Meriden XC Grooming Report 3-7-2021

Hi everyone,

Bill wrote yesterday (apologies for the late delivery):

We have loosened the surface of the trail system during the week just passed, and the skiing has been good on a frozen granular surface. We plan to groom on Saturday morning this weekend. All trails will have a freshly groomed surface for the start of the weekend. Should be pretty good skiing.

I skied yesterday afternoon and Bill was being a little modest – the skiing was excellent! All the trails were groomed (nice and wide, too) and the coverage was excellent. In dense areas of woods there was some pine needles, cones, etc. mixed in (beware, waxers), but it wasn’t too bad. Fast skiing on a hard base with enough soft corn on top to feel safe on the downhills and not skid on the uphills skating. Saw a few classic skiers (and fat bikers) out and everyone looked happy.

This represented hours and hours and hours of grooming – it takes multiple passes on the same trail to break down that icy, frozen snow. We are truly lucky to have such a dedicated group of volunteers, headed by Bill, doing this for us.

Hope you get out today!

Cheers,
Carin

Have you made your donation to the grooming and equipment fund yet this year? We’re going through gas, oil, and repairs every day! Make your check payable to "Town of Plainfield" with "Trails" on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield

Attn: Bill Knight

Plainfield Trail Coordinator

PO Box 380

Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org

Meriden XC Grooming Report 2/19/2021

Great work by the groomers making this frozen garbage into lovely groomed trails. Nice fluffy stuff falling right now. This grooming work beats up equipment and uses fuel, so make sure to donate if you have not.

From Bill:

Over the last few days we have been out breaking up the crusty yuk that fell on the trails this week. After many hours of slicing it up, by 7:30 last night we had ground up the surface on all the trails. The new couple inches of snow promises some excellent skiing this weekend. We will be out packing it down today and tomorrow. If you come out to ski you will make our more than 20 hours of grooming a success.

________________________
And….

Many of you have donated this year, thank you so much. For those of you who want to send in donations: We’re going through gas, oil, and repairs every day! Make your check payable to "Town of Plainfield" with "Trails" on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax-deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield

Attn: Bill Knight

Plainfield Trail Coordinator

PO Box 380

Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org

Meriden XC Grooming Report 2/12/2021

Happy Friday,

Yesterday, Jon Nichols groomed everything across the bridge. This is ideal, get out and enjoy it.

Lost and Found:

About two weeks ago, a dog collar remote control (black and looks like a small walk-in-talkie) was found on the Smokehouse Loop.

🌨 =======================

The donations spiel: these trails do not maintain themselves. Make your check payable to "Town of Plainfield" with "Trails" on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax-deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield
Attn: Bill Knight
Plainfield Trail Coordinator
PO Box 380
Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org

Meriden XC Grooming Report 2/11/2021

Hello,

Two days and two reports!

From Bill:

Yesterday, great conditions for racing classic today, some sun and temperatures in the low to mid-20s – blue kick wax for some, green for the old hands like me. More than 100 high school and middle school skiers spent time on the Smokehouse Loops this afternoon. Some PES students not in the ski program got to watch the racing, as well as folks there to just use the trails.

We did manage to groom everything after the nice snow of Tuesday, and have set tracks on the Smokehouse Loops and in the fields. Across the bridge are some fine skating and good classic with no tracks. The snow is a nicely firm powder – it won’t get better than it is right now! Time to ski.

We found a Tesla card out on the trails today. Email us if it is yours or send your Tesla to come to get it in autonomous mode.

**************
And…

Many of you have donated this year, thank you so much. For those of you who want to send in donations: We’re going through gas, oil, and repairs every day! Make your check payable to “Town of Plainfield” with “Trails” on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax-deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield
Attn: Bill Knight
Plainfield Trail Coordinator
PO Box 380
Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org

Meriden XC Grooming Report 2/10/2021

All the trails are groomed, we were able to groom yesterday afternoon. Racing today (2/10) from noon to 4 pm on the Smokehouse trails. Cross the bridge and there will be a lot fewer folks for those out tomorrow afternoon.

