The Grand Mesa Nordic Council is currently taking applications for Membership Director

Overview: The Grand Mesa Nordic Council (“GMNC”) Membership Director is a part-time seasonal position (September-May).  The Membership Director reports to the President of the Board of Directors and is responsible for maintaining existing memberships with the GMNC by proactively communicating with members and acquiring new members by engaging in effective marketing.

Responsibilities and expectations: 

• Writing the GMNC daily grooming report and positing it to the GMNC website and to members via e-mail each morning before 9:00am; this task involves daily communication with the GMNC groomers during the ski season to obtain trail conditions

• Maintain GMNC’s membership database

• Maintain GMNC’s website

• Account for membership funds received and transfer funds to the Treasurer or deposit funds in the GMNC bank account.

• Communicate with members and the public about volunteer projects

• Prepare and communicate a schedule of GMNC events such as races, fundraising events, lessons, and volunteer activities, to members and public

• Communicate with the President on a weekly or as-needed basis

• Attend two pre-season membership events, one in Mesa County and one in Delta County

• Coordinate volunteer staffing at membership drives at the fall ski swap and at membership tables during the ski season

• Attend two ski-season membership events and staff the membership table

• Edit and distribute to members three issues of the GMNC newsletter

• Provide monthly membership report to President five days in advance of monthly seasonal board meetings

• Write two grants for GMNC projects per year (can be done in the off season) and maintain GMNC grant spreadsheet

Skills needed to perform these duties:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Familiarity with donor databases

• Adept at WordPress, word processing, database entry and social networking

• Willingness to work with other board members to achieve goals

• Able to respond quickly to last minute requests

• Basic cross country ski skills

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working with non-profits

• Grant writing

Environmental Factors: The Membership Director will work remotely from their own home office. Attendance at GMNC events can present transportation challenges with snowstorms and winter driving conditions. Most GMNC events take place on Grand Mesa at an elevation of over 10,000 feet often in very cold winter conditions with blowing wind and snow.

Compensation: $10,000.00

Apply by: May 1, 2013

To Apply:  Send cover letter and resume to GMNC President via e-mail at grandmesanordic@gmail.com.

The GMNC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status

Friday, March 22nd – Last grooming of Ward Trails

Easter weekend – March 30/31 - Grooming at Skyway & County Line

We will continue to do a mid-week groom if the trails have new snow accumulation and as conditions warrant.

April 6/7 – ‘Closing Weekend’. Last weekend of grooming at Skyway & County Line.

GMNC Member Appreciation Shin-dig - Saturday, April 6, 2:00 pm, Skyway - All GMNC Members and volunteers invited! GMNC will supply meats and beverages.  Please bring a covered dish to share and celebrate another great season with friends!  Please Email to RSVP and let us know you’re coming so we know how much food to purchase.

Skyway Hut take-down - Sunday & Monday, April 7 & 8 -Volunteers needed to help de-construct the Skyway hut and haul it to summer storage in Paonia. Work will start at 9:30 am and ski breaks are part of the plan! Email us if you’re able to join us to help.

Thirty-three skiers competed in GMNC’s final race of the season.

The Mesa Meltdown wrapped up another fine season of citizen ski racing on Grand Mesa in snowy fashion. 33 hardy skiers fought their way into the marginally plowed parking lot (I think most got back out, too!) and braved the snowstorm for the finale. We had racers ages 6 to 70 led by Zach Heuscher and Lisa Moot in the 20K and Tom Lambert and Michelle Peterson in the 5K. Thanks much to our sponsors Rocky Mountain Orthopaedics, REI, Clif Bar, Justins Nut Butters, Ela Family Farms and those people that keep us happy, Palisade Brewery, Palisade Distillery and Rockslide Brewery. We look forward to seeing eveyone again in December for the WinterStart, stronger, wiser and still with that appetite for ski racing fun! Have a great Summer! RESULTS POSTED

A powdery start to Saturday’s Mesa Meltdown.

Brad Burrit and Dan Shultz-Ela: top 10 finishes and best beards.

Dave Knutson contemplating 4WD vs shoveling.

Colorado Mesa University captures 3rd at Collegiate Nationals.

In other ski racing news, the Colorado Mesa University Nordic Ski team posted a podium finish at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships at Sun Valley, Idaho this weekend.

Four CMU skiers earned All-American honors — Brooke Bosman, Kacie McCleary, Mira Hopkins and Duncan Koehn.

The CMU women’s team finished 3rd in the overall team standings, while the men’s team ended up in 5th place. St. Olaf College finished 1st in the women’s team standings, and the University of Wyoming won the men’s team event.

The CMU women’s team of Brooke Bosman, Mira Hopkins and Kacie McClearly ensured the CMU’s podium finish by finishing 3rd in Saturday’s team relay event. St. Olaf college won the race, and CMU came in behind University of Wyoming. On the men’s side the CMU relay team of Tre Anastasia, Duncan Koehn and Dustin Wanstrath finished the relay race in 5th place.

In Friday’s 15km skate race, CMU placed five women in the top-20:  Bosman in 8th, Hopkins 10th, McCleary 11th, Tessa Grigsby 19th and Courtney Berg 20th. In the men’s race, CMU placed 16th (Anastasia), 19th (Koehn) and 20th (Wanstrath).

