Events News
Member Appreciation Day May 15th
Bring your appetite for adventure, hotdogs and information! Join us on May 15th at 1:00 pm at GPRA for a guided hike along the planned Pioneer Loop expansion. This approximately 5-7K tour will be led by Board members and will depart the parking lot at 1pm. We will return around 3:00pm and will stop by the stadium area to share the vision for improvement. For the hike, plan on mucky terrain, walking off trail and a friendly neighborhood mosquito or two. After the hike we hope you will stay for some grilled hotdogs, a cool beverage and tasty treats. If you are one of our many Donors, please join us for this event! We can’t do it without you! We appreciate you and want to meet you. Please stop by for your donor gifts.
SKI-101 clinic at GPRA on Saturday, February 26th at 1:30pm.
Do you want to learn to cross country ski but don’t know how to start? SKI -101 is for you.
This clinic is designed for absolute beginners who have never had skis on the feet before.
If you are an absolute beginner in need of learning how to put on ski gear and need some basic instruction on how to get started skiing, then this class is for you. Join us at GPRA on Saturday the 26th of February at 1:30pm. The class is free and we hope to see you there!
We have a few sets of ski gear to rent for a minimal fee. Reach out to info@matsuski.org for more information.
Backcountry Bike & Ski also has skis available for rent.
Moose Range Tour Postponed
Due to the warm weather and slushy trails, we are postponing the Moose Range Tour and Social. Check back with us for a new date when the weather cools down and trail grooming resumes. Be safe out there!
Kenai Mts. Turnagain Arm – KMTA Classic – New event in Girdwood
Ski 101 Postponed
Due to the predicted wind storm set to start tomorrow afternoon, Backcountry Bike And Ski would like to postpone Ski 101. January 21st is the date planned for Ski 101. Check the Mat Su Ski Club calendar, located on the homepage, for updates and event details.
Nov. 26 – Turkey Trax at GPRA
Welcome to the Palmer Moose Nordic Ski Team Booster Club Turkey Trax Community Ski Race. Friday Nov 26, 2021 at GPRA.
The race will be wave starts. Elite and fast skiers are encouraged to sign up for the Fast Wave at 11:00. Recreational skiers doing the 4K or 1K should sign up for the Party Wave at 12:00. If there is no snow on the trails, this will be a foot race on the same course.
The Palmer Moose Nordic Ski Team Booster Club (PMNSTBC) is a non-profit (501(c)(3) organization that provides support for the Palmer High School Nordic Ski Team. PMNSTBC hosts 1 -2 high school races each year at Government Peak Recreation Area, and also organizes a fundraising community ski race at GPRA called Turkey Trax. The money raised from the Turkey Trax goes to the costs of Palmer High School team travel, vans, wax, and the large fleet of skis boots and poles we make available for rent to high school athletes from Palmer High, Colony High, and Su-Valley.
Thank you for support!
Moonlight Ski Tour Dec 29 6:30pm
Come join us in the moonlight on the beginner friendly old-school trails in the Matanuska Moose Range. Best for people who have been on skis a few times already. Bring the kids if they are already happy on skis for at least an hour.
Meet at 6:30 pm at the Sun Valley Drive trailhead. Use this map to find the trailhead, or put it on your phone https://matsuski.org/moose-range-trail-map/
Our tour will take us out onto the “swamp” where there is a big wide view of the sky and the moonlit Talkeetna’s.
Don’t trust the clouds – bring a headlamp. Expect to be out for an hour to 90 minutes. More info or questions? Ask here info@matsuski.org
GPS address of the trailhead is approximately 9345 Sun Valley Dr. Palmer AK
Please do not park across from or right next to driveways, and everyone should park on the same side of the road, leaving clear room for emergency traffic.
Ski 101 class for curious beginners
Are you new to skiing. or even to snow sports at all? You can participate in our live, interactive on-line virtual Skiing 101 class. On Tuesday, December 15th at 6:30pm. It’s free. On Google Meet. Lorene and Sydney will lead you through the basics of the equipment, how to prepare and dress for Nordic skiing, and set you up with a fundamental understanding to get you started right when you hit the trails.
Contact info@matsuski.org for more instructions on how to attend Skiing 101 on Tuesday.
A followup on-snow Ski 101 clinic for first-timers will be offered also (date TBD).
Join a notice list for future Ski101 clinics – click on the Ski101 tab on the Adult Ski Lessons page.
1st Annual Turkey Trax at GPRA
Friday Nov 27th at GPRA. Turkey Trax is a family-friendly, costume-optional, community Nordic ski event and race. Pie raffles! Gift-card awards for costumes!
We will hold a Covid-safe event by being outdoors the entire time, using an interval start, requiring mask wearing for everyone not actively racing, requiring conscientious social distancing, and other measures. We want to see you and ski with you. But please, if you or anyone in your bubble has any symptoms, or has had a close contact with a positively tested person in the last two weeks, we ask that you stay home.
Race to the Outhouse – Saturday, Nov 14th, Independence Mine
Our annual season-starting race is on for Saturday, Nov 14th. The venue is the mostly uphill 3.4 km course at Independence Mine. Registration will begin at 9:30 am in the parking lot. Interval starts will be from 10:00 AM – 11:30AM. Cost is FREE. Covid adjustments including an interval start, mask-wearing for non-racing people, conscientious social distancing, and non-sharing of pens and stuff will be in place. We need a few volunteers to help with timing and recording; volunteers will be stationed up the trail at the finish line. Contact Ed at 354-7524 or edstrabelak@gmail.com if you want to help.