‍Meeting called to order

by Ron Jasperson, president, at 7:02 p.m at Lehman's Supper Club (Rice Lake, WI)

Attendance

Officers: Ron Jasperson, Patty McGown, Tom Paulsen

Members: Dan Bale, Sam Behrends, Dan Bjugstad, Mike Cragg, Nels Curnow, Jan Paulsen, Jerry Schneider, John Ziemer

Non-members:

Minutes

Motion by Mike Cragg, second by Sam Behrends, to dispense with reading of the prior minutes of May 2017 and to accept the May 2017 minutes without changes. Unanimously carried.

Treasurer's Report

The fiscal year runs September 1 to August 31 inclusive. An interim budget report was presented by Tom Paulsen. Revenue ($29923.80) exceeded expenses ($25068.22) by $4855.58. Overall expenses were above budget due to equipment repairs (snowmobile trailer, Gator, Bearcat, Tidd Tech groomers), trail and bridge repairs (extensive dozing and backhoe work, and replacement of bridge at #25), lots of grooming, and more than usual gas expenses; revenue was significantly above budget thanks to steady support from business/individual donations, memberships, banquet fundraising, trail-head receipts, and equipment sales. Our bottom line shows a positive balance on April 1 (available cash) of $32,986.59. Budget for 2017-18 was presented. Discussion was held. Motion was made by Sam Behrends to approve the Treasurer's report as presented, and seconded by Mike Cragg. Unanimously carried.

Objectives

1. Election of officers
2. Old Business
3. Membership Fees
4. New Business
5. Designate committee members for the upcoming year

Election of Officers

Patty McGown completed one year as vice president, but chose to remove her name for consideration of another one-year term, and was thanked for her support. Ron Jasperson and Tom Paulsen agreed to serve another one-year term. Patty McGown nominated Ron Jasperson for president and Tom Paulsen for secretary/treasurer, seconded by Dan Bjugstad, and passed unanimously. Sam Behrends volunteered to serve as vice president, he was nominated for vice president by Tom Paulsen, seconded by Ron Jasperson, and passed unanimously.

Old Business:

Fall banquet: held at Lehman's Supper Club in Rice Lake. This was a fun evening – held early November at Lehman's Supper Club in Rice Lake. Attendance was good (62), the food was delicious, attendees enjoyed Julie Buckle’s presentation of her ‘Wilderness Canoe Journey from Lake Superior to northern Canada.’ Thanks to Nels Curnow and Patty McGown for decorating the banquet site, and Patty serving as emcee. The banquet was somewhat less financially successful than past years (raising $2068 from sales of silent auction items). The method used for prize distribution was less hectic than in the past - each silent auction winner was allowed to pick out their prize(s) themselves.

Fundraising: fundraising was very successful this past year. Donations from businesses ($7960), individuals ($6565), and at the trailhead ($3029) were either at or above budget. Memberships decreased by two to 95 households ($5365). Sales of raffle tickets ($970) were down about $100, and the revenue from silent auction items at the fundraising banquet dropped about $500 below expectations ($2068). We sold our 2002 Tidd Tech 6-foot grooming implement for $2150. Interest income from our on-line savings added $117.

Winter Fun Day: no attempt at hosting a race this past year, the costs to host a small race remain prohibitive. A "Fun Day on the Trails" (a potluck ski/snowshoe) was held Saturday February 10, 2018. Attendance was light but enthusiastic, temps and snow conditions were good, food was great, a warm fire pit added to the mood.

