April Nordic Newsletter

JHSC Club and Community Nordic Update

Happenings of the JHSC Nordic Program, Trail Creek Nordic Center, and Local Nordic Community

Welcome to the April Edition of “What’s Going On” for the 2025-2026 season!

This year has certainly been one for the record books. Winter was slow to arrive, and when it finally did, unseasonably warm temperatures meant much of the early precipitation fell as rain. Thankfully, enough snow eventually arrived so that, by the time JHSC programs hit full speed in January, there was some truly lovely skiing to enjoy.

Trail Creek was far more fortunate than many other locations across the Rocky Mountain West; thanks to our hard working snow, two races—an IMD qualifier and a high school race—were moved from other locations to Trail Creek. Although it was challenging to retain that precious snow coverage, teams were able to keep skiing until the final scheduled week of the program.

Sincere thanks to all who come together to make JHSC Nordic and the Trail Creek Nordic Center such an amazing experience for our community!

Read on to find out all the details in this month’s Nordic newsletter…

And just like that, the snow is receding, the skis are being waxed for storage, and we are wrapping up what has been an unforgettable 2025-2026 Nordic season. If I had to pick one word to describe this winter, it would be resilience. Athletes always brought fantastic energy to practice every day, coaches were creative in their practice plans despite tough conditions, and parents were adaptable and positive in spite of changing plans and challenging conditions. Throughout the season in both the cold inversions of January and the summertime temperatures in March, the spirit that the JHSC athletes and community brought to Trail Creek every day was inspiring.

The past month came with challenging weather but lots of fun practices, and some very strong racing. We saw incredible performances at the Western Club Championships at Mike Harris, where JHSC athletes battled through tough conditions with impressive grit. We had athletes, from the Teewinot Team all the way to the Comp Team, trying their hardest to cap their season well. A huge shout-out to Walker Dunn, Atten Aronowitz, and Charlie von Maur-Newcomb, who represented JHSC and the Intermountain Division with pride at Junior Nationals in Cable, Wisconsin. Watching these athletes handle everything from zero-degree cold to dumping snow on some of the country’s most challenging courses was truly inspiring.

Racing at Junior Nationals in Cable, Wisconsin

Closer to home, Trail Creek remained the heart of our community until the very end. From the Lollipoppers finding their independent "ski legs" to the Devos conquering Old Pass Road and the Ositos belly-sledding through rainy practices, the laughter echoing through the woods was a constant reminder of why we do this. The Moose Chase was a huge highlight of the season, with 19 Ositos alone joining the 150+ JHSC skiers who donned bibs and braved the course with smiles and moose ears. Our end of season party at May Park was a huge highlight with hot dogs, lawn games, and hundreds of athletes, coaches, and parents all having fun together in the park!

As we transition into spring sports and well-deserved breaks, I want to extend a massive THANK YOU to the entire Nordic community. To the grooming department, our creative coaching staff, and especially the parents who navigated the logistics of a fickle winter: you made this season a success.

Enjoy the sunshine, recharge those batteries, and keep the Nordic lifestyle alive until the first flakes fall again. See you on the trails!

Will Wicherski

Nordic Director

Lollipoppers

It has been an incredible season, and I’ve truly loved coaching your kids. Eleven weeks ago, many of them could barely stand on skis and didn’t know how to put them on or take them off. Today, they’re skiing independently, managing their own gear, getting up on their own, and accomplishing so many goals.

Being a Lollipopper is about having fun and learning to ski—and while those don’t always go hand in hand, this group made it happen. They supported each other, built new friendships, and created a strong foundation for a lifetime of skiing. I’m so proud of every one of them.

Thanks to all the parents for making this season happen. As a parent of 3 Nordic skiers I know the time and energy it takes to get the gear, the motivation and the driving time to get them to practice. Give yourself a round of applause-you made it! Thanks for all you do.

With Lolli Love,

Stephanie, Elena, Aila, Katie, Amelia, Kathy, Trish, Kate and Andie

Teewinots

This season was defined by more than just the miles on the trails. It was a joy to see the kids truly come into their own—building confidence on their skis, mastering new techniques, and, most importantly, learning to love being outdoors together.

