails, .  Kind-a-hard shirt distribution will also happen at 10am.  Optional: bring packed lunch to eat in the hut afterwards.  Update: it looks like skiing will be best earlier in the morning.. There are a multitude of small fallen sticks and branches, the trails are still skiable.

We made our goal!  On the same day, our existing snowmobile broke (maybe the alternator, we're not sure yet), so if you were thinking about donating but haven't got around to it yet, your contribution will still be very welcome. Here's the link. 



Thank you to everyone who has already contributed!

To celebrate the wild and wonderful Kind-a-hard races of years gone by, and to raise money to continue grooming Laurel Mountain's trails in the future, we are selling a limited number of these lovely tee-shirts for a short time.  These shirts are soft, lightweight and have an awesome design.  They are on sale NOW until Dec 7th.  Click here for details.   

We need another $1,293 to reach our matching incentive.

Click here to donate.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

The snowmobile fundraising has had a great start.  With the grant and donations received so far, we just need another $1,692 to reach our matching incentive that will bring the total up to the funding goal. 
Click here to donate.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Update: The trail clear planned for Sunday 24 November is cancelled.  Enjoy the snow! 

PACCSA members, check your email for a discount code for tickets to the Allegheny Sport + Outdoor Film Festival 2024. The afternoon session on Saturday 2nd November includes 'Freeland - A White Grass Story'. The email was sent at 10am on 25 October. If you did not receive it, contact us (check your spam folder first). 

The PACCSA board is delighted to announce that we have secured a grant of $14,000 from the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation towards the purchase of a new snowmobile to replace the one that we have been using since 2014, grooming the cross-country ski trails at Laurel Mountain (Forbes State Forest) for the public to enjoy free of charge.  During recent years our snowmobile has been showing signs of its age, its maintenance needs are increasing and it is becoming less reliable.  

We have a new snowmobile on order already, as the order and delivery process takes months, and we do not want to find ourselves unable to groom the trails due to machinery issues.  We plan to keep our original snowmobile in use until its maintenance and repair costs become unmanageable.

We need to find another $5,000 to finance the purchase.  One very generous PACCSA member has kindly pledged to provide $1,000 as a matching incentive if we can raise $4,000 before the end of 2024.  Please consider making a donation to PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Grooming Project today, when you renew your membership before the start of the next ski season, and when you make end-of-year donations.  As PACCSA is a 501(c)(3) organization, your donation to PACCSA can be included in your tax deductions.  

We are most grateful to the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, and to the dedicated individual who will provide the donor incentive funds. 

PACCSA members are invited to join the Board of Directors for the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 21 November at 6:30pm.  The meeting will be held online using zoom - invitations were emailed at 10am on 25 October and at 10pm on 17 November. If you did not receive one, contact us (check your spam folder first). 

On Saturday 28 September, we'll meet at 9am at the Laurel Mountain warming hut and work until 2pm on a few projects, including some armoring on Spruce Run and maybe Towhee, and restocking firewood.  There will also be opportunities for brush back work on other trails. 

 

If you can attend, please:

• Register as a DCNR conservation volunteer, if you haven't already
• RSVP to Travis Blankenbicker, Recreation Forester
• Meet at 9am at the Laurel Mountain warming hut.

Just a few photos from the picnic.  The weather was great, we enjoyed hiking, talking, eating, and sitting in the shade on a warm day with a very light breeze.   Our next group activity will be the LMVG workday on September 28th. 

Several of us from PACCSA helped out at the Laurel Mt Volunteer Group work day at Roaring Run on Saturday 27 July 2024, clearing a lot of greenbriar from Birch Rock trail.  The next LMVG day will be on September 28th, at Laurel Mountain.

We'll be holding our summer picnic at Laurel Hill State Park on Sunday August 25th. 

Members - please RSVP using the link in the email sent out on July 20th (and again on August 24th).

On Saturday 27 July, from 9am - 2pm, we will be clearing the S Loop and Birch Rock trails in Roaring Run, using power trimmers, leaf blowers, loppers and rakes. 

If you can attend, please:

• Register as a DCNR volunteer
• RSVP to Travis Blankenbicker, Recreation Forester
• Wear long clothes, boots, sunhat/hardhat & gloves
• Pack lunch, water, bug spray, sunblock, eye & hearing protection
• Meet at 9am in the North Woods snowmobile parking lot off PA31. 

We will meet at 9:30 am, at the Warming Hut on Laurel Summit Road.  

We will be re-armoring the flat section of Spruce Run on top of the ridge where it connects to Towhee Trail, and we also need to install a few water bars on the steeper section of the trail. 

Wear long pants, boots, leather gloves, hat or hardhat, eye protection, and ear protection. Please pack a container for water, and bring snacks or a lunch and sunblock.  Also, please register as a DCNR conservation volunteer if you have not already done so.

2024 Trail Maintenance Dates are:

• Saturday June 8 at Laurel Mtn
• Saturday July 27 at Northwoods/Roaring Run
• Saturday September 28 at Laurel Mtn

More details will be shared later on.

Congratulations to this year's successful Nordic Challengers: Mike, Jason, Javier, Annelise, Bridger, Liliana, Heidi, Riccardo, Jim and Naomi.  Together, the challengers covered 1644 km in 244 hours.  The leaders in total distance were Riccardo (363 km), Javi (257 km) and Jason (152km), in skate skiing: Riccardo (225km), Javi (217km) and Sam (99km), in classic skiing: Heidi (139km), Jason (126km) and Annelise (82km); in ungroomed skiing: Annelise (57km), Bridger (25km) and Javi (18km).  The most popular skiing activity was classic skiing, while in the snowless days just two of us resorted to rollerskiing, two to ski-erg, two to nordic trak and seven to nordic walking.  

DCNR's Bureau of Forestry newsletter for winter 2024 shows a nice photo of our grooming equipment at Laurel Mountain.   Find the newsletter here.   

A group met at the Laurel Mountain warming hut at 9:45am on Sunday 18 Feb to ski the Kind-a-hard course (or some of it) together.  There will be a Fluoro wax collection for responsible disposal.  If you would like to join our events committee, join PACCSA, join our chatter email group and let us know.  

The Kindahard has been cancelled - no snow.  We cannot schedule races based on forecasts.  

In the photo: skiers making the most of the unseasonal weather on the original race date (click on it twice for full res).

 

Information about PACCSA's group ski lessons is on the lesson page, linked here. 

Registration for the 2024 Yellowjackets Youth Skiing program closes on January 2, 2024!  Sign your kids up before it’s too late!

Both beginner and experienced kids ages 5 to 16 are welcome to join the Yellowjackets XC Ski team!  Younger kids learn how to classic ski (diagonal stride) through skill sessions built around fun and games. Older Yellowjackets learn advanced skiing and competition techniques, including skate

Go to https://www.paccsa.org/yellowjackets to learn more about the Yellowjackets program and to sign your kids up! 

The PA Nordic Challenge starts on Jan 1st.  The challenge itself is to complete 8 or more cross-country ski-themed training sessions of at least 30 minutes each, during the key winter months of January and February, consistently exercising throughout the winter, as no more than two sessions per week count towards the challenge, to win a special embroidered patch.  See the challenge page for more details - sign up before February!  Read more

Looking for something fun and active for your kids to do this winter? Consider having them join the PACCSA Yellowjackets Youth XC Skiing team!!

Beginner and experienced youth skiers ages 5 to 16 are welcome to join the Yellowjackets. Younger kids learn how to classic ski (diagonal stride) through skill sessions built around fun and games. Older Yellowjackets learn advanced skiing and competition techniques, including skate skiing!

Yellowjackets skill sessions are held every Saturday in January and February at the Laurel Ridge State Park XC Ski Center. Our first session this season will occur on January 6, 2024.

Registration is now OPEN!! We're celebrating PACCSA's 40th Anniversary this season, which means every Yellowjacket will receive a super-cool 40th Anniversary lapel pin!

Go to https://www.paccsa.org/yellowjackets to learn more about the Yellowjackets program and to sign your kids up! 

Registration closes on January 2, 2024.

Thanks to the small but mighty crew who redistributed 2 large piles of dirt to fill in many damp recesses on the ski trails at Laurel Mountain this morning (Dec 9). 

As the forecast looks good for Saturday 9 December, we'd like to take this chance to move some gravel to fill in some low spots on Loop Trail.  We will need a wheelbarrow and some shovels, and with a team of 6 people it should take no more than 2 hours.   Please let us know if you can help and what you can bring.   This will be postponed if the weather changes or if we don't have enough people.  We'd plan to meet at the warming hut at 10am and should be done by noon.  If you like, bring a

Thanks to the crew of volunteers who helped with the trail work at Laurel Ridge last Sunday (Dec 3) despite the ominous forecast.  We were lucky, the rain held off, and we got the work done.   

Thanks to Bob and Jim for reinstalling the webcams!  If you still see the 'back next winter' pictures, your browser/phone is showing you cached images, and you need to do a 'hard refresh'.   When it's dark or gloomy, the LR cam takes infrared photos, these are the black & white photos.

PACCSA members should have received an email from their favorite nordic ski club on Tues Nov 28th around 10pm.  if you didn't see it, please look in your spam folder!  

To mark PACCSA's 40th anniversary, we have a commemorative enamel lapel pin for each of the first 150 memberships, new or renewed,  since 1st July 2023.  The pins will be distributed at gatherings throughout the year, such as the trail clear this weekend.  Yellowjackets will receive theirs directly from Head Coach Jim South.  If you would like a pin mailed to you, please send us $5 to cover the mailing costs - when you renew your membership online, please add this as a donation and write 'mail pin please' in the volunteer options.   

Please join PACCSA and Yellowjacket Ski Team member Matthew South for a work day at Laurel Ridge on Sunday, December 3rd beginning at 10:00 AM.  The work will focus on completing Matthew’s Boy Scout Eagle Project:  The new Red Loop Hill #1 Bypass.    

Please meet up at the Warming Hut at 10:00 AM on Sunday, December 3rd.   The goal will be to put the finishing touches on the new Hill #1 Bypass trail and to permanently close off the old bypass hill.  Please make sure to wear hiking boots, dress appropriately for the weather, and wear work gloves and bright colored clothing (since it’s hunting season).  If you have them, please bring shovels, pry bars and/or breaker bars. 

The work site is 1.5 miles up the Red Loop, so you must be able to hike at least 3 miles to participate in this project.  In addition, if you are not already signed up as a DCNR Conservation Volunteer, you must sign up in advance by clicking here.

Matthew will be providing donuts for breakfast, snacks and water at the worksite, and a weinie-roast lunch at 1:30 PM.  If you have any kids who need Community Service Hours, this is a great opportunity!  See you all on December 3rd!!

A big thanks to all of the volunteers who helped Matthew with this project in August, and to DCNR, which helped Matthew in the fall with the “heavy equipment” portion of the project!   

At the last Annual General Meeting, after 8 years as President, Jim South has moved to Vice President and Naomi Jarvis has moved to President.  Sally Smales remains Secretary and Rick Garstka remains Treasurer.  Board member Elly Fisher resigned due to conflicts with meeting times, and we now have a vacancy.  Members, please watch your email for a communication from the Board about filling this vacancy and ways in which you could contribute to running the organization. 

Jim South joined the PACCSA Board in 2011, he was instrumental in obtaining PACCSA's 501(c)(3) certification in 2012, and became President in 2015.  He is Head Coach for Yellowjackets, PACCSA's youth program, and also runs a Boy Scout Troop.  Naomi joined the Board in 2010, started the Yellowjackets program in 2008 and was Head Coach until 2018, when Jim took the reins.  Jim will retain most of his Board responsibilities - legal advice and Laurel Ridge webcam specialist - but hopefully have a little more time to devote to Yellowjackets.  Thanks, Jim!

Save the date! Volunteer trail work is being planned for 10am Sunday Dec 3 (reserve date Sunday Dec 10).  Details TBA. 

Those attending must be registered as DCNR Conservation Volunteers - please sign up in advance. 

All PACCSA members are invited to join the PACCSA Board of Directors for our 2023 Annual Meeting this Thursday, October 26th beginning at 6:30 PM.  We will be meeting in person at the offices of Frischman & Rizza, P.C. located at 7300 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208.  We are also offering the ability to participate remotely via the "Zoom" platform.  Details on how to join the "Zoom" meeting will be posted earlier in the day on October 26th.     

The primary purpose of PACCSA’s Annual Meeting is the election of officers for the 2023/2024 ski season.  All active PACCSA members are encouraged to participate in the Annual Meeting and are permitted to make nominations and vote.  This is also a great chance to meet PACCSA's leadership, voice opinions on issues important to you, and volunteer for important committee positions.  We're always looking for people willing to help out!!

See you on October 26th!!

James A. South

President - PACCSA

Head Coach - PACCSA Yellowjackets Youth Program

On October 7th 2023, four skiers arrived in Rector, PA, for the third and last climb of the Linn Run Rollerski Series.  After a cool night, the asphalt was still a bit wet when the time trials started.  Denny, Jim and Naomi were on classic rollerskis, while Riccardo chose to skate.  Naomi skied 5.2 miles (8.3 km) with a climb of 1130 ft (344 m) from the Adam Falls parking lot to the top of the paved road; the others skied 7 miles (11.3 km) with a climb of 1540 ft (470 m).

Continued here

The second event of the Linn Run Rollerski Series took place on Sunday, September 17, in Rector (PA). We met at the bottom of Linn Run road at 8:45 am, but decided to postpone the start due to rainy conditions.  By 10:15 am we had two cars at the top, three skiers at the bottom and no more rain. After a quick warm up and few pictures, we were ready to begin.