Equipment:

• Our major equipment expense this past year was maintenance and repair of our 2014 John Deere Gator (annual maintenance $700; various repairs – front AWD solenoid $1000, $250 dashboard switches $250, misfires due to bad spark plug wire $350). Other significant equipment expenses involved repair of the snowmobile trailer, servicing and modifying the 2017 Arctic Cat Bearcat snowmobile, and replacing various parts on the Tidd Tech grooming implements.
• The Gator oxygen sensor ($250) was replaced in late April 2018 by Tom P – hopefully this will resolve the issue with the check engine light flashing intermittently, and provide better power, smoother operation, and reduced fuel consumption. This expense will appear in fiscal year 2018-19.
• Carpenter ants invaded the storage shed June 2017, excavating cavities in the spray foam insulation in the southeast corner of the ceiling. After trying various deterrents, we purchased and applied Termidor (fipronil) spray and gel with almost immediate success.
• During the grooming season, monthly periodic service of the Gator was handled on site in our heated storage shed by volunteers Ron Jasperson, Tom Paulsen, and Steve P. We also used on-site service from Cameron Tractor Central on two occasions – this was expensive but saved the expense and time associated with transporting the Gator for off site service.
• Use of our new Tidd Tech wheel kit was helpful in moving the G2 implements.
• Repair of our snowmobile trailer was completed (new wheels, tires, bearings, lights; wiring repair; replacement of the fractured lengthwise supports with heavier gauge aluminum, then adding welding reinforcement; new decking; plastic decking skid protectors; rubber TraxMat on the center of the decking).
• With the help of DNR dozer operator Gary Sarauer, we moved our new 40-foot shipping container into place in July. Then Sam Behrends loaded the grooming implements into it. Thanks Sam!
• We purchased a new snowmobile (2017 Arctic Cat Bearcat XT Groomers Special) in March 2017. It worked very well this past winter. To enhance its maneuverability, we purchased a special rear mount ball plate from Livingston Arctic Cat (New Hampshire) and resumed use of the gooseneck hitch designed for use with the medium (6-foot) Tidd Tech G2 grooming implement. At the advice of that same Arctic Cat dealer in New Hampshire, we removed the original ski carbides and replaced them with Woody’s Slim Jims that provide more of a bite when cornering. The original carbides are stored in the shipping container.
• The Bearcat snowmobile surprised us with an issue where it occasionally wouldn’t start in cold weather because of a faulty relay for the fuel pump. This was initially overcome by warming the relay in the operator’s pocket. Relays are no longer manufactured in the USA, and these relays made in China apparently have poorer quality control. Tom was able to scour the Internet and find a highly useful electronic outlet in Texas (MOUSER ELECTRONICS) that located replacement relays made in Japan by a company called Omron. The snowmobile now carries multiple replacement relays in its ‘glove box’ – sourced from the original manufacturer, as well as Omron. NOTE: the snowmobile's two fuse boxes (which contain fuses and relays) are located in 2 locations – under the hood, and under the rear seat.
• The Bearcat slides overheated and broke while grooming on a warm day in March when the trail surface was very compacted. The slides were replaced by Hauck Powersports in Rice Lake. We’ve now purchased snow scratchers to be mounted on the Bearcat – for use when the trail surface isn’t kicking up enough snow to cool the slides. Another future option is to switch to a more durable more expensive DuPont slide ($135 each) that Hauck Powersports has in stock.
• The Bearcat exhaust shoots straight down at the snow, and melts a hole in the trail surface when idling. This exhaust setup also can cause warmed snow to stick to a trailing roller when grooming at slow speeds. So we had Hauck Powersports modify the exhaust with a side extension. We need to watch for ice buildup in the lower loop of the modified exhaust – and make sure any accumulated moisture drains through a hole that Hauck created at the low point of the exhaust pipe.
• The Yellowstone roller was modified March 2018 at CPH Enterprises by welding a bracket to mount a HDPE scraper on its rear. Hopefully this will reduce snow buildup if we get caught grooming in sticky snow conditions.
• We sold our 2002 Tidd Tech G2-6 grooming implement for $2150 autumn 2017.
• Instead of selling our small G2 implement as discussed one year ago, we worked a deal with Sam Behrends using the small G2 (G2-4) and tracksetter for grooming a trail for the Bruce High School team. In return, Sam and the high school are repairing the old G2-6 for resale. If we run into a situation where we need a backup, Sam will return the G2-4 to our trailhead.
• Bob Wieckowicz volunteered last year to evaluate/repair our grooming implements each summer. He's not available to help with this at this time.

