University of Idaho Experimental Forest opens cross-country ski trails for use by the public

University of Idaho students in the College of Natural Resources have taken on the work of grooming Nordic skiing trails at the Flat Creek area of the University of Idaho Experimental Forest.

The forest is used by the University of Idaho for research, teaching and demonstrations for forest landowners and agencies. The new trails will allow the public another location to participate in cross country skiing and nonmotorized recreation. The trails can be reached from a new winter parking area off of Idaho Highway 9 between Deary and Harvard.

There are about 12 to 15 miles of trails being groomed for skiing with most being located in the Flat Creek section of the forest, according to Robert Keefe, manager of the forest. Adding the skiing trails has been an interest for a few years.

After several years of clearing trails, locating equipment and tackling other forest management projects, Keefe said this year was the best opportunity.

“We’re really happy with the amount of interest with it,” Keefe said.

UI sophomore Chris Rau said getting the opportunity to learn about cross-country skiing and working with the public was a draw to working with the forest and on the trails. He and the other student employees would take snowmobiles out onto the trails to scout out which to groom and to help set up the equipment.

Keefe said since the trails opened, there had been more than 100 permits handed out via an online portal and he has seen multiple cars parked in the lot every weekend since. A map of the trails and general rules can be found on one of the 20 new signboards located around the forest.

For UI senior Axel Wall, grooming the trails and working at the Vandal Swoosh event Saturday was a way to talk with the public about their recreation choices. Vandal Swoosh was a 7-kilometer race that attracted a few dozen participants.

“I love working at the forest and making trails,” Wall said. “And I’m glad the public is using them.”

The forest is broken into four areas, with Flat Creek covering about 3,000 acres. The University of Idaho Experimental Forest has about 100 miles of forest roads and trails and covers about 8,2000 acres in Harvard, Princeton, Viola and Troy.

Keefe said the students were already planning trails for next year. The trails are not set in stone, Keefe said, which provides the flexibility to change them each year depending on what other projects are going on at the forest.

Trail conditions and grooming updates can be found on the University of Idaho Experimental Forest Instagram and Facebook at uiexperimentalforest. A map to the parking area can be found atbit.ly/3JxgYTK. Trail use is free, but a donation is suggested to help cover grroming costs. Permits are available online atuidaho.edu/skiing.

Nelson can be reachedat knelson@dnews.com.