Continued here

On September 3, three PACCSA members decided to do the first of three time trials up Linn Run Road, Rector, PA. Located just east of Ligonier. Those three individuals were: Riccardo Monaco, Naomi Jarvis and Denny McDonough. The plan was to ski from Rector to the very top of the mountain, 7.03 miles or 11.32 km. Or, for Naomi, to ski from Adam Falls to the top, which was 5.17 miles or 8.3 km. The finish line was the end of the pavement, where the Summit Road intersects with Linn Run.

Continued here

PACCSA's 40th birthday was celebrated with lots of action and a big cake at the picnic at Laurel Hill State Park on August 13.  About 30 people attended and enjoyed hiking, kayaking, paddle-boarding, games and conversation. 

Many thanks to PA Biathlon Club and Sun Valley Nordic, John and Margaret Sims, for all the years of biathlon fun and excellent grooming at Oil Creek State Park.  The photo shows the three PACCSA members who travelled up from Pittsburgh for the last Oil Creek Summer Biathlon on 12 August 2023.  Riccardo won the mens masters, Jim won his age group and Naomi ran 2 penalty laps less than last time.   

PACCSA turns 40 this year, and to celebrate, we’re having a big picnic on Sunday, August 13th at Laurel Hill State Park.  We’ll be gathering at the “Willis Pavilion” near the lake/swimming area (look for the PACCSA banners).  This is a family-friendly event open to all PACCSA members and their families.  The schedule of events is as follows:  



10:00 AM – Group hikes within Laurel Hill State Park (5.5 miles or 3 miles)

12:00 PM – Picnic lunch with hamburgers, veggie burgers, hotdogs, and a Pulled-Pork Cookoff.  Please bring a side-item to share with your ski buddies!!    

1:00 PM --  Special 40th Anniversary Cake will be served!!  

1:30 PM --  Games and events, including kayak races on the lake, CAT-ski time trials, cornhole tournament, and volleyball!!  

We’ll see you all on August 13th!!  Don't forget to bring a picnic side-item to share, and your NNN or Prolink classic boots & poles if you wish to use the CAT-skis (these are classic all-terrain skis that work well on grass).

Members - please RSVP using the link in the email sent out on August 1st.

Please join PACCSA and Yellowjacket Ski Team member Matthew South for a work day at Laurel Ridge on Saturday, August 5th beginning at 9:00 AM.   

Matthew has been a Yellowjacket since he was 4 years old (that's him in the photo).  He's currently a Senior in High School and working towards becoming an Eagle Scout.  To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, Matthew is required to complete a complicated Community Service project.  The project he selected involves building a new Hill Bypass Trail on the Red Loop at the Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center.  Matthew's project is designed to make the Red Loop more accessible for novice, elderly, and recreational skiers by giving them an optional route that avoids one of the most difficult hills on the trail system.   

Please meet up at the Warming Hut at 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 5th for the first work day.  The goal will be to make a "rough cut" for the new Hill Bypass Trail by clearing small trees, brush, debris and removing fallen trees.  Please make sure to wear hiking boots, dress appropriately for the weather, and wear work gloves.  If you have them, please bring loppers, shovels, rakes and/or breaker bars. 

The work site is 1.5 miles up the Red Loop, so you must be able to hike at least 3 miles to participate in this project.  In addition, if you are not already signed up as a DCNR Conservation Volunteer, you must sign up in advance by clicking here.

Matthew will be providing donuts for breakfast, snacks and water at the worksite, and a weinie-roast lunch at 1:00 PM.  If you have any kids who need Community Service Hours, this is a great opportunity!  See you all on August 5th!!

PACCSA                       

Please save the dates for

Saturday, June 3 (9:30AM/Laurel Mountain)

Saturday, June 24 (9:30AM/Route 31), and

Saturday, September 23 (9:30AM/Laurel Mountain). 

We are planning something to celebrate our 40th birthday.  Venue: Laurel Hill SP  

Members, check your email for an RSVP form, it was sent out on June 1st. 

Kind-a-hard to hold a race with no snow.  We'll try again next year. 

Thanks to our volunteers, racers, Ski Patrol, DCNR, SmileyMiles and sponsors for supporting this event.

Please be advised that this weekend's Kind-a-Hard races have been postponed to February 12, 2023. 

Currently, the race course is not safe and only has the thinnest of snow coverage with ice underneath.  As a result, PACCSA has no choice but the postpone the Kind-a-Hard in the hope that we'll have more favorable conditions next weekend.           

After a warm and wet start to the year, snowy pictures are starting to appear in the training logs.  Join the challenge! The last date to sign up is Jan 31st.



 

If you are willing and able to help out at the Kind-a-hard, please send us your contact info here   Fun time guaranteed!

The Nordic Challenge is back for 2023.  Read all about it here and sign up before Feb 1st. 

Registration for PACCSA's Yellowjackets Youth Skiing program is now OPEN!!  

The Yellowjackets program teaches kids how to ski through skill sessions built around fun and games.  All Yellowjackets learn classic xc skiing, and the more experienced groups also learn how to skate ski.  The program is open to all kids between the ages of 5 and 16.  The sessions occur on Saturdays beginning on January 7th.  For more information about the Yellowjackets program, click here!      

Registration closes on January 4th.  Don't let your kids miss out on the fun!! 

Thanks to Forbes State Forest for this reminder: statewide black bear, regular firearms season begins this Saturday, November 19 thru Tuesday, November 22.  Stay safe, be seen, wear blaze orange, and be courteous to others.



For more information on Pennsylvania hunting and trapping laws, please check out the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Hunter's Digest available online here

PACCSA Volunteers:

We just received notice that due to the great ski conditions, the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession plans to groom, open, and collect a trail fee tomorrow.  After consulting with the Concession, we have decided to cancel the Trail Clear and Ski Swap scheduled for Saturday, November 19th.  Sorry for the late notice and we hope to reschedule in the near future.  If you still intend on going up to the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center tomorrow, have fun skiing on early-season groomed snow!! 

Please help PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group get the ski trails ready on Saturday, September 24th for the final Laurel Mountain work day of 2022!! 

We will be meeting at the Laurel Mountain Warming Hut at 9:30AM.  The Warming Hut is located at 1120 Laurel Summit Road in Boswell, PA.   This particular work day coincides with Public Lands day.  There will be a prize raffle for the volunteers, drinks, and ‘snack bags’  provided by DCNR for you to grab and take with you out onto the trails. Please come prepared to the work day with sturdy boots, long pants, work gloves, eye protection, and any other comfort items you may need.  Any tools that we'll need will be provided by DCNR.

If you're not already registered as a DCNR Conservation Volunteer, please sign up in advance by clicking here.  See you on Saturday!! 

Join PACCSA for our summer picnic on Sunday, August 14th!  This year we'll be returning to North Park in the Henderson pavilion located off of Babcock Blvd. near the swimming pool.  Look for our bright PACCSA and Fischer signs near the Henderson pavilion parking area.  We'll kick off at noon (12:00 PM) with hotdogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers for everyone.  After eating, enjoy fellowship, fun games, and everything North Park has to offer with your PACCSA friends.  This event is open to all PACCSA members and their families.  If your PACCSA membership has lapsed, please renew by clicking here so you can join in on the fun!

Please feel free to bring a food item to share with your ski buddies!  Also, North Park has lots of trails and playgrounds for the kids.  It's a great place for mountain biking, and you can canoe or kayak on the lake.  In addition, the Lake Shore Drive loop is a great place to rollerski, so bring 'em if you got 'em!      

The Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group workdays for this summer are 

Saturday, June 4, 2022 – Laurel Mountain

Saturday, July 23, 2022 – Route 31

Saturday, September 24, 2022 – Laurel Mountain

The 2022 edition of the PA Nordic Challenge is happening!  Use it to train for the Kind-a-hard or just to keep motivated and have fun throughout the winter.  Changes from 2021 are that training log entries should be made within 7 days, we'll have an automatic leaderboard online, and the challenge rewards will be simpler.  The essentials are unchanged - total of 8 workouts in Jan and Feb, 30 minutes or more each time, and only 2 per week count towards the challenge, although you can log every single one.  Sign up here before Feb 1. 

The 2022 Kind-a-hard has been cancelled.  We will try again next year. 

Click here for more details and here for registration. 

Registration for PACCSA's Yellowjackets youth skiing program is now open!! 

Registration will remain open through January 6, 2021 and our first session is scheduled for January 8, 2021.  

Don't let your kids miss out on the fun!

More Information Here

Thanks to all the volunteers who attended the trail clear at Laurel Ridge last Sunday (Nov 14).  We worked together to move the 2 large heaps of cold and snowy logs into neat stacks inside the warming huts, and then dispersed into small groups to clear fallen limbs and trim back invasive vegetation from the trails.    

Thanks to Bob Mazur and Jim South for getting the PACCSA webcams up and running again, and to those whose donations make this possible. If your browser is still showing the 'back next winter' pictures, look up 'clear cache and hard reload'.   

Join local skier and PACCSA member Alan Hough as he shares some of his nordic knowledge and recommendations of regional xc ski areas at 6:30pm, Saturday November 13 at the new Public Lands Store in Cranberry Township. No charge!

Click here to reserve your seat & find directions  

 

Join PACCSA on Sunday, November 14th for some pre-season fun!  We'll be kicking off the day at 10:00 AM with an all-day Ski Swap in the upper warming hut.  If you have ill-fitting ski equipment/clothing that needs a new home, or are hunting for some reasonably priced gear, this is your chance!  This Ski Swap is a totally free event for anyone interested.   

After you check out the Ski Swap, help PACCSA and DCNR get the Laurel Ridge trail system ready for snow!  We'll be doing trail work from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM with a focus on clearing the trails of fallen debris, cleaning out culverts and drains, cutting back invasive saplings, and stacking firewood.  There are a lot of trails at Laurel Ridge, so we can use all of the help we can get!       

Please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, bow saws, and rakes.  Spade shovels are also useful for clearing drains.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry! There will be plenty of extras.  Dress appropriately for the weather, and since PACCSA work days take place during hunting season, it's always wise to wear bright, visible clothing. Finally, if you're not already registered as a DCNR Conservation Volunteer, please do so online by clicking here.    

With everyone's help, we'll have all of the trails clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!     

Do you love the snow and have an interest in helping out our region's Nordic skiing community?  If so, please consider joining the PACCSA Board of Directors for the 2021 Annual Meeting!

This year's Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, October 21st beginning at 6:30 PM.  We will be meeting virtually/online via the "Zoom" platform.  Details on how to join the "Zoom" meeting will be posted earlier in the day on October 21st.    

The primary purpose of the PACCSA Annual Meeting is the election of officers for the 2021/2022 ski season.  All active PACCSA members are encouraged to participate in the Annual Meeting and are permitted to make nominations and vote.  This is also a great chance to meet PACCSA's leadership, voice opinions on issues important to you, and volunteer for important committee positions.  We're always looking for people willing to help out!!

See you on October 21st!!

James A. South

President - PACCSA

Head Coach - PACCSA Yellowjackets Youth Program

This is Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group’s final group work day of 2021, and coincides with Public Lands Day. 

Plan to meet at the Laurel Mountain warming hut at 9:30AM to work within the Laurel Mountain division of Forbes State Forest. If you’re a new volunteer to Forbes, please sign up online to be a DCNR conservation volunteer.

Projects for this work day include:

Rearmoring wet sections of Fish Run Trail (between old gas well and Linn Run Road) ~200 yards

Remove small amount of graffiti from Beam Rocks

Brushing back Darr and Brant Trails (entire trails)

Firewood cutting

And more!

Please come prepared to the work day with sturdy boots, long pants, work gloves, eye protection, and any other comfort items you may need. Please note that we will not be hosting a volunteer appreciation dinner this year, however, we will instead have volunteer ‘snack bags’ for you to grab and take with you out onto the trails. These snack bags will include prepackaged trail mix, cheese, meat sticks, granola bars, etc. As always, water and gatorade will be available. Our friends at REI have graciously donated several prizes to be raffled off at this work day as well.

If you have any questions please reach out to either Rachel Mahony or Ed Callahan at Forbes District Office, 724-238-1200

The picnic scheduled for August 14th has been cancelled due to the local upswing in COVID delta cases.  We hope to reschedule it for the fall if the situation improves. 

Join PACCSA for our summer picnic on Saturday, August 14th!  This year we'll be returning to North Park in the Henderson pavilion located off of Babcock Blvd. near the swimming pool (click HERE for an interactive map of North Park).  Look for our bright PACCSA and Fischer signs near the Henderson pavilion parking area.  We'll kick off at noon (12:00 PM) with hotdogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers for everyone.  After eating, enjoy fellowship, fun games, and everything North Park has to offer with your PACCSA friends.  This event is open to all PACCSA members and their families.

Please feel free to bring a food item to share with your ski buddies!  Also, North Park hos lots of trails and playgrounds for the kids.  It's a great place for mountain biking, and you can canoe or kayak on the lake.  In addition, the Lake Shore Drive loop is a great place to rollerski, so bring 'em if you got 'em!      

Save this date for the PACCSA summer picnic - Saturday 14 August, at Henderson Shelter in N Park (across S Ridge Drive from the pool parking lot).  More details will follow. 

Join PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group this Saturday, June 12th, 2021 for some summer tail work.  We'll meet at the Laurel Mountain Warming Hut (1120 Laurel Summit Road, Boswell, PA) beginning at 10:00 AM.  On tap for the day are projects consisting  primarily of trail re-amoring and brushback.  Dress for the weather and bring work gloves, personal bug repellant, water and a bag lunch.  Also, due to COVID-19, please bring a mask (vaccinated people will only need to wear a mask if they a

Thanks to everyone who took part in the PA Nordic Challenge and congratulations to all the finishers!  All those photos appearing on the website every day helped to keep the skiers motivated and the training fun.  Continued...  