Trail maintenance:

• Two 5" deluges (May 2017 Barron tornado; then June 2017) produced loads of erosion damage. Extensive dozing and backhoe work was performed late summer 2017 – combining the efforts of DNR dozer operator Gary Sarauer and backhoe operator Scott Gudis. At the same time, a new trail was dozed (with backhoe help) on the Eastside that runs from 2A to 00 on our updated maps. Volunteers spread grass seed in September after the dozing was completed; more grass seed was spread in a few spots in early May 2018. We received 2+ days of free dozing; the backhoe work cost about $2000. All told, the trail system had about ten separate areas that received dozing and/or backhoe work, and 7 culverts were replaced or added. This was the most aggressive single year for dozing since we organized in 1986.
• As part of the above mentioned work, the big culvert at the low spot on the trail from 4-19 failed and that trail was impassable prior to August 2017 replacement of the culvert ($900 in backhoe work) and dozing.
• The new Eastside trail from 2A-00 (now called the Roundabout Trail) has received great reviews. It’s a fun trail to ski in either the uphill or downhill direction – a great route to/from the ridge line.
• The 2016 trail reroute between #30A and #30 is working very well, it’s a pleasure to ski and much easier to groom since the rocky eroded segment was bypassed.
• Logging of the Eastside ridgeline timber sale that began several years ago was completed late summer 2017.
• The long hill on the Eastside from 21-11-12 is highly erosion prone in the best of situations. After logging was completed on the ridge line summer 2017, that route was dozed by the logger – but the resultant overly high water bars needed modification by dozer Gary Sarauer last fall. Dormant seeding was performed by our volunteers in early November 2017.
• With the completion of the new trail running from 2A-00, we abandoned the S-curve southeast of #2 – and the two erosion prone bridges on that trail segment.
• Due to persistent erosion problems, we made an executive decision to abandon the furthest Eastside trails running from 5-6-7-30.
• In November/December 2017, Tom P and Jerry S scouted (flagged) new Eastside trails to provide a new Far East loop. Taking advantage of a long forgotten logging skidder trail, a short segment was brushed out and groomed and provided good skiing (see Eastside map 8-30 alternate route). This segment needs some dozing; the rest of the flagged trails need coordinated evaluation and route planning – with plans to get the Forestry Department and Gary Sarauer (DNR dozer operator) to help plan this route perhaps this fall when the leaves are down.
• The East/West bridge at #25 was wrecked when the LARGE upstream beaver dam gave way and caused massive flooding of that bridge narrows. After input from several individuals, we decided to replace the bridge with a longer (16' instead of 12') wooden bridge, setting the east end on barn cookies and footings set back from the creek. This was done in stages – first dismantling the decking and stringers; then repositioning the east wall using earth anchors for support; then placing fill behind the east wall; then taking delivery of lumber to the site; then assembling a crew to place barn cookies, footings, and a header on the east side – then placing the 16' stringers – then placing the decking – then placing excelsior and silt fence to control erosion. This was completed in October 2017, nice result! It's very important to maintain this access point to the Westside trails.
• The County Forestry Dept mowed the Westside and limited parts of the Eastside where trails were dry enough to withstand the weight of their tractor mower; softer Eastside trails were mowed using the Gator and our trail mower. The Gator with Camoplast tracks easily floated over soft/damp/muddy areas without leaving much of an imprint. The mowing crew of BHTA volunteer members included Sam Behrends, Mike Cragg, Pete Grassman, Ron Jasperson, Tom Paulsen, and Steve P. Using volunteers for the mowing saved about $1000 in contracted labor costs.
• The Annual Work Day in early October 2017 was fairly well attended and focused on removal of about 25 downed trees from a localized wind storm the week before. Plus shovel work to replace lost soil on the east side of the bridge at #31 – plus erosion damage of the hill between 10-29A-29 which was repaired on our fall work day by using reconfigured bales of straw and shoveled dirt – plus dropping a couple trees that were cut into segments to use as log corduroy for an eroded trail crossing near #30. There wasn’t enough time on the work day to brush the trail margins.
• The Westside trail that runs immediately adjacent to a long beaver dam west of Letter I was flooded last summer – a segment about 200' in length was impassable. The Forestry department arranged for beaver removal and breaching of that beaver dam. The spot where most of that impounded water crosses the trail was deeply eroded. After the trail dried out last fall, Tom P and Steve P used a combination of rock and logs to create a corduroy crossing that worked well through the winter.
• In October 2017 Tom P and Steve P created a PVC pipe ford on the small creek on the Westside southeast of Letter F. Six 4" diameter heavy walled PVC pipes (10' in length) were cabled together to create a corduroy crossing that would permit water to flow through the pipes – while allowing snow to accumulate on top. The cost was about $100. This seemed to work well, and for a change it allowed early season grooming of that area.
• Logging of the Eastside ‘Wood Turtle Sale’ was completed in January/February, again causing a major disruption of the ‘core loop’ during that time.