The first annual Women’s Skate Ski Clinic at The Plainfield Trails was a huge success!

image.jpgAmy and Vicki report: We had 26 women who came out to work on their skate skiing technique and meet some new ski buddies. We had a range of abilities from beginner to advanced intermediate skiers and all learned new skills that they could take with them as they continue to ski this winter. Our beginning/lower intermediate group worked on V1, no poles skiing, and uphill technique while our intermediate/upper intermediate group worked on V1, V2, V2A, and uphill technique. We were able to cover a lot in the two hours and the perfect grooming with light snowfall on top made for excellent teaching and learning conditions. A huge thank you as always to Bill Knight for the superior grooming! It was a treat to work with so many lovely ladies and we can’t wait to do it again!

Meriden XC Grooming Report 2/5/2021

Bill Knight reports:

We have managed to get a couple of passes on all the major trails including Ira’s Loop. There is a women’s skate clinic there Sunday, so I hope to get more grooming done there this morning to form the surface – trails that have been groomed just once are slightly soft – it takes a second day of grooming to firm them up. The classic skiing is very fine on those surfaces, however.

We held a classic race during the day Wednesday, our first chance to ski on the Smokehouse trails this calendar year. Much fun was had and other folks had fun skiing across the bridge. We anticipate Wednesday racing on those trails every Wednesday in February.

Trails should be in good shape for the weekend. One groomer is down for repair, so set tracks are limited to what was done on Wednesday. I hope to have the machine fixed by the end of the weekend.

– Bill

It has been a beautiful week out on the trails thanks to the snow (of course) and the great grooming work. Smokehouse trails open all the way over across the bridge up to Ira’s. Carla Chandler shared a photo from Wednesday morning of the perfect corduroy up toward the top of so inclined.

**************
And….

Many of you have donated this year, thank you so much. For those of you who want to send in donations: We’re going through gas, oil, and repairs every day! Make your check payable to "Town of Plainfield" with "Trails" on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield

Attn: Bill Knight

Plainfield Trail Coordinator

PO Box 380

Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org

Meriden XC Grooming Report 1-24-2021

Good news from Bill:

Friday’s couple of inches of snow was enough to get some trails groomed this evening. The fields around the school are groomed, Wastewater Way, Deerpath and for the more adventurous – So Inclined and Not So are groomed and skiable as long as you pay attention to the thin spots. As people snowplow down they may get a bit sketchy, but….once you get to the top of those climbs the Airstrip and Ira’s Loop have the best snow of all

Happy, safe, outdoor winter fun!

Donation information:

Have you made your donation to the grooming and equipment fund yet this year? We’re going through gas, oil, and repairs every day! Make your check payable to "Town of Plainfield" with "Trails" on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield

Attn: Bill Knight

Plainfield Trail Coordinator

PO Box 380

Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org

Women’s Skate Ski Clinic: Meriden Trails Fundraiser

Come Enjoy a Women’s Skate Ski Clinic!!

Fundraiser for the Meriden Trails in Meriden, NH

February 7th, 1-3 PM
(Rain Date 2/21)

Work on skate ski skills and enjoy camaraderie in a fun, no pressure clinic taught by a local ski coach. This clinic is best for advanced beginners and above.

All of the $50.00 registration fee goes to support our Meriden Trail system.

For more information, and to register please email VLBMeriden

Space is limited and 8 people have already signed up. – Register ASAP to ensure your spot and enjoy some outdoor fun!!

________________
Nat Pierson
npierson

Meriden XC Grooming Report 12-19-2020

A great day out on the trails. Both Bill and Les Lawrence continued the grooming the deep powder.

From Bill:

A huge thanks to all the folks that helped pack out the trails today. We got more grooming in because of you. Deerpath, the Center Trail and Brook Loop are all groomed. Rattling Bog has been driven over with the machine and will be groomed tomorrow morning. Jon Nichols and I then hope to break out and groom Townsend and hopefully get up So Inclined!

Keep snowshoeing and skiing on Ira’s Loop, So Inclined! And Not So, as they will be groomed tomorrow.

**************
And….

Many of you have donated this year, thank you so much. For those of you who want to send in donations: We’re going through gas, oil, and repairs every day! Make your check payable to "Town of Plainfield" with "Trails" on the memo line. (They need to know it goes to our account.) Your contribution will be tax deductible, and you can either put it in the donation box at the kiosk in the parking lot OR send it directly to the town at the following address:

Town of Plainfield

Attn: Bill Knight

Plainfield Trail Coordinator

PO Box 380

Meriden, NH 03770

Thanks for your support!

www.meridentrails.org