WEBER COUNTY, Utah — While some ski resorts are already in full swing for the winter season, other snow-adventuring centers in northern Utah are still waiting for conditions to be just right.
Ogden Nordic is a non-profit organization near Eden in charge of the winter trails for cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and "fat bike" riders at Weber County’s North Fork Park.
After getting over two dozen inches of snow in one night alone, the center is getting eager for the good season to come.
“To be able to ski every day, it’s just really pretty special,” said operations manager Trish Painter.
Another thing that’s special? The volunteers who come in in the middle of the night to groom the trails.
“We get a lot of snow here,” said volunteer Bob Rebolledo. “A lot.”
Rebolledo and fellow volunteer Scott Blank have 18 miles of cross-country ski trails to cover.
“You come out here at night, it’s just you and the snow, and you put down perfect corduroy you know people are going to enjoy,” said Rebolledo. “You see the wildlife. It’s just a really zen experience.”
On a good day, they can only move up to seven miles per hour.
“It’s an art to groom trails for cross-country skiing,” explained Painter. “You have to go out at the right time, make sure that the temperature’s right, and then if they don’t get it right the first time, they’ll go out and do it again.”
For them, there’s something other than the winter wonderland of the wilderness that keeps them coming back on their own free time.
“I enjoy making other people happy,” said Blank.
Ogden Nordic stays afloat with the help of donations, funding from the county, and grants from the state.
“All of that keeps us going and then people buy season passes and daily trail passes and all that feeds into our operations,” said Painter.
The trails are not officially open yet, but Ogden Nordic is hoping to be up and running later this week.