Grooming: Shortly after a light ice storm moved through, we started grooming on December 11. We groomed  62+ times (12 in December, 18 in January, 22 in February, 10 + in March, and some in April). Grooming was handled mostly by Steve Gest, with Ron Beebe joining the team in February – and receiving some help from Sam Behrends, Ron Jasperson, Tom Paulsen, and Dave Putnam. The winter was cold and snowy and long, and required lots of grooming. After putting equipment in storage, heavy snows prompted us to pull out a roller and the big G2 for additional grooming. We actually groomed on April 18 and had skiable stretches of snow on the trails until early May! Thanks! to Steve Gest for his meticulous grooming and dedication.

Signage: Tom Paulsen replaced the few trail signs & maps that went missing. We continue to use blue squares that clearly label the core loop. We added more signs (markers) for the snowshoe trail.

Snowshoe trail: further improved and expanded by Dan Bjugstad and John Kann. Visitors clearly enjoy these snowshoe trails. Many thanks to Dan and John's ongoing efforts and the innumerable hours they devote to snowshoeing!

Storage: on site storage works well.

Warming house:

• Sam Behrends repaired the doors summer 2017 to allow freer closure. Thanks Sam!
• At our request, in April 2018 Northwest HVAC performed a leak test (negative), then modified the warming house furnace pilot light to minimize the offensive gas odor that has been present for years. Apparently, the pilot was set to burn too high when the furnace was installed a few years ago.
• Since we don't need to insulate the warming house as tightly as a private residence, Lee Westlund (the warming house builder) recommended we not bother caulking the exterior of the warming house. Instead he suggested the use of sheep's wool (available on the internet from log house building suppliers) to plug any obvious gaps. The sheep's wool has good insulating properties, it wicks moisture, and it isn't itchy like its fiberglass alternative. We purchased the sheep's wool (wool ropes) to repair any insulation gaps, it's in a bin In the storage shed.
• Tom keeps the mice under control using traps and/or bait.

Website:

• Our website remains a highly useful portal in providing info for members and visitors; also we occasionally distribute messages using Facebook and Twitter. Hopefully our members can provide more numerous and frequent trail condition updates to skinnyski.com
• We pay a yearly fee ($190) for use of the Adobe Muse website design software (previously this was donated by Kristine Paulsen); we also pay an annual fee ($50) for website hosting (we use Bluehost.com); and we pay an annual fee ($60) for website scanning & repair (security company called SiteLock). Ongoing thanks! to Kristine Paulsen for her savvy & artistic involvement with the website and it’s various complexities.

