This year, in partnership with The Aroostook Medical Center, the Nordic Heritage Sport Club will be offering youth ski programs at no cost to participants! Mark your calendars to join us for the Saturday Youth Ski Program and the Middle School Ski Program.
Check out the Programs tab at the top for more information.
Aroostook Women's Ski Day Announced!
Sunday, February 5, 2012 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Nordic Heritage Center, Presque Isle, Maine
For women of all ages and abilities. Join us for a day of skiing, snowshoeing, zumba, yoga & more while supporting the Nordic Heritage Sport Club and Hope and Justice Project. Your morning will begin with a zumba warm up, a ski clinic (broken down by ski ability) or a showshoe tour. Then relax with a lunch of soup & salad catered by Cafe Sopreso, entertainment and a chance to win one of many fantastic door prizes. Your afternoon activities may include a ski review clinic/tour, a snowshoe tour, yoga, healthy lifestyles discussion and/or a mini-massage.
Cost for the day is $40 and must be received by January 22, 2012 to guarantee your spot. To take advantage of our discounted, early bird registration of $30 registration and payment must be received before January 5, 2012. Covers all activities, lunch and ski equipment rental, if needed. If weather necessitates, activities will be modified but this event will be held rain or shine.
FMI: aroostookwomensskiday@gmail.com For updates, follow us on Facebook
Memberships Now Available Online
This holiday season support the Nordic Heritage Sport Club by becoming a member. Check out the link on the side of our homepage. It only takes a minute, and your membership helps support operations and programs at the Nordic Heritage Center. This incredible resource is free and open to the public, and we aim to keep it that way. Get involved at NHSC, and help support healthy, active outdoor lifestyles in Aroostook County.
Sunday BBQ
SUNDAY 11/06/11 - Enjoy a beautiful fall weekend out at the Nordic Heritage Center. Join us today for mountain biking, hiking and running the trails at 3:00 PM. Afterwards we'll turn on the grill and enjoy a bonfire. Come celebrate the season and socialize with friends. The trails are dry, the bonfire will be HUGE, and you can't beat a sunny fall day at the Nordic Heritage Center. All are welcome. Hope to see you on the trails!
Also be sure to check out the Quoggy Joe Ski Sale on your way up to the venue.
Trail Work at NHC
The Nordic Heritage Center is having a trail work weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25, from 12:00 - 4:00 both days. Volunteers are needed on whichever day best fits their schedule. Our purpose will be to continue clearing brush and improving ski trails. We are in need of 4 chainsaws and chainsaw operators who have proper safety equipment and are skilled in the operation of a chainsaw. We also need people to clear and pull brush out of the woods. A couple of pickup trucks would be handy in case the trails are dry enough to drive on.
BIG FAT FUN!
PRESQUE ISLE, ME – When riders, racers, and festival goers arrived Saturday morning, July 30th, for the 7th annual Nordic Fat Tire Festival they were met with this summer’s all too familiar sound of steady, pouring rain. Nonetheless, the premiere event of the festival, an all new 12-hour epic mountain bike race, began on time and with it 5 solo competitors and 17 teams took to the trails.
The race is just part of a weekend-long event that showcases the Nordic Heritage Center’s summer trails as well as the club’s year-round commitment to outdoor sport. With a busy winter and very successful IBU Biathlon World Cup behind them, the Nordic Heritage Sport Club had no trouble rallying volunteers for this summer festival.
The start of the 12-hour race kicked off the 7th year for the festival and brought a record summer crowd to the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle. Members of the organizing committee were thrilled to have registrations from as far away as St. John, New Brunswick and Scarborough, ME. “We have a terrific time putting this event together,” stated Event Director Mike Smith. “We have more people than ever travelling a great distance to take part in the festival. We’re excited to see the energy keep building around the event.”
The 12-hour race was not the only draw to the weekend. As in other years, riders had the opportunity to take part in a one-of-a-kind mountain bike biathlon, and a downhill race. Even the young riders in attendance got to take part in a kid’s XC race, and a variety of bike skill contests.
To top it all off this year’s festival also included fun off the bike such as a family nature hike, a kids’ treasure hunt, a slip n’ slide, home cooked food, and a bonfire on Saturday night complete with live music. With a total of 150 to 200 in attendance throughout the weekend, Smith says they consider the 2011 Nordic Fat Tire Festival a huge success. “It’s always a good sign when people start discussing plans for next year before they ever leave the parking lot”.
Check our race results and photos from the weekend at www.nordicfattire.com and also check out Nordic Fat Tire Festival on Facebook. The Nordic Heritage Sport Club would like to thank all of their sponsors for helping to make this year’s festival such a great weekend.