At the end of the PA Nordic Challenge we have the following: 

• 583 activities logged
• 4,480 km logged (2783 miles) -- the distance from Pittsburgh to San Francisco!
• Cumulatively we skied for 40 days!
• 40 people completed the challenge.  
• Classic skiing on groomed was the most popular activity overall, with the most km, minutes and workouts logged.  However, classic skiing on ungroomed snow became more popular for the days immediately after each major snowfall. 

Look for a fuller update next week.  What a great winter!  

#PANordic2021

With just one week left, 24 participants have completed the challenge and the total distance covered is now 3836 km - as far as the drive from Pittsburgh to Lake Tahoe!  70% of the activities logged were classic skiing, with just over half of those on groomed trails. 

• 484 activities were logged in 7 weeks
• Longest total distance: 469 km
• Most minutes logged: 3285 minutes (54.75 hrs)
• Most days: 34 days
• Max speed: 16.4 km/hr

See the leaderboard

#PANordic2021

Thanks to those who were out clearing fallen branches from the ski trails.  The first two photos were taken on Wednesday, one at Laurel Ridge and one at Laurel Mountain, and the third was taken at Laurel Mountain early Thursday morning.

Click on the photo or the title to see the full article.  

If you are a PACCSA member and did not see an email from PACCSA containing a link to the Jan 2021 newsletter, look in your spam folder.  If you subscribe to our informal mailing list for members and did not see an email about the emergency clean-up at Laurel Mountain, look in your spam folder.  Unfortunately there's not much that PACCSA can do about this - we do not send out many emails.   

Laurel Mountain suffered a massive ice storm last night.  Summit Road is closed shortly after Summit Ski Rd (which leads to the downhill resort), with fallen trees and wires down.  As a result, the grooming team hasn't been able to get to the trails to assess the situation, but they're assuming the trails will be covered with fallen trees and limbs.  They're going to need all of the help they can get to clear the trails before Thursday's storm, which is predicted to bring 8-12" of new snow to Laurel Mountain.  

If you are available to help out at Laurel Mountain tomorrow, please come up.  The snowmobile parking lot is accessible from Summit Rd, and is only a short walk away from the Warming Hut.  Do not use Linn Run Rd!  We plan to start from the Warming Hut at 10 AM.  We're assuming the trails are ice-laden, so bring hiking boots (and showshoes, if you have them) in case skiing isn't possible.  Also bring bow saws, loppers/clippers, work gloves, etc.  

• 139 new activities recorded in the past week!
• Average of all activities is 5 km/hour
• 22 people completed the challenge of 8 activities this year. Lilianna Hug has recorded 29 activities this year!
• 40 of 43 participants classic skied on groomed trails, logging 318 hours and 1,327km!  
• People on nordictrack are significantly faster than those skiing on snow, I guess they aren't stopping for the beautiful views!

See the leaderboard

#PANordic2021

After 5 weeks, 11 people have now completed the challenge!  The distance leaderboard is still led by Alan (416 km), followed by Riccardo (215 km), Naomi (180 km) and Lilianna Hug (150 km), while on the time leaderboard Naomi leads with 40 h (7 h teaching beginner lessons), followed by Alan with 38 h, Lilianna (27 h) and Brent (22 h).  The challenge combined total is 2383 km.  

Ski on!

#PANordic2021

We're now halfway through the Challenge Period; 37 people have logged a total of 1464 km and 280 hours of skiing, and 5 people have completed the challenge!  The first 3 challenge finishers are Alan Hough, Deb Lubich and Mike Lubich - congrats!  

Read more

The lesson instructors are completely booked up.  The fantastic conditions allowed us to fit in small group lessons for a total of 39 people during January, and we have even more scheduled for February.  Our team of instructors is small but dedicated; they are all volunteers.

With the holiday Monday and bounteous snow over much of PA, this was a prolific week for skiing.  So far we have logged a total of 838 km!  Most people are classic skiing on groomed trails, but the most km have been logged skating.  Our leaders in both time and distance are Alan Hough, with 270 km and 23h logged, trailed by Naomi Jarvis with 106 km and 22h.  Riccardo Monaco is 3rd in distance with 94km and Brent Lahaie is 3rd in time logged, with 14h.  We're almost at the halfway point and most of the challengers are making steady progress towards their goal. Expect a longer update next week. 

It's still possible to start and complete the PA Nordic challenge on time.  The last day to sign up for it is Jan 31st.  

#PANordic2021

There are 23 unique challengers that have logged activity, the total so far is 564 km.

Saturday 16 Jan was the busiest day, with 9 people logging a combined 67 km of skiing (skate plus classic).

At the end of week 2 Alan Hough was leading the total distance chart with 147km, chased from afar by Naomi Jarvis with 74km and then the main pack, Mike Lubich with 39km, Jim Anglin with 37km and Deb Lubich with 31km.  Naomi leads the time rankings with 827 minutes, followed by Alan with 714 mins, Brent Lahaie at 645 mins, Mike Lubich at 458 mins and Deb Lubich at 427 mins.  The totals are combined from all of the activities, skiing, Nordic Track, running and hiking with poles, etc, one of us only discovered the resistance adjuster on the Nordic Track last week(!) and it's all for fun, training and the love of xc skiing.  

Jan 31st is the last day to sign up for the PA Nordic challenge

#PANordic2021

The PA Nordic challenge has 25 participants registered, and of those 15 collectively logged 262 km of activity in just 11 days of 2021.  A lot of people logged activity on Saturday; it's great to see the photos from so many different parts of PA.  The last day to sign up for this is Jan 31st. 

#PANordic2021

The Cross Country Skiers' Code of Responsibility is available here and as 'Etiquette' in the 'More' section of the website's menu. It was published in the PACCSA newsletter for January 2019.  Please read it!

For 2021 PACCSA is hosting the PA Nordic Challenge, as the pandemic has made the usual PA Nordic Championships format unworkable. 

The Challenge will keep us all entertained, busy, training for xc skiing and ready to snatch the chance to ski on snow whenever there's enough of it in the right place. 

All the details are here.   #PANordic2021   

Regulations permitting, lessons will start after Jan 4th, and will be by pre-arrangement only.  Read the details here 

Registration for PACCSA's Yellowjackets youth skiing program is now open!!  Registration will remain open through January 4, 2021 and our first session is scheduled for January 9, 2021.  Like other youth sports, there will be COVID-19 precautions this year and we'll be following the apropriate CDC, state, local and DCNR guidelines to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Don't let your kids miss out on the fun!

More Information Here

The PACCSA Webcam at the Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center lives again!  PACCSA appreciates everyone's patience, and hopefully more snow will come soon.

Many thanks to Bob Mazur who has been working tirelessly to solve this problem!!   

Chip from White Grass posted our first snow report of the year, and it's a good one, with skiers out enjoying the powder.  Read it here.  Heck yeah!
There's a link to the most recent snow reports on our front page, beneath the webcam pics. 

The PACCSA Board of Directors has been busy putting together plans for our activities this coming season.  We will share those as soon as they are ready.  The webcams and conditions reports will be operating as usual. 

If you'd like to take one more nostalgic look at last season's collection of snow reports before the annual clean-out, check here and do it soon.   

Thank you to all those who post snow reports, groom the trails, look after the webcams, teach new skiers and help keep cross country skiing a wonderful thing to do.  The photo is from Mark Lawrence at the Art Roscoe Loppet in NY.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, PACCSA will be holding it's "Annual Meeting" online tonight (August 13, 2020) beginning at 6:30 PM.  Agenda topics will include the election of Board members for the 2020/2021 ski season, a discussion of current DCNR COVID-19 guidelines, and what to expect for the upcoming ski season.

All PACCSA members are encouraged to participate in tonight's online "Annual Meeting."  To join the meeting, simply click on the following link:

meet.google.com/hqq-wecx-qyp

Each year, PACCSA celebrates the end of summer with its annual Summer Picnic.  The summer picnic usually takes place in late August and includes the Annual Membership Meeting to elect officers to the PACCSA Board of Directors.  Last year, approximately 40 skiers joined us for this fun event.

Unfortunately, due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Board of Directors has decided to postpone the 2020 PACCSA Summer Picnic.

Regarding the election of officers, PACCSA will be holding an online "Annual Meeting" on Thursday, August 13th beginning at 6:30 PM.  All PACCSA memebrs are encouraged to join in and participate.  In addition to electing officers for the 2020/2021 ski season, we will be discussing current DCNR guidelines for outdoor activities during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the overall outlook for the upcoming ski season.

More information on the August 13th Annual Meeting -- including the meeting's online platform and instructions on how to join -- will be posted on www.PACCSA.org next week.  We look forward to seeing everyone's slightly pixilated faces!    

Despite one of the worst snow seasons in Pennsylvania history, 73 enthusiastic skiers from the Keystone State, Ohio, New York, Maryland and Minnesota gathered at Wilderness Lodge on Sunday for the 2020 edition of PACCSA’s Pennsylvania Nordic Championship races.  Click on this article for a full recap of the exciting races! 

A big thanks to everyone who raced with PACCSA today!

For complete lists of today's race results, click the link below! We'll be posting a full race recap soon!

https://www.smileymiles.com/2020Results.html

from FastWax, Swix and Toko, which have been added to the race webpage (click here) 

As planned, PACCSA will be holding the Pennsylvania Nordic Championship races this Sunday, Feb 2nd, at Wilderness Lodge!  Currently, much of the race course is in excellent shape.  However, due to some trail restrictions, we'll be racing on a modified version of our 5k course.  In addition, we have decided to shorten the 20k race to 15k (three laps of the modified 5k course). 

Register online now to avoid the $10 same-day registration surcharge!  

Registration for the PA Nordic Championship races is open!   

Plan ahead, help the race organizers and save yourself some cash by registering ahead of time.   

Join in with all the fun by helping out on the day.  Volunteer here.  

The 2020 PA Nordic Championships are scheduled for SUNDAY 2nd February 2020 at Wilderness Lodge.  

The race page is here and more information will be added as the day approaches.  Save the date!

PACCSA is offering a series of 3 progressive lessons which aim to give a complete beginner the skills necessary to take on the 5k classic race at the PA Nordic Championships. These will be taught by Naomi Jarvis and Charlie Nash. 

Click here for more details on the Hut to 5k program.

Regular PACCSA lessons will be scheduled on Sundays as usual - watch the events page for these.

Registration for Yellowjackets, PACCSA's youth team is open! 

Don't let your kids miss out on the fun! 

More info here 

The webcams are up, showing the first snow for this season!

It's time to renew your PACCSA membership, dust off your ski gear and get ready to join the fun next weekend.

Thanks to Bob Mazur and Jim South for getting the cams up and running once again, and thanks to everyone who has contributed to the webcam expenses (hardware, phone connection, website hosting).  

Here's a big white blast from the past

Join PACCSA on Saturday, November 9th for some pre-season fun!  We'll be kicking off the day at 10:00 AM with an all-day Ski Swap in the upper warming hut.  If you have ill-fitting ski equipment/clothing that needs a new home, or are hunting for some reasonably priced gear, this is your chance!  This Ski Swap is a totally free event for anyone interested.   

After you check out the Ski Swap, help PACCSA, the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession and DCNR get the Laurel Ridge trail system ready for snow!  We'll be doing trail work from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM with a focus on clearing the trails of fallen debris, cutting back invasive saplings, and stacking firewood.  There are a lot of trails at Laurel Ridge, so we can use all of the help we can get!  All volunteers for the Laurel Ridge trail clear will receive one free ski pass for the 2019/2020 season.  In addition, upon the conclusion of the trail clear, the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession will be hosting a picnic with hotdogs and drinks.   

For more information, click on this article! 

Oil Creek State Park ski trail workdays are set for Sundays Oct 28, Nov 17 and December 1.  We will be painting blazes, trimming, doing ditch work, clearing downed trees and branches, etc.  Bring gloves and trail tools if you can. Some are provided.  Meet at the ski hut at 1pm.  More details here

The Pennsylvania Nordic Championships will be held at Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA, on Sunday, February 2nd, 2020, between 9 am and 12 pm.  There are events for everyone, including kids races, classic races, and skate races. 

Click here for more details.

The last trail work day at Laurel Mountain for 2018 is coming up soon - Sept 28th, starting at 10am at the warming hut.  Plans for the day include trail trimming, re-armoring, graffiti removal and the annual volunteer appreciation picnic! 

Click here for more details

PACCSA would like to send out a big "THANK YOU" to the fun folks who joined us for the annual summer picnic on Saturday.  Nearly 40 people came by to share delicious food, try out Skikes and rollerskis, and play fun games at North Park.  Both the weather and the warm conversations amongst ski buddies couldn't have been better.  We look forward to seeing everyone on the snow this winter!   

Join PACCSA for our summer picnic on Saturday, August 24th!  This year we'll be gathering at North Park in the Mars pavilion located on Lake Shore Drive (click here for a map of North Park).  Look for our bright PACCSA and Fischer signs near the Mars pavilion parking area.  We'll kick off at 11 AM with a brief Board meeting to elect officers for the 2019/2020 ski season.  After that we'll be grilling up some hotdogs and hamburgers, playing some games and enjoying everything North Park has to offer.  This event is open to all PACCSA members and their families.  

Please feel free to bring a food item to share with your ski buddies!  Also, North Park has lots of trails and playgrounds for the kids. It's a great place for mountain biking, and you can canoe or kayak in the lake.  In addition, the Lake Shore Drive loop is a great place to rollerski, so bring 'em if you got 'em!

