Passing on the Legacy

It's a rare experience, Geoff Harvey says, slicing a pair of cross-country skis through the powder at the Fourth of July Pass.

Folks can take a breath at an overlook of frosted treetops. They can glimpse a moose traipsing through the drifts.

"And it's a safe environment," the Hayden man reflected. "There are signs, trails, maps along the way. The odds of people getting lost is pretty low."

Most winter athletes might not realize, but the solace of the freshly groomed trails and the updated signage is largely due to Harvey and the other members of Panhandle Nordic Cross-Country Ski and Snowshoe Club.

But it might not last, Harvey fears.

"The members keep getting older, is the problem," he said of the roughly 25-year-old club. "It's not harder for us to do, but we're not going to be around forever."

Besides engaging in year-round trips and activities, the group is about maintaining what it uses. Members groom the myriad ski and snowshoe trails at the Fourth of July Pass during the winter, and clear brush from biking and horse riding paths in the summer.

"It's Forest Service property, but the Forest Service simply doesn't have the manpower to do it," Harvey explained. "That's why they depend on us."

Spokespeople for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest Service could not be reached on Tuesday afternoon.

Club members worry for the longevity of their services, Harvey said, which keep up trails for countless users outside the club.

Membership has dropped from 90 a few years ago to less than 50 now, he said. And there is a sorry want of young members in the group to learn the ropes and carry on as older members leave, he said.

If the club fades away, he said, then one day folks might arrive at the Fourth of July to see no usable paths at all.

"I think people would miss the Fourth of July if it wasn't in the condition we keep it in," he said.

There is a great benefit to participating in the club, Harvey added, which is open to all ages and experience levels.

Besides weekly meet-ups at the pass, the group also takes periodic skiing and snow shoe trips across the northwest, including in Montana and British Columbia.

In the summer, they go hiking, horseback riding and biking.

"We're year round," he said.

Cross country and snow shoe beginners are welcome, he added.

"We have a cadre of people who do that sort of thing, who basically teach cross country skiing," he said.

Jackie Beery of Coeur d'Alene said she formed an instant connection with other members when she joined in the early '90s.

"Everybody is an outdoor person, and when you are, you just sort of click," she said.

There's no getting bored in the web of trails at the Fourth of July pass, Beery said. Especially now that ski and snowshoe trails are being expanded.

"One thing I like about this group is not everybody is an expert. I've skied for years, I'm mediocre, I will always be mediocre," she said with a chuckle. "That's fine. You don't have to be wonderful."

More information on the club is available at panhandlenordicclub.com, which also includes tips on gear, routes and safety. Folks can also call: 762-1246.

The group's first meeting of the season is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1 in the basement meeting room at the Fernan Ranger Station, at 2502 East Sherman Ave. in Fernan Village.

Membership is $15 a year for individuals, and $25 for families, Harvey said.

"Unless people are there to help maintain it (the pass trails), if some of us guys move on, it's not going to be there," Harvey said. "That's the best incentive."