Give some love and appreciation to the Portage Health Auxiliary which has been a loyal sponsor of our annual Barnelopet. For 2019 they have awarded the Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club a $500 grant to help sponsor the Barnelopet. This is a timed but non-competitive course that Keweenaw Nordic Ski Club and the Sons of Norway have been offering for many years now to Copper Country youth. It is a family friendly event with parents skiing with the youngest skiers. Four courses of distances varying from 1 km to 6 km are available to choose from based on ability and age. The next Barnelopet is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday February 10th. Come ski, cheer on the participants or volunteer. Below we have a picture of Portage Health Auxiliary Directors Billie Bloomfield (far left) and Ronda Bogan (far right) presenting the check to KNSC Treasurer John Diebel and President Jay Green at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon. Nine other community service organizations also received funding from Portage Health Auxiliary in this round.

If you haven't had a chance to meet our new Chief Groomer, here is Colin Pekkala setting tracks in Churning Rapids earlier today. Stop and tell him hello if you see him on the trails. His father John Pekkala is also grooming Maasto and Churning Rapids this winter.

Here are some other shots from Maasto and Churning Rapids today. The trail is still a little rugged and will be until we get enough snow to level it out with the drag. But there were no big water holes and the kick and glide were excellent.