This year’s Laurel Mt Volunteer Group work days are

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Saturday, September 28, 2019

More details will be available nearer the date, on the linked event page.

After suffering a cancellation in 2018, the February 3, 2019 edition of PACCSA’s Pennsylvania Nordic Championships went off without a hitch!  For 2019, the races returned to Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA and drew skiers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maine, Maryland and Virginia!  

Click here for the full story!

Race results are here  

A longer race report will follow.   Thanks to all who took part in any way: grooming, skiing, timing, volunteering, music, etc.  

The course at Wilderness is in excellent shape and we expect good conditions for Sunday's races.  Register NOW to avoid the $10 same-day registration surcharge!  

Register Here

More Information About the Races is Here

The trails at Wilderness are in fine shape, everything looks great for PA race day on Sunday! 

Register here.

PACCSA ski lessons take place at Laurel Ridge State Park throughout the winter, usually on Sundays at 1pm, conditions and volunteer schedules permitting.  Keep an eye on the lesson page for more information, and the up to date list.  The lessons are also shown in the events calendar.  

Other lessons

There are a few DCNR ski lessons in other PA state parks, and some of the managed ski areas offer private lessons - call ahead to be sure.

PACCSA will be having a group ski outing on the evening of Friday Jan 18th beginning at 7 PM at the Laurel Mountain warming hut.  Bring a good headlamp for a fun time on the trails.  Also bring your favorite food/drink and something to share with your friends.  



There's some more information on skiing at Laurel Mountain and a link for directions on this page.

The hut to 5k progressive lesson series starts on Saturday - last chance to sign up is today (Thursday).

Ski-orienteering at Laurel Ridge is on for Sunday - if you can, preregister today     What is it?  Read this

Charlie Nash will give the first of PACCSA's ski lessons for this year at Laurel Ridge on Sunday at 1pm. 

The PA Nordic championships are scheduled for Feb 3 at Wilderness.  Please support your club by participating or volunteering.  We will need lots of help. 

Ski-orienteering has been postponed to Jan 13.  What is it?  Info on last year's event is here

Lesson dates will be posted when conditions are good - probably Sundays 1pm as usual.

The hut to 5k program has been moved back a week, starting Jan 12.

Happy New Year!

This year PACCSA is offering a short series of progressive lessons which aim to give a complete beginner the skills necessary to take on the 5k classic race at the PA nordic championships.  Moved back a week - register by Jan 10.  More info here

Regular PACCSA lessons will be scheduled on Sundays as usual - watch the events page for these.

Have fun this winter with the Yellowjackets, PACCSA's youth team.  We love xc skiing, snow, games, races and cocoa.

Registration for the 2019 season WILL CLOSE ON DEC 15.

More info here

Please be advised that the work day & ski swap planned for this Sunday, November 18th, has been POSTPONED.  There is currently groomed snow at Laurel Ridge and the Ski Concession plans to be open this weekend.  PACCSA still plans on having the work day / ski swap in the near future and will send out notices as soon as a new date is confirmed.       

Special thanks to the PACCSA volunteers who helped out at the final Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group work day of 2018!  Our group armored and repaired erosion on the lower portion of Towhee, which will improve PACCSA's ability to groom that section of trail this winter.  Afterwards, the DCNR staff provided us with a great picnic where we got to catch up with friends from the Laurel Mountain Ski Patrol, as well as the other groups who helped out.  

'Tis the season for trail clean up! 

Friends of Oil Creek State Park will be doing maintenance on the hiking/ski trails on Sundays, October 14 and 28, and November 4 at 1:15pm.  Meet at the ski hut and bring gloves and your favorite tools for trimming brush and trees. 

Oil Creek State Park has some lovely hiking and biking trails: more info.  

The Pennsylvania Nordic Championships will be held at Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA, on Sunday, February 3rd, 2019, between 9 am and 12 pm.  There are events for everyone, including kids races, classic races, and skate races. 

Click here for more details.

The annual picnic on August 25 was well attended and less well photographed.  Approximately two dozen PACCSA members enjoyed a variety of activities in Laurel Hill State Park, from grass skiing with classic all terrain skis to hiking and stand up paddleboard, and lots of good conversation around a delightful picnic.  Missed the fun?  Join us next summer.

The last LMVG workday for the year will be on Sept 29 at Laurel Mountain - more details here. 

PACCSA volunteers Bob Mazur and Judi Speck joined the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group workday at North Woods in August, and helped to replace a bridge on the Lookout Loop.  Thanks to Rachel Mahony for the photo.  

Get outdoors with PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group for some summer trail work near the Northwoods ski trails!  We will meet on Saturday, August 11th at the Route 31 pole building parking area (located off of Route 31 at Camp Run Rd., just east of Donagal, PA near the Hidden Valley Ski Resort).  Work will start at 10AM and end around 2:30PM.  Projects will include the construction of a new foot bridge, brushing back trails, reblazing and more.    

Please come prepared for the work day with gloves, protective eyewear, water, and a lunch – be sure to dress for the weather as well. There will be some water and Gatorade provided, as well as granola bars.  DCNR will have a large selection of tools on hand for us to use.  See you Saturday! 

Join PACCSA for our summer picnic on Saturday, August 25th!  We'll be returning to Laurel Hill State Park this year.  Look for our bright PACCSA and Fischer signs in the groves adjacent to the beach parking area.  We'll kick off at 11 AM with a brief Board meeting to elect officers for the 2018/2019 ski season.  After that we'll be grilling up some hotdogs and hamburgers, playing some games and enjoying everything Laurel Hill State Park has to offer.  This event is open to all PACCSA members and their families.  

Please feel free to bring a food item to share with your ski buddies!  Also, Laurel Hill has a beach for swimming and many playgrounds for the kids. It's a great place to canoe, kayak or paddle-board and there's a concession where you can rent boats.  There are also trails for hiking and mountain biking.  Some of us might also go for a rollerski, so bring 'em if you got 'em!

PACCSA members make an enormous contribution to the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group's work. The Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group is formed of several outdoor organizations who enjoy recreation at Laurel Summit and Laurel Mountain and are willing to help to maintain and improve those places for everyone to enjoy.  

The work days planned for 2018 are 

• Saturday June 2
• Saturday August 11
• Saturday September 29

Register as a DCNR volunteer to save time on the day and receive email updates.

Help keep the Oil Creek trails awesome!  There are hiking/ski trail work days on Sundays May 20 and June 3.  We will be picking up branches, trimming, cleaning culverts, doing ditch work, or whatever we find.  Bring your favorite trail tools and a friend!  Volunteers make a HUGE difference to the trails in the park.  Thanks! 

More info on the friends of oil creek page. 

 

Spring is here, the webcams are on vacation and it's time to get your favorite skis cleaned and put away for the summer!  Here are some instructions on summer ski care from Madshus.  Recently people have been advising against cleaning by warm-scraping skis as many skiers have been over-enthusiastic with this, resulting in base damage.  Using a medium-hard wax for storage is a good choice in PA as it's often the wax of the day for the first snow of the next season.

PACCSA's webcams are now dormant for the summer. 

Thank you to the webcam managers who have tended them throughout the winter and everyone who has donated to their upkeep.

There's still good skiing in PA and for some it's the last day of the season.  Check out the snow reports here  

Unfortunately the weather has not favored us and so the PA nordic championship races are canceled for 2018.  Special thanks to PACCSA's volunteers, Wilderness Lodge and all of the sponsors who worked with us to put together the region's premier cross country skiing event.

We will try again next year.

Already enthusiastic supporters of the US (and in some cases, British) cross country ski team(s), some of the PACCSA rollerskiers are also rooting for a second or third team at the 2018 Winter Olympics: Mexico! 

Click here to read more and see a much better photo

Regrettably, PACCSA has been forced to postpone this weekend's Pennsylvania Nordic Championship Races until the official makeup date of Sunday, February 25th, 2018. 

While we had hoped that the surprise snowfall that occurred earlier this week would be enough to carry us through the weekend, that didn't happen.  As of last night, the snow base in the fields remained in good shape.  However, overnight temperatures at Wilderness were much higher than predicted, with enough wind to cause significant snow melt.  As a result, the fields, including the start/finish area, no longer have adequate snow to hold a safe and competitive event.  PACCSA apologizes for this inconvenience and hopes everyone will join us on the February 25th makeup date. 

at REI on Southside, Pittsburgh, Wed 31 January. Free! Registration is required.

PACCSA and the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy (CVC) have arranged a joint ski outing at Laurel Mountain this Saturday, January 13th beginning at 10:00 AM.  Enjoy skiing with friends for distances ranging between 5k and 15k.  If the thaw ruins the snow, we'll be having a winter hike instead! 

If you'd like to attend, please send an RSVP by Wednesday, January 10th to cvconserv@gmail.com and provide your cell number.  See you this Saturday! 

More details here

The first lesson of 2018 is set for 1pm on Sunday at Laurel Ridge.   See the events page and the ski lessons page for more info.

On Sunday 7 Jan 2018 the Western PA Orienteering Club is holding a ski-orienteering event at Laurel Ridge.  If you're not familiar with orienteering, you are missing a treat.  Orienteering is a kind of outdoor treasure hunt, using a map and compass (no electronics!) to find a series of flags, and is suitable for anyone who can walk through the woods.  Ski-O is the winter version... more info here

If you are interested in sponsoring the 2018 PA Nordic Championship Races, please contact Charlie Nash asap.   We have sponsorship levels available from $50 to $200 and there are also other opportunities to contribute, eg donating to the swag bags or the door prizes.  Funds raised from race sponsorship will help to offset the race expenses and keep the entry fees affordable.  The sponsors will be recognized by printing their logo on the back of the race shirt, on the PACCSA website, and on any printed literature.  Thank you to those who have already joined in. 

The photo shows Charlie at Wilderness Lodge preparing to check out the trails following a race organization meeting.

 

Have fun this winter with the Yellowjackets, PACCSA's youth team.  We love xc skiing, snow, games, races and cocoa.

Registration for the 2018 season is open.

More info here

Kick off the ski season with PACCSA this Sunday, November 19th at the Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center!  From 10 AM to 2 PM, we'll be having a Ski Swap in the upper warming hut.  This will be a great opportunity to sell your old gear, or maybe find something new.  Come take a look to see what's on offer!  There is no fee for sellers and admission is free.     

Also beginning at 10:00 AM, we'll be teaming up with the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession and DCNR for a Trail Clear.  There's a lot to do, so we need as many volunteers as we can get!  We'll be focusing on stacking firewood for the warming huts, cleaning out drainage pipes and culverts, and clearing the trails of any fallen limbs or debris.  All volunteers for the trail clear will receive one free ski pass for Laurel Ridge.  There will also be random prize drawings for everyone who helps out.  At noon, the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession and Lucky Dog Cafe will be providing lunch with soup and warm drinks.       

Notes for all trail work volunteers -  We'll be working rain or shine...or snow!  Please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, bow saws, and rakes.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry!  There will be plenty of extras.  Dress appropriately for the weather (it looks like it might be snowing on Sunday).  With everyone's help, we'll have all of the trails clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!     

Winter is coming, and it's time to get the trails ready before the snow arrives!  PACCSA is planning trail work at the Laurel Mountain Nordic Trails on Saturday November 4th, and at the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center on Sunday November 19th.  Food will be provided for volunteers at both trail clears.  A free trail pass will be given to all volunteers who attend the Laurel Ridge trail clear.  In addition, PACCSA will be holding a Ski Swap during the Laurel Ridge trail clear.  Read on for more information:    

Laurel Mountain Trail Clear:  Saturday, November 4th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join PACCSA at the Laurel Mountain warming hut at 10 AM for a fun, family centered trail clear.  The primary goal is to take a light-paced hike of the trails and remove any fallen limbs and debris that could get caught up in our grooming equipment when the snow arrives.  We plan to finish around noon time and will be providing a hearty lunch of soups and snacks!  Feel free to bring something to share!

Laurel Ridge Trail Clear and Ski Swap:  Sunday, November 19th from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

This will be a geat day for anyone who loves to ski in the Laurel Highlands.  We'll be kicking off at 10:00 AM with an all-day Ski Swap in the upper warming hut.  Do you have ski equipment that you never use or doesn't fit right?  Bring it along and maybe you'll find it a new home.  Looking for reasonably priced gear?  Come take a look to see what's on offer!  This is a free event for anyone interested.   

After you check out the Ski Swap, team up with PACCSA, the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession and DCNR for some trail work at Laurel Ridge.  We'll be focusing on cleaning out drainage pipes and culverts, stacking firewood for the warming huts, and picking up fallen limbs and debris from the trails.  There is a lot of ground to cover at Laurel Ridge, so we can use all of the help we can get!  All volunteers for the Laurel Ridge Trail Clear will receive one free ski pass.  In addition, upon the conclusion of the trail clear, the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession will be holding a pizza party with appetizers and drinks at the Lucky Dog Cafe in nearby Confluence, PA.   

Notes for all trail work volunteers -  Please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, bow saws, and rakes.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry!  There will be plenty of extras.  Dress appropriately for the weather, and since PACCSA trail clears take place during hunting season, DCNR asks that everyone please wear bright, visible clothing. With everyone's help, we'll have all of the trails clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!     

We set a new record for attendance at the PACCSA annual meeting and summer picnic - 20 PACCSA members and friends were present on this occasion, which was held at Laurel Hill State Park on August 5. The weather was unusually cold (in the 60s) and the park was almost deserted. After an efficiently short meeting and a picnic lunch, we enjoyed the picnic and then some more energetic activities - volleyball, hiking, rollerskiing, and three hardy Yellowjackets went for a swim.  Thank you to everyone for coming.  

