JUST SAY NO TO MUD!!!!!

Just Say "No" to Mud
2008 has been a near-record for snow and now it's finally melting. Yes, it's been a tough one for us to fulfill our mountain bike passion. The snowy ice-bound trails have left all but the heartiest riders inside contemplating the next time they can ride the trails. Everyone's looking forward to another great season of riding, but we urge caution and ask restraint as we enter the March and April Mud Months.

It all comes down to this: frozen is good, hardpack is good ... but mud is bad.
This is the month when warm days and freezing nights wreak havoc on the trail. It's the time when mother nature is in its most delicate state. Please use your head and stay off the trails until the thaw is out of the ground and the trails have dried and hardened. One of the worse things you can do is ride --or walk-- on trails before they ripen.

Trails are dynamic and change with the seasons and weather conditions. While during most of the season, the mineral soils that make up a good, hardened trails are fairly stable, spring is the most sensitive time, making the trails vulnerable to erosion and long term damage.

Frost (those pesky ice crystals that form in the upper soil cap) cause the soil to move and shift. Even the most hardened of trails loses density as frozen water molecules push and prod the mineral soils. Trails are very susceptible to damage during the freeze/thaw process. As the frost thaws and releases water, the dirt resettles and realigns in a nice muddy mix and the organic matter for last fall's leaf litter blends in with the mineral soil to begin to create a a new generation of trail dirt. This muddy mix eventually re-hardens and makes for a primo path through the woods, but it's critical to let this process happen on its own.

If we ride, hike or horse around on the trails before this process is complete, the damage to the trail could be permanent. The mineral soils will be churned up, and rain and gravity will wash these soils away, leaving a mess of exposed roots and rocks. If the trail is really soft, our wheels leave sunken tracks which could channel into ruts and carry the soils away. If we hike, our heels and boots will dig deep into the trails and help push the soils downhill. Either way, it's the trail that loses, so please show some respect and patience.



Just because you "can" ride, doesn't mean that you "should." Sometimes, if you really love riding, you should stay off the trail and seek other ways to make the new season the best it can be.

Here are some suggestions:

Use your lawn as a trail barometer. Before you think of hitting the trails, take a ride on your lawn. If you can see your tracks sinking in, stay off the trails. They're not yet ripe.
Use mud season to build fitness by putting in some serious "base miles" on the road. If you don't have a road bike, put some slicks on your mountain bike and you'll feel super-charged. Most serious racers train on the road for good reason, and the fitness you'll develop will make your trail riding that much more pleasureable.
Do some urban or suburban assault rides. This is a great time if you're into technical riding to explore the neighborhood for ramps, steps and other challenges that can hone your technical skills.
Ride on rail trails or other hardened bike paths. You'll be away from traffic, get some needed fitness, and feel good about yourself since you're doing the right thing by staying off the trails.
Use local knowledge to find areas that are free from mud and frost. Internet Forums are a great resource to find great riding. Check the "Trail Conditions" section of NEMBA's Forum for your state to see where the good riding is… and where it isn't.
So, as we enter the March Mud Month --which sometimes extends deep into April-- think about the trails you ride and help to preserve them. A trail is a terrible thing to waste!

Check here for the latest trail conditions.

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Nordic Heritage Sport Club May Meeting Changed !!!!!

The May monthly meeting of the Nordic Heritage Sport Club has been changed from Tuesday May 6 to Tuesday May 13 at 7pm.

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TIM DOAK ACCEPTS EVENT DIRECTORS POSITION

It was with great pleasure that I accepted the position of Event Director for the 2010 U.S. Skiing and Snowboarding Association (USSA) Cross Country Junior Olympics. The decision was not made quickly or lightly, since given my experience in the same position for the 2006 Biathlon Junior World Championships, I am well aware of the required time commitment to do the job effectively. With a growing family and a busy business, time has certainly become a scarce commodity in my life. But in the end the opportunity to be part of something that will have a positive impact on the region and provide the opportunity to again work with an outstanding group of volunteers was definitely appealing, and with the support of my family and business partners I accepted the position.
The event has historically been known as the USSA Cross Country Junior Olympics, but the USSA is considering a name change to the USSA Cross Country Junior Nationals. We hope to have a final decision on the name within the next couple of months. Regardless of its ultimate name, the competition will bring the best 14-19 year old cross country skiers in the nation to central Aroostook Country for over a week in March of 2010. To put this competition into perspective, a comparison to the 2006 Biathlon Junior World Championships (BJWC) is appropriate.
The 2010 Junior Nationals will be the largest event held to date at the Nordic Heritage Center in terms of the number of competitors. Over 400 athletes will compete, almost doubling the amount that we hosted during the 2006 BJWC. Despite this large number, in many ways the event will be logistically less complicated for the organizing committee. All of the athletes will be from the United States, so there will be no visa or immigration hurdles to overcome. Since it is a cross country competition and not a biathlon event, there will be no rifle import concerns, and about 75 less volunteers needed who would have otherwise staffed the shooting range. Each of the ten regional teams will be responsible for arranging their own lodging and meals, though we will provide assistance in reserving blocks of rooms from area hotels. Transportation to and from Aroostook County and on a daily basis to and from the venue will be the responsibility of each team, alleviating one of the more expensive segments of hosting a high level event. Overall we will be able to host this competition with fewer volunteers and a smaller budget, while having an economic impact to central Aroostook County that is similar in magnitude and every bit as positive as the 2006 BJWC.
Although we have been actively working on the planning for only a few weeks, there has already been significant progress made. Almost the entire organizing committee is in place, with a large percentage of committee members having served during the 2006 BJWC. We are pleased to announce that Marketing-Advertising-Planning (MAP) of Presque Isle will again be developing the logo, poster, and other marketing material for the event over the next several months. Initial contact with some potential sponsors has already been made, and this effort will increase over the next several months. A website is under development, and will most likely be accessible by the time this article goes to print. As plans progress we will have an increasing need for volunteers in all facets of the organization, and future articles will provide details on how you can become involved.

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Nordic Heritage Sport Club announces Event Director for the 2010 Junior Olympics.

The Nordic Heritage Sport Club is pleased to announce that a familiar face will be back at the helm of the Organizing Committee for the 2010 Junior Olympics being held in Presque Isle in March 2010. Tim Doak has agreed to serve in that capacity. Tim is Principal for the firm of BR Smith Assoc, an Engineering and Surveys firm in Presque Isle. Tim is no stranger to this role, having served as Event Director for the Junior World Biathlon in 2006. "Tim brings a wealth of knowledge to this position. We are extremely pleased that he has accepted the position. This event is in great hands." said Tim Vernon, President of the Nordic Heritage Sport Club. Tim's first duties as Event Director will be to fill in the Organizational Chart for the Organizing Committee. He indicates that that chore is well on its way to being accomplished.

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Nordic Heritage Sport Club Family Fun Day a HUGE SUCCESS...

The Nordic Heritage Sport Club held a Family Fun Day at the Nordic Heritage Center this past Saturday to thank it's many volunteers and members for their continued support. The event was a huge success with over 150 people in attendance. We would like to thank the Programs Committee for it's hard work in getting this off the ground and making it so much fun. We would also like to thank Tom Chasse and Mike Eisensmith for all their hard work in cooking the hot dogs and hamburgers for the group.