The team is coached by Dave Aschwanden and Christina Stark and the program is made possible by a generous grant from the Jean Thomas Lambert Foundation.

This past Saturday was an exceptional day!  A handful of enthusiastic volunteer instructors guided more than three dozen young skiers through basic ski technique and fun races at the 11th Annual Barnelopet.  Hosted by the Sons of Norway Vestafjell Lodge and Grand Mesa Nordic Council, the 11th Annual Barnelopet introduced some to skiing for the first time and provided other young skiers with a chance to polish their skills with free lessons and short – 1K, 2K and 5 K – races.  Sunscreen was slathered, cookies and drinks were snarfed and plenty of fun was dished out.  Smiles all around indicated that everyone enjoyed the thrill of Nordic skiing and taking a turn around the race course.

Thanks to Grand Junction photographer Lee Gelatt for sharing photos.  Follow this link to view more photos from the day.

The upcoming Mesa Meltdown on March 9 is the culmination of the 4-race 2012-2013 point series. Preliminary results after 3 of the 4 races have now been posted. The women’s series crown is still up for grabs with Christie Aschwanden in her usual leading position but she could be passed if she misses the final race. Even though Tre Anastasia will be racing in Maine at the Collegiate Nationals and will miss the Meltdown, he has created enough of a gap between him and the rest of the field to secure the Series crown anyway. However, there is a very tight race for 2nd place which will make the Meltdown competition exciting! Good luck and ski fast! PRELIM RESULTS

Any GMNC member interested in attending a board meeting is welcome.  GMNC meets the second Tuesday of every month during the winter months and alternates meetings between Grand Junction and Delta.

Tuesday, March 12, meeting begins at 6:30 pm.

March’s meeting location:
Bill Heddles Recreation Center
530 Gunnison River Dr
Delta, CO

please email gmgliders@gmail.com if you would like to be on the agenda, or if you need directions to the location.

The new Summit Trail at Skyway is one-way travel from Sunset to the far end of Vista Valley.  The trail has several steep climbs and rolling uphill and downhill terrain through spruce and glades.  The Summit trail is recommended for skiers with advanced and expert skills and skiers should have the ability to climb hills, stop and turn on downhill ascents.

The Grand Mesa Classic 10K racers endured fickle weather and a delayed start but all 56 citizen and collegiate skiers made it back happy to the hot soup, Clif Bars and Justins Nut Butter samples. Results are now posted. Classic Results

Jan 9, 2013

The Grand Mesa Nordic Council and its members are deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of Glen and Linda Eyre on Saturday, Jan 5th, at the County Line trailhead parking pull-out. A vehicle stuck the Eyres when the driver swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle.

GMNC has made considerable efforts advocating for parking and safety improvements at trailheads along Hwy 65.  In early 2009, GMNC board members met with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the US Forest Service and Delta and Mesa County Commissioners asking for measures to improve safety that include caution signs, speed reduction, improved plowing to help with visibility and County Line parking lot improvements. Delta and Mesa Counties agreed to provide in-kind materials for a County Line parking project and the US Forest Service has secured funding for the project, slated to begin this summer.

GMNC has continued to press the agencies to provide safety measures such as caution signs, speed reduction and improved plowing.  We have encouraged our members to carpool and provide a carpool message board on our website to help reduce congestion at trailheads.

In the wake of this tragic event, GMNC invited anyone who wanted to join a conversation to attend our monthly board meeting.  Here is a list of actions that you can take to help improve safety at winter-use trailheads on Hwy 65 and to ensure that the parking lot improvement project at County Line is expedited this summer and a comprehensive safety plan for Hwy 65 is implemented.

• Be the change you want to see - Drive at the speed limit you wish to see enforced near all recreation trailheads on the Grand Mesa.

• Morning users: back into the Countyline and Ward Lake parking areas.  Use extreme caution when entering and exiting all trailhead parking areas.

• If parking is at capacity, explore a different trailhead.  If  you don’t have a dog, try Skyway.  If you do have a dog, try parking at Thunder Mountain Lodge, Ward Campground, Ward Lake, or Mesa Top.  All trails at Ward and County Line are dog-friendly.

• Call or write CDOT’s Region 3 Traffic Engineer (970-683-6275) to request a reduction of speed from Powderhorn through the Ward Lake trailhead on Grand Mesas Hwy 65; until a speed reduction occurs, ask for a ‘Warning-Heavy Roadside Traffic’ sign to be posted 400 m. from the trailheads in each direction.

• Send a letter or visit your representative regarding the necessity for improved traffic safety near the winter trailheads on Highway 65. Download a sample letter and contact info here.

36 hardy ski racers wrapped up 2012 in invigorating fashion at the Skyway Skuffle 10K. It was cold but the grooming team had the course in great shape so everyone had fun. Thanks as always to our sponsors who help make this happen and help us raise valuable grooming funds to keep the skiing awesome! Please support Clif Bar and Luna Bar, Justin’s Nut Butters, REI, Craven’s Coffee and Aspen Nordic Center. Race RESULTS are now posted.

Tom, GMNC Race Director