More details here

2018 races canceled

The PA nordic championship races are canceled for 2018.  We hope for more favorable conditions next year. 

More details here

We will be placing an order for PACCSA team gear - suits, jackets, hats soon.   

Photos and more info are here 

If you wish to order something, be sure to get your payment and order form to Rick before September 19. 

Join PACCSA for our annual summer picnic!  This year's picnic will take place at Laurel Hill State Park on Saturday, August 5th in the groves adjacent to the beach area.  Look for our bright PACCSA and Fischer signs!  We'll be starting at 11 AM with a very brief Board meeting to elect officers for the 2017/2018 ski season.  After that we'll be grilling up some hotdogs and hamburgers and enjoying everything Laurel Hill State Park has to offer.  This event is open to all PACCSA members and their families.  

Please feel free to bring a food item to share with your ski buddies!  Also, Laurel Hill has a beach for swimming and many playgrounds for the kids. It's a great place to canoe, kayak or paddle-board and there's a concession where you can rent boats.  There are also interesting hiking and and mountain bike trails, and the fishing is great.  Some of us might also go for a rollerski, so bring 'em if you got 'em!

Get outdoors with PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group for some summer trail work on the Northwoods and Roaring Run XC ski trail systems!  

We will meet on Saturday, July 29th at the Route 31 pole building parking area (located off of Route 31 at Camp Run Rd., just east of Donagal, PA near the Hidden Valley Ski Resort).  Work will start at 10AM and end the day around 2:30PM.  Projects will include resurfacing wet areas of trail and brush-back work.  Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, and bring a good pair of work gloves. DCNR has a large selection of tools for us to use, but feel free to bring your own loppers and had trimmers if you have them.

See you on the 29th!  

Saturday, June 3 is National Trails Day!  To celebrate, PACCSA is teaming up with the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group (LMVG) to work on the cross country skiing trails at Laurel Mountain.  Everyone who helps out will be entered in a raffle for prizes generously donated by REI.  We plan to repair and armor wet areas and erosion damaged segments of the Bill Alberts and Towhee trails.  

Meet us at the Laurel Mountain warming hut beginning at 9:45 AM.  DCNR will have light snacks, water and Gatorade for all participants.  Make sure to bring work gloves and a bagged lunch.  Tools will be provided by DCNR, but feel free to bring loppers, hand pruners and trimmers if you have them.   

Your volunteerism and hard work during the off-season ensures that we'll have the best possible trail conditions when the snow returns! 

Rollerskier meetup 10am Saturday 10 May, Jail trail 2nd Ave parking lot.   Let us know if you'd like to join us, or join our email list.

Check out our new rollerskiing page! 

The Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group workdays planned for 2017 are: 

Saturday, June 3 (National Trails Day) at Laurel Mountain

Saturday, July 29 - Route 31 pole building

Saturday, September 30 (National Public Lands Day) - Laurel Mountain warming hut

PACCSA would like to congratulate Tony Mathie of Edinboro, PA for earning a trip to the 2017 XC Junior National Championships as part of the Mid-Atlantic team!  Tony, who is 18 years old, is the current reigning Pennsylvania Nordic Champion and a member of the Wilderness Wildcats youth program.  He will be competing in the Junior Nationals U20 division in Lake Placid between March 6th and 11th.  For more information about the 2017 XC Junior National Championships, including the schdule of events, click here.  You can watch Tony race live and view his results here.       

PACCSA recognizes the level of hard work and dedication that is required to achieve this level of success and wishes Tony good luck and fast skis!     

We have some extra race shirts available for $15 each in sizes S to XL.   They are lightweight, tech wicking fabric, and a nice high visibility green which will stand out in traffic - ideal for rollerskiing or cycling etc.  Here we have Naomi and Matthew modelling size S.  If you'd like a shirt, contact Jim.

The 2017 edition of PACCSA’s Pennsylvania Nordic Championships took place on February 5th, 2017 at Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA.  After last year’s poor snow season, combined with this January’s snow drought, fitness was a concern for many racers.  Despite this, over 100 skiers participated in hotly contested Classic, Skate and Kids’ events.  Limited snowfall and a recent thaw had forced the cancellation of the Highmark Quad races a week earlier, and for a time, it looked like PACCSA’s race might need to be rescheduled.  However, the snow gods and expert groomers at Wilderness Lodge combined to prepare an absolutely flawless course.  Click here to read the whole story!   

Check out the race reports from Go Erie and Erie News Now

The results are here!   Just a brief note to say congrats to our new champions Tony Mathie and Pamela McCormick and a huge 'Thank You!' to everyone for coming out to race, bringing kids to race, helping out, for sponsorship, and Wilderness Lodge for a super job with course prep.  (To be continued.) 

Course preparation has begun for Sunday's Pennsylvania Nordic Championship races.  As predicted, Wilderness Lodge has received additional snow this week.  The trail base is currently 8-10 inches with nothing but below-freezing temperatures in sight.  The forecast is calling for a race-time temperature of 31 degrees with cloudy skies.  It will be an great day for skiing!  

Erie NBC television affiliate WICU is planning to be at the races, with live interviews taking place between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM during their Sunday morning news program.  Also, for anyone needing help with ski preparation, Findley Lake Sporting Goods plans to have a race-day waxing station on site at Wilderness.  

Lastly, for those who haven't yet made lodging plans for this weekend's race, please consider staying at the Erie Wingate by Wyndham.  The Wingate is offering a special rate for racers and spectators planning to attend the races of just $79/night.  The Wingate will also make a donation to PACCSA for each room reserved.  Call the Wingate at (814) 860-3050 and mention the Pennsylvania Nordic Championships to get the special rate!          

These were taken today (Fri) before setting tracks.  As you can see, there is plenty of snow this year. 

Join us at the PA Nordic Championships on Sunday!

The NWS weather forecast for Wilderness Lodge  looks great!  As of today (Thurs) it predicts snow, with a high of 31F.

Wax recommendations for race day are linked below

• Swix
• Toko - classic
• Toko - skate

The lucky winner is Charlie B!  Enjoy the slopes, Charlie!

We will be ordering new suits and jackets in early Jan 2017 from Borah Teamwear, using these great designs from our talented designer, Colin Burch.  

More info here

Now is a GREAT time to renew your PACCSA membership!   Memberships are valid for one calendar year - get the most out of yours by renewing before the season starts.  You will be ready to show your membership card at White Grass or Wilderness Lodge and able to take advantage of the discounted trail fees, ski gear and more offered to PACCSA members. 

PACCSA members also know that they are putting some financial support into their local cross country ski club, whose Board Members and Volunteers put a lot of time and hard work into bringing you two lovely webcams, groomed trails at Laurel Mountain, free lessons, the Yellowjackets kids ski program, the PA Nordic Championship races, a host of information on our website, and more.  Thank you for your help!

On November 9 the weather was not ideal, it started off warm and breezy, became windier still and then the temperature dropped by 30F as a light rain started to fall and became progressively colder and heavier as it changed over to wet snow.  Despite the nasty conditions, a dozen hardy PACCSA volunteers showed up to help.  We first replenished the wood rack inside the main warming hut before turning to the trails.  Our crew managed to clear out every drainage ditch and culvert on the Red, Blues, Greens and some of the Orange.  We also cleared limbs and debris from those same trails, as well as the Yellow.  A number of downed trees were removed by our chainsaw crew.  Afterwards, as we dried off in the warming hut, we enjoyed burgers, hotdogs and fellowship, looking forward to a snowy winter.  When we left, the trails were in good shape and ready for the season. 

Please join PACCSA on Saturday, November 19th, 2016 from 10:30 AM until 3:30 PM for some pre-season trail work at the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center.  We'll be doing a variety of tasks, including clearing the trails of fallen trees and branches, cutting back invasive saplings, and cleaning out drainage pipes and culverts.  Since we'll be working up an appetite, PACCSA will be providing a cookout afterwards and handing out prizes to lucky volunteers.  

We'll be meeting in front of the lower warming hut at 10:30 AM.  For all trail clears, please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, bow saws, and rakes.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry!  There will be plenty of extras.  Also, since this Saturday is opening day for Bear hunting season, DCNR asks that everyone please wear bright, visible clothing.  With everyone's help, we'll have all of the trails clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!     

A few photos from a PACCSA rollerski outing near Ligonier, PA.  No group pic, we were in too much of a hurry to get to the Pie Shoppe.  If you would like to receive invitations to future outings, contact us. 

Kids, snow, fun and games...  registration for Yellowjackets, PACCSA's youth team, is now open for the 2016-2017 season.

Don't miss your chance!

More info here

Drive for 25 is the National Nordic Foundation's grass-roots fundraiser to support US cross country skiing.  Most of the athletes on the US Nordic Ski Team are or have been supported by the NNF, read Caitlin's story to learn more.

If you can help, any amount is welcome.

The fundraiser ends on Dec 1.

The Ski Saturday group in NYC are starting up a weekly continuously happening ski session every Saturday - the kind of thing that can go on even for one hundred years.  Every Saturday people show up to ski, and skiers visiting NYC will always find buddies with gear to lend for a ski session around Central Park and Harlem.

Visiting NYC and want to rollerski?  Contact Enrique.

(For rollerskiing in London, contact Iain, and for PA, contact us)

Thinking of getting a few days early season skiing with some expert coaching too?  If you're prepared to travel, then check these out

Team PACCSA finished the challenge period (May-Sept) in 8th place locally and 348th nationally, with 7396 miles pedalled. Our #1 rider was Kevin Craig, who rode a glorious 3407 miles, followed by Mike Blessington, 1364 miles, and Paquita Txirrindulari, 1874 miles.

More info here

What did you do as summer training? 

So far we have evidence of Dave Helwig and Mark Spear cycling to Mars to find a flying saucer, Nancy and Addy Barnes getting a SUP workout, Carlton Ketchum striding along the Eliza Furnace trail in Pittsburgh, beach skiing from Naomi Jarvis (there wasn't enough snow in PA last winter), Jim Anglin on a gut-busting bike race in WV, Robert Kaschak with his medal from the Pittsburgh Adventure Triathlon, and James Fenn in the start lines for a rollerski race.

Winter is coming fast!  Please join PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group on Saturday, September 24, 2016 beginning at 10 AM for some much needed trail work.  The primary focus will be repairing areas of erosion damage along the Laurel Mountain nordic ski trails with loads of crushed stone and fill.  We need a significant amount of manpower to accomplish this task.  

After the work is completed, there will be a hearty picnic dinner provided by DCNR and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group.  Also, various prizes donated by REI will be given away.  

If you're able to volunteer for this important trail work, please gather at the Laurel Mountain warming hut on Saturday at 9:45 AM.  Wear sturdy shoes, long pants and bring a good pair of work gloves.  DCNR has a large selection of tools for us to use, but feel free to bring a good sturdy shovel if you have one. 

PACCSA thanks its members for their tireless volunteerism and looks forward to a snowy 2016/2017 ski season!             

PACCSA set a new record for the number of rollerskiers on one Pittsburgh street after yesterday's picnic.  Thanks to Alan Hough of Skike PA and PACCSA Board members Jim South and Naomi Jarvis for sharing their rollerski gear.

If you are interested in rollerskiing, let us know!  We have email and garmin connect groups for PACCSA rollerskiers, and a few of us meet in or near Pittsburgh most weeks.

The Pennsylvania Nordic Championships will be held at Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA, on Sunday, February 5th, 2017 between 9 AM and 12 PM.  There are events for everyone, including kids races, classic races, and skate races.  The course conditions at Wilderness Lodge are currently excellent, with more snow and continued cold temperatures expected.  Register today at SkiReg.com!  

More details

Please join PACCSA in Pittsburgh this weekend for our annual picnic on Saturday, August 27th beginning at 12:30 PM. Come meet PACCSA's Board of Directors, learn about future projects, and enjoy a lunch of sandwiches, salads and other summer favorites.  If you've ever wanted to try rollerskiing, we'll have skate and classic models on hand with both NNN and Salomon bindings.  Just bring your boots, poles and a helmet to give them a whirl!  Some of us will also be mountain biking the trails in in Frick Park, so bring your bike if you have one!  We'll also be holding PACCSA's "annual meeting" to elect this season's Board of Directors.  

All PACCSA members and their families are invited.  If you're interested, meet us at the Law Offices of Frischman & Rizza, 7300 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 (just up the road from the Frick Museum) beginning at 12:30 PM.  See you there!           

Please join PACCSA and the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group on Saturday, August 13 for some trail work.  We'll be focusing on squaring away some of the backcountry trails in the Northwoods and Roaring Run areas.  Meet us at 9:45 AM  at the Route 31 pole building.  DCNR will be providing water and granola bars, and be sure to bring a lunch and wear sturdy shoes, long pants, and work gloves!

PACCSA thanks our members in advance for volunteering to keep the region's Nordic ski trails in tip-top shape!   

There's still time to join the National Bike Challenge - look for team PACCSA.  We are currently team #351 nationally and #7 in Pittsburgh, with over 2000 miles logged.  Your bicycle miles can be entered on the challenge website directly, or synced automatically from Endomondo, MapMyRide and Strava.

2016 was a season of ups and downs - snow one week and grass the next!  Yellowjackets coaches spent far too much of the winter checking the weather forecast and looking for alternative dryland activities.  After two weeks of dryland we were literally jumping for joy to be on snow.  We had 3 on-snow sessions at Laurel Ridge and 3 dryland sessions, which were a mix of hiking, games, rollerskiing, indoor mountain biking and more hiking.  (Continued...)