From our classic trail days to our recent adventures, we’ve shared some unforgettable moments, including:

Skill Building: Watching the progression from those first shaky strides to confident gliding.

Special Events: The excitement of Nordic ski bingo and the unique challenge of laser biathlon.

Community Spirit: Our "ski-up" days were a true highlight, allowing our groups to mix and mentor one another. Whether it was skiing with the Lollipoppers, or the Teewinots joining the Devos for their scavenger hunt, seeing the camaraderie across all ages was a testament to the JHSC spirit.

A Heartfelt Thank You: Thank you all for a wonderful season. Your support and the kids' enthusiasm made every day on the trails a success. It has been a privilege to watch them grow as skiers and as a team!

Julia Richter

Head Teewinot Coach

Devo Team

March was packed with Devo Team adventures, teamwork, and plenty of fun on the trails. Despite some challenging conditions - from spring “mashed potato” snow to firm, to some dicey icy spots in the woods - Devo’s rose to the occasion, continuing to find joy on skinny skis while making the most of every last bit of coverage.

We explored Old Pass Road and nearby trails on adventure ski days, including outings to Nosedive, Homesite, and an adventure up to Crater Lake. Kids brought costumes and big energy to Nordic X and snowmobile-joring, and kept things playful with obstacle courses, donut relay races, and the always-popular word scramble which spelled DEVO’S LOVE DONUTS with donut surprises for all.

Devo's mixed in great opportunities for growth and connection - our 5th graders had a chance to “ski up” with the Junior Team, and we partnered with the JH Nordic Alliance to practice trail etiquette (with Oreos as extra motivation!).

We wrapped up the season with a super fun celebration at May Park - lots of smiles, games, and a chance to reflect on a fantastic season. It’s been a wonderful month of growth, confidence, and community - thank you all, and we hope you have a great end to winter!

Libby Hall

Development Team Head Coach

Ositos

It’s been an amazing season for the Ositos! First and foremost, we’ve all become stronger and more competent skiers, and had a lot of fun along the way. Highlights include scavenger hunts, exploring new trails, tackling new hills, skiing longer loops together, and even the Nordic X course. We even had a funky rainy-day practice that somehow turned into one of the most fun practices of the season. We skied in the rain and ended up belly-sledding down hills because the wet snow made the ultimate slip-and-slide.

At the Moose Chase on Saturday, Feb 14, we had a huge Osito showing with a total of (drum roll please) 19 Ositos racers!! Racing can feel scary and intimidating, but it can also be exciting and empowering. One Ositos participant described it perfectly: “It does not matter how fast you go. It just matters how hard you try — and then it’s actually really fun!”

The kids, their families, and all the coaches were so proud of everyone for stepping outside their comfort zones and doing something that might feel a little scary, then finishing with huge smiles and a lot of pride.

I feel so grateful to spend this winter with Ositos. A huge thank you to our AMAZING assistant coaches, the Ski Club, and Coombs for all the support that makes this program possible. And most of all, thank you to the Ositos kids — the energy, curiosity, bravery, and endless laughter make every single practice memorable.

Coach Megan Tattersall

Head Osito Coach

Junior Team

As our season wraps up, we want to celebrate all the hard work, progress, and fun that our Junior Nordic athletes have had this year.

At the end of February and into early March, our athletes traveled to Sun Valley, Idaho for the Intermountain Youth Championships (IYC’s). It was a fantastic trip! The athletes performed really well, showing great technique, teamwork, and camaraderie. Highlights included skiing the Old Pass Road, which offered beautiful views and a great challenge, and a fun biathlon day that tested skills while keeping the energy high. We’re proud of this crew and the effort they put in.

Earlier in March we had a fun ski-up day where Devo athletes joined the Juniors. They skied up together, played games, and did relays. It was a blast to see everyone having fun, learning from each other, and building friendships across the program.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to transition into dryland training. This is the perfect time to set goals and explore what we can do in the off-season to come back stronger, faster, and ready to ski again next winter.

A huge thank you goes out to all the families, friends, coaches, and supporters of the club. Even with challenging snow conditions this year, the season was a big success thanks to all of you. Your support makes everything possible.

Keep up the great work, Junior Nordic athletes! Have an amazing spring and summer, and we can’t wait to see you back on skis next season.

