HELENA — The warmer winter this year has been great for golfers, but it has not been great for Nordic skiing.
Last season, the cross-country ski trails at Bill Roberts Golf Course opened on November 1st with a solid snowpack. This year, it didn’t last long.
“We had maybe 4 days of skiable conditions instead of 40,” said Helena Parks and Recreation and open lands director Doug Smith.
The Last Chance Nordic Ski Club uses the course when there’s enough snow. This year, it’s been a challenge.
“It’s disappointing,” said Last Chance Nordic Ski Club board member Pete Behrends. “This is the first year in my about 15 years of being involved with cross-country skiing in Helena that we haven't had enough snow to groom.”
During the winter months, it’s free to golf for anyone willing to walk the course, weather dependent.
“There were a couple of days of limited snow, but it didn't last long, and then that led us to a situation where you had cross-country skiers and people hitting golf balls at the same time,” Smith said.
The club grooms the trails themselves, and they need about 6-8 inches of snow to run the groomer. With ungroomed trails, the cart paths and gravel risks scratching the bottom of skis.
The Last Chance Nordic Ski Club has another trail they can use up at MacDonald Pass, but members say it's more challenging and not as convenient as a track right in town.
“When there’s snow here, it's very popular, just being closer to town and more beginner-friendly terrain than Macdonald Pass,” Behrends said.
The lack of snow isn't impacting Nordic skiing just in Helena, but places like Bozeman, Missoula, and Seeley Lake have had to cancel some of their races.
For those holding out hope, organizers say even a last-minute snowstorm wouldn’t be enough to open the trails.
“Even if we did get a spring storm at this time of year, the ground’s too warm, and the snow wouldn't last long enough to be worth grooming,” Behrends said.
For now, the club will look to next year, hoping things return to normal.