PACCSA members Elizabeth Beech, Mike Blessington, Bruce Cox, Jim Logan and Bob Mazur worked hard at the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group work day on June 4, splitting an enormous heap of logs into firewood to keep skiers warm next winter.  Elizabeth said, "It was a great group of people to work with and we made a pretty good team. I'm so glad to get the chance to contribute to the places I get to play in.  I had a blast." 

Join the fun at the next LMVG workday on August 13.

In conjunction with National Trails Day, PACCSA is teaming up with the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group (LMVG) to do some trail work this Saturday, June 4th, beginning at 10 AM.  This is one of just a few "volunteer days" scheduled by DCNR each year where PACCSA volunteers are permitted to do maintenance work on the Laurel Mountain XC ski trails, such as repairing wash-out areas and improving drainage.  Your hard work during the off-season ensures that we'll have the best possible trail conditions when the snow returns!  

Meet up at the Laurel Mountain Warming Hut at 9:45 AM.  Also, if you have not previously done so, please click here to sign up as a DCNR Conservation Volunteer.          

This year is the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group (LMVG)’s 10th year anniversary, making it an especially important work season!  Please mark your calendars for the 2016 volunteer trail work days:

Saturday, June 4

Saturday, August 13

Saturday, September 24

More detailed information will be available closer to the trail work dates.  Register as a volunteer to receive email updates.  

The local forecasts from the National Weather Service are linked to our ski area map - click the balloon for the ski area of interest and then click 'Forecast'.  There is also a collection of links to various weather forecast websites on the pages for the PACCSA webcams at Laurel Ridge and Laurel Mountain including the NWS's new interactive map of predicted snowfall depth. 

It's been a strange winter, and with the poor snow conditions, we know that many of you have held off on joining or renewing your PACCSA membership.  However, the snow has returned and PACCSA is pleased to announce a special LATE SEASON BONUS for anyone who joins, renews their membership, or donates to PACCSA between now and April 1, 2016!  Click here for more details!   

Come join us this Sunday at Wilderness Lodge for the The Pennsylvania Nordic Championship races!  Start off Super Bowl Sunday the right way with some fun competition on Wilderness Lodge's expertly prepared trail system!  The races begin at 9 AM, so you'll have plenty of time to test your abilities against the region's best skiers before heading home to watch the big game!

Read more about the race and our sponsors by clicking here!

PACCSA recently sponsored two very successful trail clearing events.  On November 6th, twenty-five PACCSA volunteers attended a trail clear at Laurel Mountain.  The following weekend, seventeen PACCSA volunteers helped get things ready at the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center.  Read more about these successful volunteer events!    

The all-volunteer Laurel Summit Nordic Ski Patrol needs your help this winter at the Warming Hut and on the trails. 

More details here

Your membership fees and donations make PACCSA's webcam program possible. 

Thank you for your ongoing support!     

PACCSA volunteers enjoyed the sunshine at the Laurel Ridge trail clear last weekend.  Fallen branches have been removed, drains cleaned out, and firewood stacked.  We're ready for snow.

For the second year in a row, PACCSA is teaming up with the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession for pre-season trail work.  The Laurel Ridge trail clear is scheduled for Sunday, November 15th from 10:30 AM until 3:30 PM.  The Ski Concession is giving everyone who participates one trail pass for the 2015/2016 season and will be throwing a free cookout with soups and warm drinks. Participants will also have a chance to win free ski garb.  If you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to Jim South at south2027@hotmail.com indicating the number of people in your party.  This will let the Ski Concession know how much food to prepare.     

For all trail clears, please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, bow saws, and rakes.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry!  There will be plenty of extras.  Also, since it will be hunting season, DCNR asks that everyone please wear bright, visible clothing.  With everyone's help, we'll have all of the trails clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!     

PACCSA's first ever trail clear at Laurel Mountain is scheduled for this Saturday, November 7th, beginning at 10 AM.  The trails are in good shape, but last week's wind from the remnants of Hurricane Patricia dropped a ton of debris on the trails.  We'll work for two hours before having a picnic lunch at the Laurel Ridge Warming Hut at noon.  After lunch, PACCSA will be holding its November Board Meeting, which is open to all PACCSA members.    

We'll be meeting at the Laurel Mountain Warming Hut.  From the Ligonier/Laughlintown area, take Rt. 30 until you reach the top of the mountain.  Take a right onto Summit Road and drive about 2 miles until you come to the warming hut.  If you can attend, please e-mail Jim South at south2027@hotmail.com.  That will let us know how much food to prepare.  

As with all trail clears, please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, and bow saws if you have them. Again, we'll mostly be clearing downed branches and other debris from the trails, so tools aren't necessary.  Lastly, since it's hunting season, DCNR asks that you please wear brightly colored, high-visibility clothing.   

Unfortunately, Wilderness Lodge does not have enough snow for the 2016 Pennsylvania Nordic Championships, which were rescheduled to occur on March 6, 2016.  PACCSA thanks all of our sponsors and apologizes for this inconvenience.  Participants who pre-registered through SkiReg.com will be receiving a refund. Hopefully excellent snow conditions will return in 2017.  

Kids, snow, fun and action...  registration for Yellowjackets, PACCSA's youth team, is now open for the 2015-2016 season.  Don't miss your chance!  More info here

DCNR held a public meeting on October 28th in Monroeville for public comment on the 2015 State Forest Resource Management Plan (SFRMP).  The Bureau of Forestry develops this document as the primary reference governing how Pennsylvania’s numerous state forests may be used.  Numerous PACCSA members attended the meeting to comment on issues related to cross-country skiing and trail grooming in the State Forests.  

Citizens may still submit written comments related to the SFRMP until November 30th.  If you would like to submit a comment to DCNR, there is an online survey available that makes the process easy.  You can also submit comments via e-mail to StateForestPlan2015@pa.gov.  If you still haven't taken a look at the SFRMP, click here and pay particular attention to the “recreation” sections, pages 166 through 183.  

Thank you for doing your part to ensure that DCNR’s state forests remain a great place for cross-country skiing! 

Team PACCSA finished the challenge period (May-Sept) in 12th place locally and 440th nationally, with 6907 miles pedalled.  Once again, Board Member Mike Blessington held the spot at the top of the leaderboard with 1741 miles, hotly pursued by Jim Anglin (1532) and Paquita Txirrindulari (1424).  Here he is on the GAP trail with PACCSA President Jim South and Yellowjacket James Fenn.  Congratulations to all who took part.  If you missed it, join us next year.

There's just one day left for the NNF's campaign to raise money to support US cross country skiing - this will help many of the national team and the junior teams get to races.  If you are able to contribute, any amount is welcome. Thank you.

Please help our friends at Trail Pittsburgh (formerly PTAG) fix up some drainage issues on the xc ski trail in N Park. This trail is a treat to ski, it goes through the woods close to the edge of the golf course and needs about 5" of snow to be skiable. We will be installing drains and removing some rock ski-traps. Lunch will be provided. Afterwards, head on over to the Trail Fest event, bring classic poles if you'd like to do some nordic walking, or rollerskis for a nice hill workout. We are meeting at 8am at the Scout Cabin on Kummer Rd. More details here

Mark your calendar with the PACCSA trail work days:

Saturday Nov 7 at Laurel Mountain

Sunday Nov 15 at Laurel Ridge

Friends of Oil Creek State Park have work days planned for Sundays Oct 25, Nov 8 and Nov 22.  

White Grass have work days every weekend in November - RSVP to join the fun.

Over the past several years, PACCSA has been working with the Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group (LMVG) on improvements to the ski trails at Laurel Mountain and other locations within Forbes State Forest.  A LMVG work day is scheduled for this Saturday, August 8th at 9:45 AM.  While there a numerous tasks to be accomplished, a primary focus will be clearing trails in the Northwoods skiing area.  

Skiers are made in the summer - well, summer is on the way out, what have you been doing?  Let's see some training photos here (use the contact form to ask for our email address).  Here's Jason Zimmerman on his way to winning the ACA Master's Crit Series with the Freddie Fu Cycling Team - congrats, Jason!  Click on the photo or the title to see more PACCSA members' antics and maybe get some inspiration for your own.

There are two summer biathlons coming up - June 27 in Altoona, and August 8 at Oil Creek State Park.   No experience is necessary, equipment will be provided, and there will be safety training for first-timers.   More info on PA biathlons

*** The Oil Creek biathlon is FULL! ***   Volunteers and spectators are welcome.

The Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group Work Days for 2015 are

Saturday, June 6

Saturday, August 8

Saturday, September 26

More details here

Do you ride a bike? Log your cycling miles for the National Bike Challenge and join Team PACCSA. Our 2014 bike challenge champion Mike Blessington is at the top of our leaderboard once again, and after the first week, Team PACCSA is in 18th place locally. Miles can be logged using Strava, Endomondo, Mapmyride, or directly on the bike challenge website. The bike challenge awards 20 points for each day with over 1 mile pedalled, plus one point per mile, so regular short rides can build up points more easily than less frequent longer rides. There is also a friendly competition between the bike advocacy nonprofits Bike Pittsburgh and Bike Cleveland for the Rust Belt Cup  - and a free beer in June for each mileage target reached.

The 2016 PA Nordic Championships will be held at Wilderness Lodge on Sunday, February 7th, 2016.  The races will include:

5km classic and 10km or 20km skate for adults

5km classic and 5km skate for youth

and a choice of races for kids.

More details will be released nearer the time.  Mark your calendar now!

Have you put storage wax on your skis yet?  If not, don't panic, but follow the instructions in the Toko summer storage manual  The Toko guidelines also work for Swix wax, use yellow/BP/CH10 for cleaning and red/CH8 for storage.  Summer ski care from Madshus suggests purple/CH7 for storage.  If you're lucky, that same red or purple wax will be just what you need for the first ski outing of next season - just scrape, brush and go

Everyone who joined PACCSA this season was entered into a drawing for one of four different "Evaporator" ski and duffel bags that were donated by REI.  Click the title above to see the winners! 

Special thanks to REI who has been a great supporter of PACCSA over the years!  Also, thanks to each individual member of PACCSA for your ongoing support! 

 

The 2015 Pennsylvania Nordic Championships were held at Wilderness Lodge for the second year in a row on February 8, 2015.  In the end, PACCSA held one of the most exciting races in recent memory, with Nancy Herbst and Sheldon Degenhardt being crowned the 2015 Pennsylvania Nordic Champions.  For a full recap of all the races, click on the title above.    

Even the youngest Yellowjackets are learning trail etiquette - calling out 'on your left' to pass to the left of a slower skier, 'Track!' (clear the track please, a faster skier is coming through) and, of course, 'thank you'.

Thank you to the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation for the Young Skier Development Grant which was awarded to PACCSA Yellowjackets in 2014. Yellowjackets have enjoyed the plentiful snowfall at Laurel Ridge - 2015 has been our snowiest season ever! The photos show the team enjoying an agility session disguised as a game of 'fire and ice' tag.

This weekend the Sunday lesson is rescheduled for Saturday 14 Feb, due to the forecast extreme cold on Sunday.

Huge thank you to Norb Duritsa for teaching not one, but two lessons last Saturday!  One to a group of scouts, and one regular PACCSA lesson.  For remaining lesson dates, see the events calendar.

REI, a long time partner of PACCSA, has graciously provided us with FOUR fantastic bags to be used as fundraisers - two duffel bags, and two ski bags (one in each color).  These will be awarded to the lucky winners on February 28, 2015.  Everyone who joins or renews their membership by 2/28/15 will be eligible to win.  The winners will be randomly selected, please encourage your friends to join and support our club.  Thank you to REI for this generous gift.

The lucky winner of the Top Gear swag bag is Louis D.

From Erica and Andy at Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center:  Ski Swap!  Bring your used outdoor gear (any - not just skiing).  We'll provide pricing tags, clothing racks, hangers, cash box & credit card processing.  We will watch & sell your items while you ski for 10% of the selling price.  Drop off anytime this Friday or Saturday.  Pick up Sunday, Monday or following Friday.

Thanks to Norb Duritsa, Bob Dezort, Robert Kaschak and Mike Lubich for instructing the PACCSA ski lessons on Jan 18 and Feb 1.  There are several more ski lessons scheduled - see the events calendar

Results are on Miles of Smiles website.   Thank you to Wilderness Lodge for hosting the race, many volunteers for helping, Miles of Smiles for timing, Whole Foods Market for the fruit, and all the racers and families who came out to enjoy the day.

A can't miss outing of outdoor enthusiasts, skiers, snowshoers, hikers.

Saturday January 24, 2015 10AM at Laurel Mountain Summit Road warming hut.

More info here

Join PACCSA or renew your membership by February 12, 2015 to be entered into a drawing for a messenger bag full of bike swag courtesy of Top Gear who are now stocking a selection of nordic gear from Madshus at their Wexford location.  The bag itself would retail for $120 and contains a water bottle, lock, socks, neck gaiter, taillight, some other small swag, and 20 Top Dollars.   The drawing will be held on Feb 13th.  

Registration for the 2014-2015 season is open, see www.paccsa.org/yellowjackets. 

Don't miss your chance - registration will close on Dec 16.

This year we have a grant from the Birkie Foundation to help people with ski rentals - contact us for details.  Thank you, Birkie!

At the end of the challenge period, the PACCSA team was ranked #319 nationally, out of a total of 1266 teams, and #43 out of the 927 teams with less than 10 riders (we had 9) - outstanding!  Our collective total of miles pedalled is 8320, and the lead rider was Board Member Mike Blessington (pictured, several years ago) who covered 1953 miles, closely followed by Jim Anglin (1608 miles) and Paquita Txirrindulari (1573 miles).  Mike put in his miles on the local trails, mostly from the Point in Pittsburgh to Cedar Creek, and recommends the Westmoreland Heritage Trail for its changing terrain and beautiful scenery.  Tracking days and miles with the NBC provided a real incentive to get out and ride.

