A Place for All
ROCKS volunteer Dave Lewis and ROCKS President Garry Swain starting the base for the Community Ice Rink Dec. 15 at Seeley Lake Elementary School. Instead of using the liner like they have done in the past, the Seeley Lake Nordic Club packed the snow with a roller and then ROCKS sprayed the rink area several times allowing the water to freeze in between. The warm weather made it a slow process in the beginning, however, there was a good Base Dec. 24. Swain and intern Conner Chadwick flooded the rink several more times over the Christmas weekend. With the sub-zero temperatures, Swain hopes to have the rink ready to go this week.
As winter dawns over the Seeley Swan Valley, the ROCKS team springs into a frenzy of action. It is during this ever-changing and unpredictable weather season that we realize the somewhat limited control we have over this gorgeous environment, and much of the ROCKS team's time is spent watching the weather forecast. Rain? Not so good. Snow? Great for the ski trails, trouble for the ice skating rink. Cold and icy conditions? Not so great for the ski trails, fantastic for the rink. Yep – this is when the word "outdoor" in our name takes prominence over all the others (ROCKS = Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports).
The good news is – just like that famous old timer's saying – "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change."
We've had a great start to the cross country skiing this year, which means that our support of the Yurt is as important as ever. As the Nordic Ski Trails team stays busy making sure the trails are groomed and ready for holiday and 2022 winter use, we have helped ensure a good wood supply for the cozy respite spot, and this year we are supplying hand sanitizer and face masks for those who need a spot to warm up, to snack, to rest between runs.
The skating rink flooding process has begun, and more than anything, we are grateful for the grant support that enabled us to purchase a snowblower. Sadly, we are spending more time snow blowing than flooding, given the tricky warming and cooling and fairly erratic weather patterns we are facing. But at this writing, there are enough below freezing days in a row facing us and we should have people on the ice before the year ends! Keep checking back – the progress is entirely weather-related but we are undaunted by the capriciousness with which Mother Nature is behaving at the moment.
Ski folks are happy; skaters need to just be patient just a tiny bit longer, but never fear! The ROCKS team has your collective backs as we work hard to ensure the area outdoor enthusiasts have safe and well-maintained areas for recreation and exercise.
The Lakeview Trails at Placid Lake are resting at the moment (closed as the elk herds migrate) but the area is now offering even wider recreational opportunities for more people than ever with the addition of the Accessible ¾ mile trail. Summit Independent Living completed this project with ROCKS support. It provides a badly needed and breathtakingly beautiful trail for people with special hiking needs.
All of this activity is an outdoor labor of love by a group of friendly and outgoing volunteers. If you'd like to join our group and help with these important community projects, we'd love to hear from you! For more information email me at garryswain@gmail.com.
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