Trail counters showing robust use of town ski trail system

by Dan McClelland

Councilman John Gillis, who directs the volunteer team that has been grooming and maintaining the town's cross-country ski trail system at the golf course for years, reported some impressive trail user numbers at the town board's monthly meeting March 15.

Last year, at Mr. Gillis' request, the town purchased a trail counter system to measure ski numbers there to create a data base which might prove helpful in future grant applications to improve the town-owned network of trails.

“We had our first glitches with our trail counters this year,” Mr. Gillis told his colleagues during the committee reports that evening.

“I had to estimate our visits for February. I went to the very low end of 600 because the January count was over 900 and the count last March was 655.”

He told his colleagues that even using what he figures was a low estimate for February, the trail count for the past year “our trail count stands at 4,750 user visits.”

He joked that of that total, 1,200 were seen at the wildly popular Brewski staged by the chamber in February.

“The chamber volunteers did a great job. Everything went well. The parking (arrangement) was excellent” with all vehicle owners directed to park on the downhill side of the Country Club Road.

Mr. Gillis and his volunteers helped prepare the very packed course that day and shuttled camp fire wood to keep the fires fed at the 12 brewery stations. He said three of the town's grooming machines were used to help the visiting vendors at the Brewski.

He said the chamber borrowed from the Tupper Lake Rod and Gun Club its “parking on one side” signs it uses for Lake Simond Road during the Northern Challenge Saturday” and the parking arrangement went off “without a hitch.”

“We couldn't believe how well the parking worked out....so thanks to the Rod and Gun Club for that!”

He said all of the brewers offered robust congratulations on the staging of the event “so hopefully they will all be back next year, plus more, and hopefully we can continue to build the event!”

Mr. Gillis figured their trail grooming has concluded for the year, given last week's melt during several warm days.

He said that the work on the town's rehabilitation and winterization of the golf course pro shop is almost complete. He said the few outstanding items on the contractor's electrical punch list were expected to be completed this week.

Now insulated and heated and with operating indoor restrooms the building was welcomed by both those attending the Brewski and the Lumberjack Scramble Jr. in past weeks.