Congratulations to all the participants!  We'll be doing this again in 2015, look for the announcement on the website in spring.

'Buy a 12 time use pass for $75 ($21 savings).  Pass is good through March 2015.  Offer ends November 30th.

Call Andy at 724-880-4384'

 

November 16th was a chilly day, but a light blanket of snow made for a beautiful backdrop.  A record total of nineteen PACCSA volunteers made the trip to the Laurel Highlands to participate in the second trail clear of 2014.  Tons of wood was moved and stacked at both warming huts, drains and culverts were cleared of debris, and the trails were swept one final time of fallen limbs.  Laurel Ridge is ready to go!  All we need now is a big dump of snow!

Andy Smith, Erica Smith and Bob Ruppel from the Ski Concession provided the volunteers with a hearty lunch including homemade chili, burgers and hot dogs.  Probably the best part of the day was catching up with old friends and swapping ski stories in the warming hut while filling up on lunch.  Each volunteer earned a complimentary trail ticket for Laurel Ridge, and the names of everyone who helped out at the October and November Laurel Ridge trail clears will be entered into a prize raffle for items from Patagonia, Swix, Atomic, and more.  The Ski Concession plans to hold the raffle on opening day (when there's enough snow for skiing) and will notify the winners via e-mail.  

PACCSA thanks the following volunteers for making the November trail clear a successful event:

Jim Anglin, Bill Askin, Kevin Craig, Amy Dana, Neal Dana, Norb Duritsa, James Fenn, Dave Helwig, Naomi Jarvis, Hop Kruper, Kelly Kruper, Chuck Nash, Christina Price, Kelly Rosche, Bill Rosche, Sally Smales, Jim South, Matthew South, and Traci Torrence.

The second trail clear at the Laurel Ridge XC Skiing Center will occur this Sunday, November 16th, from 10:30 AM until 3:30 PM.  Everyone who participates will once again earn a free trail ticket for the 2014/2015 ski season.  Also, the Lucky Dog Cafe will be providing a delicious lunch for every volunteer. 

If you can attend, please e-mail Jim South at south2027@hotmail.com.  Make sure to indicate how many people will be coming with you so the Lucky Dog Cafe knows how much food to prepare.  Also, please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clipper, bow saws and rakes if you have them.  If not, we'll have extra tools on hand.  Lastly, deer hunting season starts this week, so DCNR asks that you please wear brightly colored, high-visibility clothing. 

Let's get together to support the development of the USA's future Nordic stars.  

Donations of any size are very welcome.  Think of it as buying one of the athletes a coffee, a stick of wax, or a small fraction of a ski pole.  Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation, which supports developing athletes and the US 'B' team.  Almost all of the skiers on the US team have benefitted from NNF help in the past.  The campaign ends on Nov 15.

Let's put some PA pride into the NNF fundraising for 2015 - thank you! 

Join PACCSA or renew your membership by December 19, 2014 to be entered into a drawing for snowtubing for two, compliments of Seven Springs Mountain Resort.  Drawing will be held Dec. 20th. - UPDATE - the winner is Barbara B.  Another prize draw will be announced soon.

PACCSA's webcams are up and running, just in time for the first predicted snow accumulations of the season.  The Laurel Ridge XC Center webcam will once again feature a button for skiers to take their own photos.  Also, make sure to check out the newly improved webcam at the Laurel Mountain ski trails.  Your membership fees and donations make the webcam program possible.  Thank you for your ongoing support!   

Last Saturday was a bit of a dreary day at the Laurel Ridge XC Skiing Center, but the heavy rains stopped just before the trail clear got underway.  Eleven hearty PACCSA volunteers braved the wet and chilly conditions to remove fallen trees, large limbs and other debris from the trail system.  In the end, virtually every trail was cleaned up and readied for the 2014/2015 ski season. 

Andy Smith and Bob Ruppel from the Ski Concession provided all of PACCSA's volunteers with a delicious lunch which included homemade chili, grilled burgers, hot dogs, and warm apple cider.  In addition, everyone earned a trail ticket for helping out.  PACCSA extends a special thanks to the following volunteers who braved the weather to help accomplish this back-breaking work:

Kevin Craig, Norb Duritsa, James Fenn, Kate Fissel, Naomi Jarvis, Brian Joly, Gene Parsons, Jim South, Matthew South, Traci Torrence and George Wolf.   

For those who couldn't make it, there will be another trail clear at the Laurel Ridge XC Skiing Center on November 16th from 10 AM until 3 PM.  We'll provide more information on this event in the coming weeks. 

Think snow! 

The Drive for 25 is the grassroots funding program for American nordic skiing at a national level.  The National Nordic Foundation picks up the tab for much of the training and racing costs of young and upcoming athletes and also the US Nordic B Team.  More information here.

PACCSA is teaming up with the Laurel Ridge Ski Concession for two pre-season trail clears this year.  The first trail clear will occur this Saturday, October 18th, from 10 AM until 3 PM.   

The Ski Concession is giving everyone who participates one free trail ticket for use during the 2014/2015 season.  You'll also be entered into a drawing for prizes from Patagonia, Swix, Atomic, and others.  Since clearing trails tends to work up a hearty appetite, lunch is being provided for everyone by the Lucky Dog Cafe! 

If you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to Jim South at south2027@hotmail.com indicating the number of people in your party.  This will allow the Lucky Dog Cafe to know how much food to prepare.  Also, if you have them, please bring work gloves and hand tools such as loppers, clippers, bow saws, and rakes.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry!  We'll have plenty of extras.  Lastly, since it is small-game season, DCNR asks that everyone please wear bright, visible clothing.  

With everyone's help, we'll have the Laurel Ridge trail system clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!  See you on Saturday!   

This year's CXC Coaches Conference will be focused on CXC/USSA Level 100 and Level 200 Coaches Certification, with a session for Adaptive coaching.

The conference is Oct 17-19 in Cable, WI.  For more information see the CXC website.

Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center are planning 2 trail clear days for 2014, Oct 18th and Nov 16th.

For more information see the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center on facebook or contact luckydogcafe@gmail.com

Oct 23: Closing tonight! Here's the history: Sept 30: 750 spots are still open, this seems like a lot, but most waves are now closed.  Oct 8: down to 500.  Oct 22: 100. 

50 spots are reserved for JDRF fundraisers.

Read more here

Check out this new Pittsburgh cross country skiers meetup group (sponsored by PACCSA). 

"Let's get organized so when we're skiing at the same place at the same time, we can ski TOGETHER!"

The Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group trail work days for this summer are

• Saturday June 7 at Laurel Mountain
• Saturday August 9 at North Woods
• Saturday October 4 at Laurel Mountain

See the individual events pages for more information. To receive work day updates by email, register with DCNR (specify Forbes State Forest as the location).

This year we have a PACCSA team for the national bike challenge!  If you ride a bike during the summer, please join the team.  Log your miles and watch your place on the PACCSA leaderboard and the team's place on the national team leaderboard.  It's all in fun, and if you pass through Pittsburgh you can stop in at OTB cafe and pick up a free beer, thanks to their pedal for pints program, if you've earned one (the first one is easy).  You'll need to create an account on nationalbikechallenge.org, but if you already log your exercise using endomondo or mapmyrun, the bike challenge site can sync with those automatically.

Thanks to donations from Seven Springs, REI and #1 Cochran, PACCSA was able to distribute some gifts to members chosen at random from new and renewed memberships during the past season.  The winners were Peter E, Mark M, Jack H, Dana D, Donald B, Barbara B, Keith J, Patrick S, Brian J, Jim S, Linda L, Kathy S, Thomas B, Brandon P, Jack M, George H, Christopher S, Kingsley G, Lora W, Alan K, Bernie R, Kelli M, and Neal D.



Thank you all for supporting PACCSA.

As the first day of spring arrives PACCSA reminds you how to properly store your skis in the off season. When ski season is over, make sure that you properly prepare your skis for summer storage. If you don't, the bases may dry out, which will decrease their performance. You also want to have your ski equipment ready to go next winter when the snow starts to fall. For skate skis, wax the entire base; for classic skis, wax the glide zones. For the kick zone, you can cork on a soft kick wax .

PACCSA wishes to thank the Westmoreland County Tourism Grant Program for a grant of $2000 towards the purchase of additional grooming equipment for Laurel Mountain.  The grant is administered through the Laurel Highlands Visitor Bureau.

Cold, very cold conditions and a foot of snow in 24 hours did not stop PACCSA members David Bozak, Greg Harkay, Naomi Jarvis, Robert Kaschak, Hop Kruper and Sally Smales from finishing the 2014 American Birkebeiner, and Jim Anglin from finishing the Korte!!

The conditions were slow, the temps around zero at the start made for a brutal beginning and a brutal day.  But that did not stop the team from PA !!

Robert Kaschak finished the 54 K classic !!  David Bozak, Greg Harkay, Naomi Jarvis, Hop Kruper and Sally Smales finished the 50 K Skate !!

PACCSA wishes to thank the Somerset County Tourism Grant Program for a grant of $1839 towards the replacement of the webcam equipment at Laurel Mountain.  The grant is administered through the Laurel Highlands Visitor Bureau.



 

PACCSA has been chosen to receive a portion of proceeds from sales of Snakeguy's Pepper Mix for the month of February, 2014. View the order form here.  Add a bite to any meal!  Thank you, Robert (Snakeguy) Habegger.

This tweet just in, VASA results. Denny McDonough finished 10th overall and 1st in his age group in the 50k classic. Scott Rugh finished 3ed in his age group in the 50k classic. Jason Zimmerman finished 7th overall and 1st in his age group in the 25k skate race. That's our PACCSA boys. Great race guys! #PACCSA

 Complete VASA race results

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, the PACCSA PA Championship Race was a great success. We had almost 150 racers, a beautiful day, tremendous conditions, and lots of fun was had by all. Look for complete results and more pictures to be posted soon. Thanks to all the volunteers and The Wilderness Lodge for making this race a huge success.

Race results

Coming to the PA Nordic Championship at Wilderness Lodge on February 1? We hope so! You'll be rewarded with a great day of skiing at one of the finest nordic ski resorts in the eastern U.S. To make it easy for you to register, PACCSA has created a page on skireg.com. You can find it here: https://www.skireg.com/Net/pennsylvania-nordic-championship.

All registrations make on skireg.com will receive a $10 discount over same-day registration. Sign up now and save 10 bucks!

PACCSA could use volunteers to help with various tasks at the Pennsylvania Nordic Championship, to be held this year at Wilderness Lodge near Erie on February 1. In exchange for a few hours of your time, we'll pay your trail fee at Wildernees Lodge, worth $15! Please contact racedirector@paccsa.org right away for more information.

Ex-Pgh-AYH diaspora are renting Wilderness Lodge for Feb 7-9; some rooms are still available.   This is not a PACCSA event, but PACCSA members are welcome to join in - contact kate@paccsa.org for more details.

PACCSA needs your help!  We're trying to raise $3000 to replace our ageing fleet of webcams and pay for their associated internet service.  

 

Everyone who joins PACCSA or renews their membership before 26th March 2014 will be entered into a weekly drawing for an oil change at any branch of #1 Cochran, and a gift from REI.  Memberships taken out or renewed since 1st September 2013 are eligible for the weekly drawings; no more than one prize per membership can be awarded.  PACCSA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible.  Please renew your membership today and be sure to ask your friends to join.

The winners are Peter E, Mark M, Jack H, Dana D, Donald B, Barbara B, Keith J, Patrick S, Brian J, Jim S, Linda L, Kathy S, Thomas B, Brandon P, Jack M, George H, Christopher S, Kingsley G, Lora W, Alan K, Bernie R, Kelli M, and Neal D.

Thank you for supporting PACCSA. 

Yep, we moved the webcam at Laurel Mt.  DCNR is plowing where we had it pointed before. This is still Summit trail behind the warming hut. Now go do your snow dance.

The winner of the Seven Springs Dinner is Peter E.  Thankyou to all of you who have supported PACCSA.  The next fundraiser will have a weekly prize draw during January and February - more details will be announced soon.

Join the swarm!

The PA Nordic Championships will be Wilderness Lodge in Wattsburg, PA, on Saturday, February 1st.

Please register online, today.  Online registration will close on Friday. 

Late registration will be from 8am - 10am on Saturday at Wilderness Lodge, Wildcat HQ.  There will be a late fee of $10 added to each race fee.  The number of racers will be capped at 100 adults + 100 kids, so to reserve your bib number, register online.

Bib pickup will be from 8am - 11.30 am on Saturday at Wilderness Lodge, Wildcat HQ.  The entrance is behind the trail fee building, which is the smaller building to the left of the main lodge.  As you enter the parking lot, it is straight ahead.

Race schedule:

10.00 5.5k classic

10.25 Kids assemble outside the Wildcat HQ. 

10.30 Kids leave for start locations, skiing in a group led by Wildcats Coach Ned.

11.00 Kids races - 1k and 2k classic, 2k and 3k skate

12.00 8.5k and 17k skate.

2.00 Kids activities start, meet outside Wildcat HQ.

Race fees online are $8 for the kids races, $40 for one adult race, $55 for two adult races (same racer). These include the trail fee for the day.  Late fees for on-site registrations are $10 more for each race.

Course maps for the skate races are at http://thewildernesslodge.net/conditions/  The 5.5k classic race is two laps around North and South fields.  The kids races are along shorter sections of the classic race course, finishing near the Lodge.

There are prizes and awards for overall winners and age group categories.  For the adult racers, there are long-sleeved tech shirts for the first 50 to register, and fruit courtesy of Whole Foods Market.

