STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Nordic ski passes are now on sale at a discount at https://bcrd.org
The pre-season sale runs through Nov. 21.
Adult passes for the Nordic Valley Trails, which run the gamut from the trails around Galena Lodge to Hailey’s Quigley Canyon, cost $228 during the preseason sale. A BCRD/Sun Valley Nordic Combo adult season pass costs $428.
The price of passes goes up to $280 and $576 respectively on Nov. 22.
Snowshoe-only season passes are available for $66 and season passes for dogs for use on trails approved for dogs cost $52.
Children 17 and under ski and snowshoe free with a complimentary season pass that can be ordered at https://bcrd.org
The 160-kilometer BCRD Nordic trail system is one of the largest in the United States. Its grooming season typically operates from Thanksgiving to mid-April and sometimes into May.
The BCRD is sponsoring the Mountain Rides Ride ‘n Glide bus from Ketchum to Glena Lodge this year. Bus service will be offered for free with stops at SNRA headquarters, Baker Creek and Prairie Creek.
No tax dollars are used to groom and maintain any of the system’s trails, with the exception of the Wood River Trail bike path that runs from Bellevue to Ketchum. Use of that trail is offered free of charge.
The trails are maintained with the help of money generated from pass sales, donations and the Galena & the Trails Winter Benefit. With the 2022 benefit cancelled because of COVID, officials hope trail users will show their support by making a tax-deductible donation in return for a Diamond ($1,000), Platinum ($500), Gold ($250) or Bronze ($100) pin.
If every season pass holder donates at the Bronze level, the BCRD would reach its yearly fundraising goal for the Galena & the Trails Winter Benefit, officials say.