The room where skiers wax their skis and bundle up to face the cold will fill with Nordic ski enthusiasts at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 in Brother Leopold Hall to honor a man that put Saint Mary\u2019s University on the map as having one of the best cross-country ski trails in southeastern Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Brother Jerome Rademacher, an SMU physics professor, made the trails in the 1970s. However when his health declined in 2006, Rademacher put the Winona Nordic Ski Club in charge of maintenance, said Bruce Johnson, WNSC member. Since then, he said, the club\u2019s volunteer trail maintenance has groomed the trails nearly every day during winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve created a monster. We groom the trails so well that people expect them to be perfect all the time,\u201d Johnson said with a proud smile.<\/p>\n
The SMU ski trails, located in SMU\u2019s backyard Yonn Valley, are groomed and maintained through the joint effort of SMU staff and WNSC volunteers. Cross-country skiers travel from neighboring states to train and ski on these trails, Johnson said. The trails are also open every day for public use.<\/p>\n
The trails are groomed for two purposes: skate skiing and classical cross-country skiing.<\/p>\n
Similar to ice skating, skate skiing is done by alternating skis away from each other at an angle. Classical skiing is done by putting skis in two parallel tracks cut into the snow\u00a0and shuffling the legs in a striding motion.<\/p>\n
Rademacher, the trail\u2019s first solo caretaker, used a machine known as a piston boy to groom the snow, said Johnson. Luckily, when Rademacher gave up this passion, Johnson said he was able to continue that legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I retired, I said \u2018I can help. I can volunteer\u2019,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHe said \u2018here\u2019s the key to the piston boy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, the community has shown massive enthusiasm to help make the trails what they are today, Johnson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll hell broke loose\u2014in a positive way,\u201d said Johnson of Winona\u2019s ski community grabbing this chance to maintain and improve the SMU trails. \u201cThere\u2019s a hardcore group here.\u201d<\/p>\n
WNSC raised funds for two specialized snowmobiles called ginzus and state of the art equipment for trail grooming to replace Rademacher\u2019s \u201cstone age\u201d equipment, Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Today the WNSC and SMU staff maintains the trails using three primary pieces of equipment, said SMU Associate Vice President of Student Services, Chris Kendall.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just like cutting the grass with a lawn mower,\u201d Kendall said. \u201cThere\u2019s more of an art to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trails need maintenance for a variety of reasons: fresh snow or change in temperatures, humidity or sun, Kendall said. Weather depending, the WNSC members may work every day or not for a week, he said.<\/p>\n
After a fresh snowfall, Kendall said WNSC groomers renew the trail\u2019s solid surface\u00a0by knocking air out of fluffy snow with the Snowcat. Next they\u2019ll use the ginzus to soften icy snow and further pack it, making a consistent base. Kendall said proper timing is critical in this process.<\/p>\n
If Mother Nature decides snow isn\u2019t in the forecast, then their two snowmaking machines come in handy, Kendall said. Furthermore, parts of the trail that get more sunlight are prone to melting, so maintenance makes snow and moves it to those spots.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s kind of the art of it\u2014managing what you have to make it as nice as possible,\u201d said Kendall.<\/p>\n
According to Kendall, cross-country ski enthusiasts travel from Northern edges of Minnesota for SMU\u2019s advanced trails. Although these trails are unnamed, regulars give them names of affection, such as \u201crattlesnake,\u201d a name given to an advanced trail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re a god on the map,\u201d he said, due to the WNSC\u2019s ability to fine-tune the trails, make them versatile and do the proper upkeep.<\/p>\n
Since they\u2019re well-maintained, the trails are used by a variety of local groups including physical education classes at SMU, the WNSC, the Minnesota Youth Ski League and the Winona Senior High School Ski team, who use the trails as their home court.<\/p>\n
Jason Mork, WSHS Ski team coach, said his team practices six days per week on the trails. They\u2019re maintained really well, he said. In particular, the ability to practice after dusk gives his team an edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the lit trails, we don\u2019t have to rush,\u201d Mork said, while other teams may hurry to cram practice in before nightfall.<\/p>\n
Although they\u2019re well maintained, Mork said the SMU trails could improve their\u00a0outreach of adult programs, since there are several nights each week devoted to Nordic ski programs for children. Mork also wishes pedestrians would be more conscientious of skiers as well as keeping off the ski trails.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want them to shy away from walking,\u201d on the trails Mork said. As these trails are used for hiking in the summer, pedestrians walk them in the winter as well. However, sometimes they walk directly down the middle, he said. \u201cWe just want to say, come on, you know, get a pair of skis and go fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pedestrians aside, Mork credits the growth of WSHS\u2019s Nordic ski team to the trail\u2019s youth programs. Since area children begin skiing earlier, more experienced skiers join the WSHS team each year.<\/p>\n
As for Johnson, the SMU cross-country ski trails are not only a continuation of Rademacher\u2019s work, but also an asset that encourages community health, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a lifestyle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the whole idea of get off your butt and go do something. Do you really want to stare at a computer screen your whole life?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The room where skiers wax their skis and bundle up to face the cold will fill with Nordic ski enthusiasts at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3 in Brother Leopold Hall to honor a man that put Saint Mary\u2019s University on the map as having one of the best cross-country ski trails in southeastern Minnesota. Brother … Continue reading SMU Ski trails are joint effort for community benefit<\/span>