Ski clinic: no ski clinic this past December, the weather wasn't favorable.

Membership Dues:

Current annual dues are $45 for individuals, $65 for families. Dues were increased by $10 in October 2014, and the number of memberships has remained stable at ~95 member households each year. Due to increasing expenses, Tom P (treasurer) recommends an increase to $50 for individuals, $75 for families. These increased levels were supported by 90% of 60 respondents in a survey we distributed to our members in April 2018. Brief discussion was held, including the idea of a sliding scale membership fee. John Ziemer moved to raise the annual membership dues to $50 for individuals, $75 for families. Second by Patty McGown. Passed unanimously.

Our current daily trail-head fee is $5 (encouraging users to donate based on their level of enjoyment – suggesting a $5 daily donation per person as a minimum). The idea of increasing our trail head fees was addressed in our April 2018 survey – with an even split of opinion. 45% voted to keep the daily fee at $5; 24% voted for a level between $5-$10; 25% voted for a $10 daily fee. One interesting suggestion was to “suggest $10 with a minimum of $5”. Our $5 daily fee is below the level of all the trails I could compare in northern Wisconsin. Since we are a non-profit operating on County land, we cannot require a specific trailhead fee. And our longstanding philosophy encourages keeping the trails accessible to a wide range of individuals, thus helping fulfill our mission as a non-profit organization. Following discussion, Sam Behrends moved to increase the daily trail-head fee to a recommended $10 daily donation with a $5 minimum – and with the message that users donate based on what they can afford. Second by Jan Paulsen. Passed with ten in favor, one opposed.

New Business:

Fall Banquet: we anticipate pretty much the same setup. We again will offer many silent auction items, and one or two major raffles. Patty McGown again volunteered to head the banquet committee, with Ron Jasperson helping as well. This year’s banquet will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at Lehman's Supper Club in Rice Lake. For this year's banquet, Patty McGown has received a commitment from Richard Lett as our guest speaker. Tom P would like to open the doors for the banquet at 5 p.m. instead of 5:30 – this would allow 30 extra minutes for socializing and bidding on silent auction items. Starting at 5:00 was supported by those in attendance.

Fundraising:

• Tom Paulsen will again spearhead the fall fundraising in the Ladysmith area. Dick Pebler, our longstanding Rice Lake fundraising contact, is no longer available. Many thanks to Dick for his decades of volunteer work for BHTA. Mike Cragg volunteered to serve as the Rice Lake fundraising contact. As in the past, fundraising appeals will focus on supportive individuals and businesses, and BHTA members.
• Tom Paulsen requested help stuffing envelopes for the August mailing - Dan Bjugstad and Ron Jasperson volunteered.
• The method for distributing banquet prizes (silent auction items & raffle winners) worked well this past year, and will be unchanged. Individuals will pick up their winning items, calculate the amount they owe, and pay Tom before leaving. Something new to try this year – combine some of the many silent auction items into one item.

Winter Fun Day: Officers will try to coordinate 1-2 potluck ski events as a good way to socialize while attracting members/visitors – perhaps during a full moon if the weather cooperates. To enhance attendance, we will return to a Saturday as the most likely day for the event. Without reaching consensus, we also discussed various options such as some type of race or snowshoe event, a 'flick-a-stick' competition, and better advertising to draw more non-members.

Equipment:

• Our new Arctic Cat Bearcat snowmobile needs snow scratchers installed. Ron Jasperson volunteered to help Tom with the installation.
• A Tractor Central technician that recently worked on our Gator thinks the life expectancy of our Gator might be about 2000 hours before we should consider selling. It currently has about 920 hours on it. We will continue providing periodic maintenance per the manual (lubrication of drive line and Camoplast tracks at 50 hour intervals, oil changes at 100 hour intervals, check torque settings on hub bolts at 100 hour intervals) and thorough annual maintenance to include replacement of the Camoplast hub bearings each year.

