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Sunday, January 26, 2003
OUTDOORS: Deirdre Fleming
Riverside Golf Course's free Nordic ski trails win raves
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Truth Holden and MaryLou Moulton were out on Thursday when the air was still and almost warm (at least compared to what it's been) and the trails underfoot (or underski) were only a little icy. Not ideal conditions, but pleasant enough to make the two skiers' inaugural trip around Riverside Golf Course's newly groomed trails good enough for Moulton to greet a high school ski racer with a booming, "Isn't this the best?" Not bad for bad conditions. "It's not even bad," Holden said after an hour of skiing on the new trails. The 3-week-old, free Nordic course that has more than seven miles of trails is a novelty for the municipal facility that sits beside the quiet of the Presumpscot River, six miles outside downtown Portland. On Jan. 6 the Portland Ski Club donated an Arctic Cat snow machine and TiddTech grooming equipment to the city to provide free Nordic trails within the city limits, putting Portland in good company in southern Maine. Ski centers statewide charge anywhere from $6 to $15 for a day of skiing on groomed cross-country trails. Thanks to its local ski club, Portland now is offering what other neighboring cities offer - a free trail. Falmouth offers free groomed trails at its Community Park, where the Nordic trails are kept up by volunteers. Gray has three miles of groomed trails at Libby Hill Forest. The town of Cumberland has more than five miles of trails at Twin Brook Recreation Center that are open to the public. And Yarmouth offers four miles of free Nordic trails at Pratt's Brook Park. Dave D'Andrea, the Riverside Golf Course superintendent, has volunteered part of his free time to groom the trails there. D'Andrea said the equipment will only be used on the golf course, which he grooms five or six times a week. It didn't take long for word to spread around Portland about Riverside. The first few weekends the trails were groomed, the golf course's large parking lot off Riverside Street was full. "Right now all the reports are that it's very well received," said Don Brewer, assistant director of parks and recreation in Portland. Portland Ski Club member Barbara Whiton said the grooming equipment cost about $12,000, and was originally a project for the future. But when the Portland School Committee approved a varsity ski team this winter - and then all that snow fell in November, Whiton said the club changed its plans. She said the club took out a loan and now is in the process of raising money to pay it back. "We needed to make this happen this winter," Whiton said. "Based on what we've seen, there's a lot of community support." The Portland Ski Club was started four years ago with seven skiers to make cross-country ski races available to Portland middle school athletes. The Portland High varsity team and the middle school teams will use the trails at Riverside for training and races. D'Andrea said he offered to groom trails two years ago, telling the ski club if they got the equipment he'd "make it happen." He stood by his offer. He not only maps out and grooms the trails, D'Andrea went out and bought himself a set of Nordic skis and uses the trails. "I spent so much time out there grooming, and it looked like everyone was having a really good time," he said. "I figured I'd try it. I love it." Holden and Moulton, who got word about the trails from an e-mail sent by a Portland Trails member, were satisfied Thursday to have new terrain to explore, even if it was tough climbing in a few places because of icy conditions. The trails along the river offer one of the nicest spots, a two-mile stretch of mostly flat trails. Deering and Portland high coach Craig Whiton, who was out on the Riverside trails with his team that same day, had no complaints. Whiton said the trails are a blessing and a peaceful escape. "All we need is a shaman to make it snow," Whiton said, not because of icy patches on the trails, but "because it's spiritually uplifting." Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at:
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