Glide wax recommendations from Swix

Ski games, races, cocoa... Yellowjackets is for kids 5 to 15 to learn to ski (and ski faster).  It is even more fun with a group of friends.  Join the swarm!

PACCSA needs your help!  We're trying to raise $3000 to replace our ageing fleet of webcams and pay for their associated internet service.  

 

Everyone who joins PACCSA or renews their membership between September 1st and December 31st, 2013, will be entered into a drawing for a dinner for two at the Slopeside Dining Room, courtesy of Seven Springs Mountain Resort.  Please renew your membership today and be sure to ask your friends to join.  The winner of the drawing will be announced the first week of January, along with details of a special incentive for all members. 

 

Thankyou in advance for your continued support of PACCSA.  Your generous donations have given PACCSA the tools necessary to enhance the cross-country skiing experience throughout our region.    

Yellowjackets are looking forward to an active and snowy winter with ski games, races and hot chocolate.  Yellowjackets is for kids aged 5-15 to learn to ski and to ski faster.   Join the fun!

Last Saturday was a perfect day for a trail clear.  More than a dozen PACCSA volunteers participated in backbreaking trail work at the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center on a sunny and seasonable fall day.  Crews worked from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM to remove fallen trees, large limbs and other debris from the trail system, most of which came down during the powerful Halloween-night storm.  Additionally, clogged drainage ditches and culverts were cleared of leaves and other debris.  Afterwards, everyone had a great time telling their favori

The first snow is on the ground! Have you joined or renewed your membership? PACCSA members enjoy discounts on trail passes at several PA ski areas and at Cycle, Sport and Ski in Greensburg, PA! So join us today and get ready for a great season!

Just a reminder that PACCSA's annual Laurel Ridge trail clear is tomorrow morning starting at 9:00 AM (details can be found in the previous post).  The extended forecast says a storm coming up the east coast might bring accumulating snow early next week.  Since the Halloween-night wind storm dropped a ton of new debris on the trails, we need everyone's help to get them ready for the 2013/2014 ski season!

See you on Saturday!

PACCSA will be doing its annual trail clear at the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center this Saturday, November 9th, beginning at 9:00 AM.  Afterwards, we'll be having a cookout with hotdogs, chips and beverages for everyone.  Feel free to bring your favorite snacks, cookies or other goodies to share!

The weather forecast for Laurel Ridge promises a dry and pleasant day with a high near 60 degrees.  If you have them, please bring work gloves and hand tools for cutting back invasive vegetation along the trails (loppers, clippers, bow saws, etc.).  Also, rakes are helpful for clearing trail debris and spreading dirt to even out depressions.  If you don't have any of these tools, don't worry!  We'll have plenty of extras.  Also, since it is hunting season, DCNR asks that everyone please wear bright, visible clothing (fluoro orange or yellow jackets, shirts and hats work best).

With everyone's help, we'll have the Laurel Ridge trail system clean and clear for the season's first big snowfall!  See you on Saturday!   

Saturday November 9 is PACCSA's annual trail clear day at Laurel Ridge.   Mark your calendar now and check back later on for more details.

The National Nordic Foundation funds elite skiers such as the USSA B-team (USSA can only support the 6 athletes on the A-team) and many developmental programs for junior skiers.  Drive for 25 is their fundraising campaign for 2013.  Please consider giving something to the NNF to support their good work.

Friends of Oil Creek State Park are sponsoring a clinic on xc skiing and ski waxing by Russ Myer from Albany, NY, on Nov 16th at Oil Creek State Park, PA.  It will include discussion of types of skiing and techniques, injury prevention and safety, fundamentals of waxing and ski prep, lunch will be provided, and there will be a ski prep session after lunch.  Pre-registration is required by Nov 8th - 40 people max.  More info here

The last volunteer day for 2013 is on September 28th - there will be a catered dinner afterwards, so RSVP to Ed Callahan if you can make it, and don't forget to register on the new DCNR volunteer database.

Who's interested in forming a rollerski group?  When and where do you like to rollerski?  Let us know! We have email and garmin connect groups for PACCSA rollerskiers.

Central Cross Country (our division of US Ski and Snowboard Association) has a variety of ski training support programs available - an online academy with training hints and a video library, a Masters Team with coaching and race support, and several training camps and clinics for skiers of all ages and abilities.

LMVG will be using DCNR's new online volunteer database in future.  If you wish to receive emails from them, such as the workday invitations, you will need to register at https://www.volunteers.dcnr.state.pa.us/VolunteerApplication.aspx and select Forbes State Forest under Forestry Locations.

2-4 August, Cable, WI

This camp is designed for citizen skiers of all ages and abilities, focuses on technique, busts bad habits, and builds new skills. During the three days at the camp participants will work on ski specific strength, agility and balance in addition to rollerski technique training.  There are beginner, intermediate and advanced options.  More details here and here

Thanks to a grant from REI and the cooperative efforts of DCNR, the LMVG, and TMR Roofing, the Laurel Mt warming hut has a shiny new metal roof. A special thanks for all the volunteers that helped to make this project a success. Thanks everyone, see you at the warming hut. 

Gear West, MN, are offering a nordic summer camp, July 12-14.  The Summer Camp will focus on technique, summer training, ski knowledge, wax and ski service, and having a fun filled weekend with fellow skiers.  Come prepared to learn and improve your skiing potential.  More details here.

Join PTAG (Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group) to celebrate the trails in Allegheny County Parks with mountain bike rides, trail runs and hikes during the weekend of July 12-14.  More details here.

PACCSA supports the efforts of the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy (CVC). Keep up the great job CVC!

Read more here

On June 8 volunteers will be replacing the roof on the warming hut, thanks to a grant from REI, amongst many other smaller tasks.  New volunteers are always welcome!  More details here

Many PACCSA members are taking part in fund-raising long-distance bicycle rides this summer - Jason Zimmerman, team MAMILS, team Maggie's Marauders... - see the full article (click on the title) for more information.

Cycling during the off-season?   Here's a fun way to log your miles, see how your friends/rivals are doing and win free beer - the National Bike Challenge.  It started on May 1st and runs all summer.  Want to form a PACCSA team?  Let me know.

Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group work dates for 2013 are June 8, Aug 24 and Sept 28.

Many thanks to the team of snow conditions reporters and Charlie the weatherman for providing updates throughout the season.

Do daffodils remind you of base prep wax?  Spring is here - if you have not already cleaned and put storage wax on your skis, now is the time.  Here are some hints on how to do so from Toko and Swix.  In brief, brush and wax, leave it on.  If you can move your wax bench outside, leisurely waxing in the sunshine makes a nice change from the usual last-minute late-night haste in a gloomy garage.

Yellowjackets, race stories, poster contest and more - hot from the press in the latest PACCSA newsletter.  If you are not a member, you can join online and use the contact form to request your copy by email.

The Laurel Mountain webcam has been turned off for the season. Here's what you will find as of 6PM on April 2, 2013. Wow! What a great season! Your membership dues and donations support this webcam as well as other PACCSA projects. Thank you. 

Where did you ski this winter?  Where would you like to ski again?  What was your favorite item in your ski bag, and why?  The deadline for submitting content to the next PACCSA newsletter is midnight Tuesday April 2.  Race reports, ski trip reports and product reviews are all welcome.  Please send contributions by email to newsletter@paccsa.org

March 30th MeltDown Party!

• All day 1/2 price rentals

• Noon till 4pm complimentary burgers, hotdogs & snacks!

• All day raffles with prizes & free ski vouchers for next season

Come celebrate a great season & get your last good ski!

For more details see the Concession's Facebook page

Congratulations to Kikkan Randall! First American woman in history to break into the top three overall in the FIS Cross Country World Cup. 

http://nordic.usskiteam.com/news/randall-third-overall

If you're looking for some good mid-winter skiing check out Wilderness Lodge this weekend. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151599210555087&set=a.2085919…

Thank you to the National Ski Patrol, Laurel Mountain Division. We are very fortunate to have this group of patrollers providing their volunteer service making cross country skiing safer on Laurel Mountain. Please let them know how appreciated they are and thank them for their valuable service. To read more about this group please visit their website at http://war-nordic.org/laurel_summit_nordic

We would like to invite you to come and see our new grooming equipment for Laurel Mountain. The snowmobile and groomer will be on display in front of the warming hut next Saturday, February 16th. Funding provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, and local donations.Thank you to everyone who has made this project a reality. 

 Several PACCSA members are racing at the Vasa this weekend. We wish them good luck. Make us proud! http://www.vasa.org/race.php

At the time of writing (Friday 2:30pm) the snow depth at Laurel Ridge is only a few inches.  We may have to settle for a shortened course or cancel altogether - the final decision will be made by noon on Saturday at the latest and will depend greatly on the snowfall over the next 12-15 hours.   Please bear this in mind when making travel plans. 

The website and Facebook pages will be updated as soon as the call is made.

 

Great news! Thanks to everyone on the search committees.

Observer-reporter breaking news report.

Our PACCSA cams are acting up so use these while we fix them. The LHSC cams are located on the top of the mountain off of Rt. 31 near Hidden Valley. Sorry for the inconvenience. Also, sorry there's no snow. ):

SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. —Pennsylvania State Police said they are still looking for Bruce Maust, who left his home Sunday on a red/black Polaris snowmobile.



Read more: http://www.wtae.com/news/local/Snowmobiler-missing-in-Laurel-Mountain-area/-/9681086/18310088/-/8uambpz/-/index.html#ixzz2JMwPCUZ0

In cooperation with the Riversport Ski Concession, PACCSA is happy to announce the availability of Wi-Fi service at the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center.  Now you can stay connected while trying to get away from it all!  Special thanks to Riversport which provided the wireless router that made this possible.  The wireless router was connected to the PACCSA Webcam’s internet service, providing a reliable Wi-Fi signal in the area of the two warming huts.        

The first of PACCSA's series of free ski lessons is scheduled for Sunday, January 6 at Laurel Ridge.  More details here. Watch the events page for more lessons in the weeks to come.

The Laurel Ridge Webcam has been inoperable since Thursday afternoon.  The current storm brought high winds to the Laurel Highlands and we suspect fallen trees have interrupted power and/or internet service to the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center.  Due to current weather conditions, it might take a day or two to fix the problem.  In the meantime, please follow the Laurel Mountain Webcam since conditions there are usually quite similar to those at Laurel Ridge.  We apologize for the inconvenience and recognize that local skiers depend on PACCSA's webcams for up-to-date weather information. 

The PA Cross Country Skiers Association(PACCSA), in cooperation with DCNR, Rolling Ridge Snowmobile Club, and the Laurel Mountain National Ski Patrol will again be providing limited grooming on some of the trails at Laurel Mt. This will include Loop, Interstate, Lippo’s Loop, and parts of Towhee and Albert’s trails. Grooming will primarily be for classic skiing with a set track and 4 foot flat corduroy section for other trail users. Volunteers will be using equipment rented by PACCSA. Some generous donations have been received but additional funds are needed to keep this program alive.

The new cross country ski trail map for Laurel Ridge State Park is available for download here  It shows the trail extensions completed this summer by Scott Rugh and EADS Group Inc, funded by the PACCSA/DCNR grant from Fay-Penn. 

9-4 on Saturday and Sunday Nov 10-11, free accommodation for those who help out provided they contact Ryan ahead of time (ie today!), see Wilderness Lodge on Facebook and PACCSA on Facebook for further details

The Laurel Mountain webcam is up and running. Thanks Bob, Sheila, and Bruce for getting this installed. The cam is mounted on the warming hut on Summit road about 4 miles south of Rt. 30 near Ligonier facing down Summit trail. Remember, your PACCSA dues and donations help support this and other cams. Thank you. 

The Laurel Ridge Webcam is up and running, and just in time for a Halloween treat from Hurricane Sandy!   

The trail improvement project at Laurel Ridge is now complete.  Two new trails were constructed, and two existing trails were improved.  All of these trails are within a quarter mile from the warming hut.  They are ready for the snow!

We had a skeleton crew Saturday but very appropriate for Halloween. Thanks to Sheila, Bob, Jim, Mike, Juliana & Granddaughter, Bruce, & Dave for volunteering. The trails are in great shape, ready for snow. The webcam is installed and should start taking pictures next week. Thanks again everyone.

Trail Clear! Saturday, October 27 at Laurel Ridge. Meet 9am at the upper warming hut. We will be trimming branches that are encroaching on the trails. Bring loppers, pruners and other trimmers (no tools provided), lunch or a snack. This could be your last chance to take a look at the new red trail extension before it has snow on it.

Two PACCSA "Ski Your 'S' Off" long-sleeved T-shirts are still available, size medium, one white, one gray. $20 each. 50% cotton, 50% polyester, 4-color Ski Your "S" Off picture on the front, large PACCSA logo in blue and gold on the back. Contact Rick Garstka at 412 462 7493 or garxcski@verizon.net

There are only two race suits left for purchase, one small, one medium, $120 each, and several hats at $26 each. If you are interested in any of these, contact Rick Garstka at 412 462 7493 or garxcski@verizon.net

The Laurel Mountain Volunteer Group (LMVG) held its final trail maintenance workday on Saturday October 6th. The LMVG was established to bring active outdoor groups that use the trails in the Forbes State Forests and Laurel Mountain together and work hand in hand to improve the trail system for all users. PACCSA was well represented and worked side by side with hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers, snowmobilers, and many other groups. Working together helps each group understand the different needs and wants to establish a common good.

Registration for Yellowjackets 2013 is open! Be quick - places are limited. Registration will close on Dec 2, or earlier if the groups are full.  For more details, visit Yellowjackets.