Trail maintenance:

• The first bridge (small) between 1-23 needs to be re-supported on its southeast corner. Tom P will ask Steve Poethke to help with this. It looks like the repair would involve lifting the bridge using a floor jack, then placing rock/lumber for new support.
• The sagging bridge east of #31 needs evaluation of its support. The two supports placed on its east side last fall (by Tom P and Steve P) were dislodged by this past winter’s ice buildup. Tom P will ask Steve Poethke to help with this.
• Mowing plans – no change. Rusk County usually mows the Westside in July, and portions of the Eastside that can withstand the weight of their tractor. For the damp (soft) areas on the Eastside, we plan on again using volunteer labor operating the Gator pulling our trail mower. Tom P will check to see if our same mowing crew (volunteers) is available this summer.
• One board needs replacement on the north side of the bridge at #2. The mowing crew should make note of this.
• The area below the Westside beaver dam north of Letter F remains a grooming/skiing challenge. Options include a major reroute north around the lake impounded by the dam (this area was scouted by Tom P and Jerry S last summer) vs building a 72-foot long ‘floating’ boardwalk below the beaver dam in the wet area where the Jump River Electric (JRE) power line is running. JRE has agreed to flag the power line at that site if we make the request. The Forestry Department is willing to offer advice on locating/building a boardwalk. Tom’s estimate for the cost of a 12' wide boardwalk is $2000. Tom P will inspect this site with Jeremy K representing the Forestry Department.
• To reduce the likelihood of illicit truck traffic on the trails at points #1 and #22, we have an agreement with the Forestry Department to place metal gates at #1 and #22. The Forestry Department will supply the gates if we agree to install the gates. To install the gates, a 2-foot hole will be dug for each post (two posts for each gate), then set in concrete. Brief discussion was held. We'll seek volunteers for this project later this summer.
• The persistently wet area just inside the gate at the warming house needs repair. Tom P has discussed this with Jeremy K (Forestry Dept), requesting 450+ feet of gravel extending from the gate to an area near the storage shed. Perhaps Gary Sarauer (DNR) could perform the necessary dozing while also placing a small culvert near the gate to deal with the water that needs drainage.
• We need to select a fall work day – our officers will do that later this summer.
• Tom Paulsen showed maps from the Rusk County Forestry department showing 2 active and 2 future timber sales, three on the Eastside, one on the Westside.
• When planning year round trail maintenance, Tom refers to ‘Trail Time Line’ outlined by Carolyn Chatterton (this file is named "Trail Time Line" and is available on Tom's computer ).
• To provide winter shade for certain portions of the trail system, tree planting has been suggested by a couple of our members. John (Rusk County Land Conservation Dept) suggests the use of spruce (more deer resistant) or red pine. The County Land Conservation Dept sends us an email in January with details regarding available trees –they are available in the early spring as 12"-18"-24" trees; perhaps the Forestry Dept would pick up the cost? After planting, they would need timely watering the first year; as well as grass control twice monthly. To date, only one of our members (Tyler G) has shown interest in this tree project. This item was not discussed at this meeting.
• The bridge at #31 is located in a curve of the creek, and will always be susceptible to high water events. While exploring a new snowshoe trail with Dan and John, Tom discovered a very desirable new route from #23 to the top of the hill north of #31 that would allow a better creek crossing, and provide an easier way for skiers to negotiate that hill. This will be further evaluated with foresters Jeremy K and Gary S.

Grooming: Steve Gest and Ron Beebe remain interested in handling most of the wintertime grooming. Our goal remains quality grooming of the entire trail system with major emphasis on the Eastside core loop, and with the Westside as next in priority – this reflects feedback as part of our recent April 2018 survey. We will consider a fall meeting between officers and groomers if it seems necessary. If any of our members know of someone interested in grooming our trails, please contact one of our officers.

