Snowshoe or ski, they did it for free
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Marlene Stein of Coeur d'Alene snowshoes Saturday during the Panhandle Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club's 26th annual Best Hand Fun Ski and Snowshoe event at Fourth of July Pass Recreation Area.
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Kathi Abate of Coeur d'Alene, left, and Linda Barnes of Hayden sail over snowy trails on cross-country skis Saturday at the Fourth of July Pass Recreation Area.
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Mike Bailey secures his backpack in front of the Fourth of July Recreation Area warming hut Saturday as daughters Grace, 14, center, and Allie, 12, prepare for a snowshoeing adventure with their dad.
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Ellie Emm of Post Falls snowshoes in from the trails Saturday at the Fourth of July Pass Recreation Area during the Panhandle Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club's Best Hand event, which annually takes place on Idaho Department of Recreation's Free Ski Day.
FOURTH OF JULY PASS — It might have been cold, but the warm smiles of the skiers and snowshoers enjoying the trails at the Fourth of July Pass Recreation Area on Saturday were enough to lift the chill off any heart.
"It's the outdoors, and all the people are so interesting," said Marlene Stein of Coeur d'Alene. "It's the camaraderie of everybody coming together and enjoying nature."
About 100 snow sport enthusiasts gathered at the Panhandle Warming Hut and made their way along the groomed paths during the Panhandle Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club's 26th annual Best Hand Fun Ski and Snowshoe event.
Whether they glided or plodded through the tall pines and snow, participants were pleasant and happy to be out in Mother Nature.
"It’s great," said long-time Panhandle Nordic Club member Jan Severtson of Coeur d'Alene. "The snow is wonderful for the skiers, I’m sure. It sure is good for the snowshoers because it’s packed and we don’t get snowshoes full of snow that we have to knock off. The weather is good if you’re dressed for it, which I am."
The "Best Hand" part of the event featured opportunities to win prizes through collecting playing cards from volunteers along the trails. More than 50 different prizes from local vendors and merchants were awarded at the end of the event. Severtsen said in the past, she has won such prizes as a night's stay at The Coeur d'Alene Resort and a picnic with hikers who provided a nice lunch.
"I enjoy seeing all the people who come out for the event," she said.
The club's annual Best Hand event also falls on the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation's Free Ski/Snowshoe Day, where Park 'N' Ski areas do not require visitors to have passes.
Mike Bailey of Coeur d'Alene and his daughters, Grace, 14, and Allie, 12, read about Free Ski Day in the newspaper and wanted to take advantage of the event for a special family outing.
"I couldn’t be happier than to be out with my two daughters out in the mountains," Mike said.
"This is my first time snowshoeing," Allie said as they finished snapping on their gear.
"I think it's fun," Grace added. "I think she'll have a lot of fun."
Panhandle Nordic Club President Jim McMillen said the event went well and it was great to see so many people participating. This year, the day was filmed via a drone to put on the club's website to give people a visual of what the event is, he said.
“What’s really nice is lately we’ve had a lot of new people coming into the club,” McMillen said. “This is great. There’s a lot of interest, it seems. A lot of friends are bringing friends and we’ve had a lot of good meetings.”
McMillen said it's a great event for socialization and to just get out of the house. He gave a shoutout to the Idaho Transportation Department for clearing out the parking lot just for the event.
"It's not something they have to do, but they're always really good about keeping it maintained for us. We pay them with a basket of cookies each year," McMillen said with a laugh. "They're really busy, but we really do appreciate them doing that for us."
The Panhandle Nordic Club meets the first Tuesday of the month at Avondale Golf Club in Hayden Lake. Members also organize trips and enjoy outings in the summer. Member fees are $20 per family per year.
Info: www.panhandlenordicclub.com