Kongsberger Ski Club

 We get it: the snow is falling, the grooming season is set to begin on Sunday, it's been a long wait since April and you can't wait to get back on the trails at Cabin Creek. We feel the same way! And this, my friends, is not what we want to see right now: What's this?? Well, Forterra is the land owner of the property at the north end of the road, from the four-way intersection to the Lake Kachess road, and they are logging. As soon as we heard about this activity, Rune tracked down a contact at Forterra and after many emails with them, consultation with Nick, and finally a phone call yesterday, here is what we know: Yes, they have a permit that runs until 12/31/2025 (not 2024), and their stated intention is to clear out diseased trees to "improve long-term forest health and resiliency and reduce fire risk." Hey, we're on board with that, but, um, why does it have to happen during ski season? In his conversations with Forterra, Rune found out several things. O...

Photo: Birkebeiner.no Kongsbergers have been participants in the Scandinavian tradition of the tour race (Norwegian “skiturrenn”) for about seventy years, probably longer.    They feature mass participation, though they often have elite skiers racing.    In Norway they are very popular.    Club president Rune Harkestad tallied twenty some such events across Norway in the first weekend in March 2024, one of which he skied in himself.    Vasaloppet was begun in 1922, Birkebeinerrennet in 1932 and Holmenkollmarsjen and Finlandia-Hiihto in 1974.    The American Birkebeiner began in 1973 with Kongsberger-to-be Per Johnsen in the running. The John Craig Memorial in Oregon was begun in 1934 but skied only intermittently until 1970.    Paul Kaald’s participation in 1955 is the first in such an event by a Kongsberger of which this writer is aware.     Bert Larsson, Ozzie Nordheim, Einar Svensson and Jim Lindsey were early...