NHSC Offering Summer Position
The Nordic Heritage Sport Club is looking for a motivated and energetic individual to help run summer programming at the Nordic Heritage Center. This person will be responsible for running the weekly youth mountain bike program, as well as staffing the club Welcome Center. Other responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
• Answering emails, voicemails, and phone calls • Keeping club marketing materials current around the venue • Keeping the mountain bike terrain park clean and functional • Promoting club programs and events around the region • Making updates to the club website • Maintaining club rental bikes & other equipment
This position requires working closely with the club’s Programs & Events Committee to help manage a busy summer schedule. Candidates must be self-motivated and self-directed in identifying tasks and following through to completion. Comfort working with youth ages 8 & up in a leadership capacity is also a must.
Salary: • $10 per hour
Hours: • 20 hours per week, including evenings and weekends
Required Skills: • Basic first aid & CPR certification required • Must be competent with basic mountain bike skills • Previous experience in bike service and maintenance preferred
Please submit resume and letter of interest to: • Sarah Gahagan, Chair of Programs Committee 552 Main St, Caribou, ME 04736
For any questions, please e-mail the Club at nordicheritagesportclub@gmail.com.
NHSC Trail Day & BBQ
Join us for a great day - an opportunity to get the family outside, enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of the Nordic Heritage Center!
Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided, but we'd love to see some dishes brought to share. There will be guides for anyone wanting to go trail running, nordic walking, or mountain biking on the miles of trails that we have. Bikes are available to rent for $10.
Sunday, July 10 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Come and see what the Nordic Heritage Center can offer you!
ALL NHC TRAIL USERS PLEASE READ:
Our trails are built and maintained entirely by volunteers, and although they do shed water and dry quickly, it can take hours of work to repair trails after an extended period of wet weather. Trail surfaces are more fragile when wet, and damage from sneakers and tires can lead to increased erosion which ultimately leads to trail closures. Trail users headed out in wet conditions often create further damage when trying to side-step puddles and muddy areas. This leads to widening of the trails and further de-vegetation. If you are out on the trails while wet please consider the following:
Wait until they dry out - save the trails and volunteer labor.
Stick to trails that shed water more easily.
If you encounter a wet area, travel through it gently rather than around it.
Educate your fellow trail users, and help maintain our trail system.
Thank you for your support of our trails!
Summer Programs Kick Into Gear at NHSC!
With everything in bloom around Aroostook County it's time to get out and enjoy northern Maine's "Green Season". The Nordic Heritage Sport Club is proud to offer another season of fun for the whole family through ongoing club programs. To learn more about what's happening this summer visit the PROGRAMS page on this site. For the latest updates, visit us out on Facebook.
The Nordic Heritage Sport Club promotes healthy outdoor recreation and economic vitality in Central Aroostook County by providing first-class facilities and programs to area residents, athletes, and visitors. NHSC is proud to work in collaboration with local Rec Departments and businesses to support outdoor recreation for people of all ages.
Trails Officially Open for the Season
All the hiking and biking trails are now open at NHC. As we continue to receive rain, please use good judgement when heading out on to the trails. Sneakers and tires can cause serious damage on wet trails. When encountering wet areas of the trails, please do not travel around them, this only increases the impacted area. It is best to walk or run through these places. Riders should dismount and proceed through. Better yet, avoid wet areas all together. Trails such as West Trail, Eric's and Quoggy Joe are best to use if concerned about wet trails.
For more information on best trail practices visit www.imba.com and www.LNT.org. Please check the trail conditions on this site daily for updates. You can also receive updates via our Facebook page. Thank you for supporting the Nordic Heritage Sport Club and working with us to offer premiere trails in northern Maine. Enjoy the season!
NHC Trails Closed Until Further Notice
With the spring rain, snowmelt and continued wet weather, all trails at the Nordic Heritage Center are closed until further notice. Please help us preserve our trails by not running, hiking or biking at this time. Our trails are built and maintained entirely by volunteers, and although they do shed water and dry quickly, it can take hours of work to repair trails after a wet and muddy spring. Trail surfaces are more fragile when wet, and damage from sneakers and tires can lead to increased erosion which ultimately leads to trail closures. Trail users, headed out in spring conditions, also often create further damage when trying to side-step puddles and muddy areas. This leads to widening of the trails and further de-vegetation. Please be patient, and check back as the weather clears. We will re-open the trails as soon as they are ready.
For more information on best trail practices visit www.imba.org and www.LNT.org. Thank you for supporting the Nordic Heritage Sport Club and working with us to offer premiere trails in northern Maine