Junior Nordic Crew

Coach George's other job, playing for the NBA?!

George Cartwright

Junior Nordic Team Head Coach

Comp/Prep Teams

The end of the season for Prep/Comp has come a little earlier than usual with the challenging snow conditions and hot weather. Coaches and athletes made the most of the end of the season by bringing great energy to the final race events of the year, as well as fun end of season practices. Competition wrapped up with Western Club Championships hosted by Grand Targhee Ski & Snowboard at the Mike Harris trails in Victor, where JHSC had athletes Addison Masselink, Koven Post-Holmberg, Olin Hugo, Dane Stanley, Karsten Bessonette, Jack Mayer, and Ryan Murphy racing for Prep/Comp. These racers did a great job in continuing challenging snow conditions and finished the season strong with great performances!

At Junior Nationals, Walker Dunn, Atten Aronowitz, and Charlie Von Maur-Newcomb represented JHSC and IMD with strong racing in Cable, WI. The athletes encountered every type of weather from rain to sun to fresh snow to zero-degree cold on very challenging courses. These athletes spent the week learning from new teammates and coaches from around IMD and brought impressive toughness and great positivity to each race day.

To wrap up the season of practices, we brought back the iconic donut relays and Nordic X. With the uncertainty of the weather always a factor, everyone was ready to incorporate more fun practices early before we missed the opportunity to have them. With the weather being so warm and snow melting fast, Spring Series has unfortunately been cancelled. The finale of our training for the 25-26 season was an all-Nordic BBQ at May Park, where Nordies of all ages played games, enjoyed food from the grill, and got to spend time together before everyone departs for spring break and spring sports.

Our 25-26 Prep/Comp team award winners are:

Skier of the Year- Walker Dunn

Most Improved- Charlie Von Maur-Newcomb

Med Bennett Award- Atten Aronowitz

Thank you ALL for a great season- for your positivity, flexibility, and energy during a season with challenging conditions throughout. Everyone demonstrated impressive toughness physically and mentally, and gained great racing and training experience along the way. It's time for a well-deserved break from training and racing to recharge and refresh before a new season begins.

Happy Spring!

Luna Wasson

Head Comp/Prep Coach

Nordic racing does begin to wind down in March; however, some very important races did happen in the Nordic world.

The biggest national Junior event, the USSA Cross Country Ski Junior National Championships in Cable, WI was covered in great detail in the Prep/Comp report above. Click on the link above to delve into all the details of national championship racing. Closer to home, Trail Creek Nordic Center was scheduled to host International Ski Federation Spring Series Nordic Races; unfortunately this race had to be cancelled due to the abnormally warm temperatures.

The Original Birkebeiner in Norway and the Drift 100 starting on the Green River also took place this month. Of note, our very own Coach Megan Tattersall finished second in the 28 mile version. Congratulations Megan! Even with a less than stellar snow year, a great season of racing did happen this year!

March was a wild ride. The month began with a thin base and temperatures that were at times 30 degrees above normal. While these were some of the most challenging conditions in recent history, we were fortunate enough to get a few mid-month snow reprieves that allowed us to maintain skiing through the final week of the training season.

We certainly had our share of "scary" grooming moments. Sliding down Beaver Ponds Hill became a daily occurrence for both the Lollipoppers and the Husky. Even more nerve-wracking was the prospect of the Husky sliding into the trees on the way up Grunt—a potential disaster that was fortunately avoided. Finally, on March 17th, the call was made to pause grooming, as the anticipated late-season snows never arrived to support a final session.

While the squirrels seemed hyper-active all winter, other usual wildlife sightings were a bit different this year. Moose and elk sightings were rare, probably because of the mild weather, but there were still plenty of other visitors, including foxes, coyotes, pine martens, grouse, and weasels.

Ultimately, the heart of Trail Creek remains the same, season after season: the people. From our youngest skiers to those in their 90s, every individual plays a vital role. Whether you are coaching, training, learning, racing, volunteering, or simply out enjoying nature, your contributions are what keep this program thriving. Thank you to everyone who supports our trails and makes this place the special community we all love so much. Also a special thanks goes out to Gannett Swan whose support was pivotal in this year's grooming missions.