Signage:

• We have started the process of a complete revision of the Eastside map and signs. The core loop will be renumbered sequentially, and the side trails will receive names. It’s likely that the new signs will be a reflective aluminum material – at a cost of about $1000. The next step is finalization of names for the side trails – Tom P volunteered to coordinate this.
• Annual replacement of missing or faded trail intersection maps needs to be done late fall or early winter. Each fall, Tom Paulsen contacts the Rusk County Extension Office to arrange printing of current maps. If help is needed, Tom will seek volunteers for map replacement this fall.

Snowshoe trail: John Kann and Dan Bjugstad will continue to maintain and/or revise the snowshoe trail. John & Dan have already started adding a fourth snowshoe trail that will run from #23 up into Hemlock Canyon (the area north of #2). They would greatly appreciate more help with the snowshoe trail maintenance -- interested volunteers can reach them by contacting our website.

Storage: The snowmobile trailer is stored off site.

Warming house:

• We need a volunteer to take charge of pit toilet 'cleaning'. Jan Paulsen volunteered to care for the womens' pit toilet. We still need a volunteer to care for the mens' pit toilet.
• There is a large outdated sign in the parking lot that is unnecessary. Tom will ask Jeremy K if the forestry department could remove the sign.
• We switched to Sheldon Coop (Heartland Coop) as the propane provider June 2010, they are delivering a good service. We fill the tank during the summer (July) when rates are the lowest. The new propane tank near the storage shed will need to be filled once every few years while the ground is frozen.

Annual Fall Work Day: to be selected later this summer.

Website: Tom will continue to manage the website. Suggestions for further improvement of our Internet presence are always welcome. We could draw more visitors to our trail system if our members would provide more numerous and frequent trail condition updates to skinnyski.com

Ski Clinic: those in attendance appreciate the occasional ski clinics conducted by Steve and Jyneen Thatcher. Hopefully they can continue offering these teaching sessions.

Insurance: no changes anticipated, no discussion of this item.

Other:

• We discussed wintertime use of 'fat tire bikes' on the trails. If individuals would like to develop a network of 'fat tire trails' for wintertime use, attendees agreed it could work well for those interested individuals to contact Dan B and John K to help develop/maintain snowshoe trails that would be 'fat tire bike' friendly.
• Allowing dogs on the Eastside ski trails was discussed. There's only limited support for this. Allowing dogs on our Westside trails remains strongly supported.
• What will happen to BHTA when the current generation of retirees is no longer available? Attendees have no easy answer for this.
• Consider asking WRA (Wildlife Restoration Association) to help with various projects on our trail system. Perhaps as one of their 'Environmental Challenges'.
• Perhaps encourage Dave Greschner (Rice Lake Chronotype) to provide better coverage (i.e. front page location) of our event.
• Perhaps purchase inexpensive snowshoes at thrift sales and place them at the warming house for free use. Dan Bjugstad will look into this.

Committee Designations

To be carried over with additions as highlighted in bold 

• Banquet Committee: Ron Jasperson, Patty McGown (chair)

• Fun Day / Full Moon Ski Committee: open

• Equipment Committee: Sam Behrends (chair), Bob Wieckowicz

• Fundraising: Jan Paulsen, Tom Paulsen, Mike Cragg

• Grooming and Trail Maintenance Committee: Jerry Schneider, Steve P (chair)

• Ski Clinic Committee: open

• Snowshoe Trail: Dan Bjugstad, John Kann (chair)

• Website: Tom Paulsen (chair)

Meeting Adjourned

Motion to adjourn by Tom Paulsen, second by Ron Jasperson. Adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Minutes

Taken by Tom Paulsen, Secretary

A Listing of Active Committees

• Banquet Committee
• Fun Day / Full Moon Ski Committee
• Equipment Committee
• Fundraising Committee
• Grooming and Trail Maintenance Committee
• Ski Clinic
• Snowshoe Trail
• Website Committee