With the snip of a scissors, Maine's burgeoning network of community nordic trails grew bigger by 2.5 kilometers yesterday as officials from the town of Cape Elizabeth and the Cape Nordic Ski Club formally opened the new competition course at Gull Crest.

Snipping the ribbon to officially open the Gull Crest nordic ski trail yesterday were (L>R): Dave Moody Roberts, Muzzy Barton, Paul McKenney, Mike McGovern and Peter Dunfey
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

About a hundred people gathered for the grand opening, which included a short Bill Koch Youth Ski League race in addition to a bit of speechifying. Muzzy Barton, Dave Moody Roberts and Peter Dunfey represented Cape Nordic, while Paul McKenney and Mike McGovern are Cape Elizabeth town officials.

About 100 people gathered for yesterday's opening of the Gull Crest nordic ski trail
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Melissa Slack and Kristen Kerney, both members of the Cape Elizabeth High School nordic ski team, were among the many who attended yesterday's official opening of the Gull Crest trail
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Metalworking students in Cape Elizabeth High School are constructing this grooming drag for the Gull Crest trails
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Barton, one of the driving forces behind Cape Nordic, noted that the 2.5 km opened yesterday represented Phase I of a two-part effort.

Muzzy Barton (right) speaks about the Gull Crest trail-building project, while Peter Dunfey, chairman of the project committee, looks on
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Two-year-old Keigan Shea tries out skis for the first time yesterday at Gull Crest under the supervision of dad Scott, a teacher at Cape Elizabeth High School
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Barton pegged the cost of Phase I at $45,000, entirely raised by the tax-exempt club, and noted that fund raising would soon begin on Phase II, an estimated $100,000 project that will add another 3.5 km to the system.

The municipally owned land is the site of the town transfer station, a sewage treatment plant plus ballfields and playgrounds.

The nordic ski trail was designed by John Morton, a Vermonter who has been involved in seven Winter Olympics as cross-country athlete and race official.

Like most John Morton trails, Gull Crest is definitely a competition course: a graded sinuous pathway with many hills, curves and technically challenging sections. In the future, Cape Elizabeth High School ski teams will train at Gull Crest.

Nordic skiing is a serious pursuit at the nearby school. Last week the Cape boys took second in the Class B nordic championships and the girls tied for third.

After the BKL race, I skied the trail myself, but didn't find it very appealing. Far too many hills and techical sections.

I'm hoping that Phase II is more friendly to casual recreational skiers.

Much ado has been made about how community nordic trails can help in the national battle against obesity, but if the target population eschews them, fat chance they'll ever be of any help.

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