HELENA — Cross-country skiing is a popular Montana winter pastime and after a heavy snowfall, the Bill Roberts Golf Course is no longer acting as a golf course but rather a skier’s paradise.
Smiles are what make people like Dave Dalthorp volunteer their time to maintain a smooth cross-country ski trail system.
"A lot of people get really happy when it snows and come out here, so it is nice to see all the happy faces and more and more people will be coming out here all the time recreating and having fun in the winter," Dalthorp says. "It makes it so winter is a lot more enjoyable for people who might not otherwise like it and people who love winter love it even more.”
Alongside four other volunteers, snowmobiles groom the golf course with funds from the non-profit Last Chance Nordic Ski Club.
It takes a certain kind of weather to turn a golf course into a ski area.
Dalthorp says, “There needs to be enough snow so they are not going down through the snow onto the rocks on the cart paths that they cross because this is a golf course and the cart paths have gravel on them. There needs to be sufficient snow so we can pack into the ground to keep it firm so they are not going to ruin their skis on the gravel.”
The team uses four pieces of equipment to groom the golf course depending on the type of snow.
With the most recent snow, a roller and snowmobile were used.
"This implement is called a roller and it rolls over the snow, packs it down and then after it packs it down there is a pad back here that creates the corduroy pattern you see," Dalthorp says.
When the snow is not as soft, groomers use a Ginzu groomer to clean out tracks and a track setter for people to ski in a set track.
The course sees hundreds of cross-country skiers daily using both classics and skates.
Cori Erickson, the program coordinator for Helena Nordic Stars shares how the groomed golf course makes her feel.
“It is amazing to be outside. We have got the sun shining, we have got some fresh grooming and we have got amazing snow so getting outside and being able to be active is so important and so helpful," Erickson says. "I feel like it is so much better for my mental health to be able to be doing this in Helena so close to home.”
Skiers and the public can also fuel up at Muni's Sports Bar and Grille when out on the trails.
Donations to support the maintenance of the local trails including the golf course and MacDonald pass can be donated at the golf course or online with Last Chance Nordic Ski Club.
