Last Chance Nordic Ski Club
Helena, Montana
  • Home
  • MacDonald Pass
  • Golf Course
  • Youth
  • XC Links
  • Join
  • Donate
  • Volunteer
  • About
  • Contact Us

Youth Skiers Program

Last Chance Nordic Ski Club parents provide free Nordic ski lessons for children, ages three to twelve years old. This is a chance for your kids to learn and improve their nordic (cross country) skiing skills. Classes are held on Saturdays in January and February.

2022 Youth Ski Leaders

Youth skiing is back for the 2022 season! Pete Behrends, Dave Tuss, and Chapin Storrar will be leading LCNSC Youth Skiing program again this year.

Ski Rentals, Lesson Sign-up

Ski Rentals and sign up will take will be 10 am to noon on Saturday, November 6 at 1523 Knight Street, Helena. Thanks to Dave and Kathryn Tuss for hosting at their garage agin this year. Rentals will be in an outdoor setting, social distancing and masks are strongly encouraged.

2022 Youth Ski Schedule

Ski lessons will be at 10 am, Saturday 1/8, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, and 2/12. Lessons will be at either the Bill Roberts Golf Course or MacDonald Pass, depending on snow and weather conditions. We will provide more details when the time gets closer.

For More Information

Please contact Pete Behrends at petebehrends@yahoo.com or at 406-461-4974 with questions.

Here’s What You Need to Know

Required Forms

Parents of participating children must complete the following forms:

  • Skier’s waiver
  • Emergency contacts form
Kids are Grouped by Ability

Children three-to-six years of age will ski for approximately thirty minutes and ages seven and older will ski for about an hour.

  • Beginning skiers must be accompanied by a parent/designated adult who stays with the group and helps as needed. Classes will take place in Carl’s Play Area (see map), which is up the hill and slightly beyond the Patrol Cabin, about 0.4 kilometer from the Parking Lot (see map). Please leave the parking lot by 10:00 a.m. to be on time.
  • Intermediate and advanced skiers (both classic and skate) will meet at Carl’s Play Area at 10:00 a.m. This means that they need to leave the Parking Lot (see map) by 9:45 a.m. to start their lesson in the play area by 10:00 a.m. Lessons will start in the play area and then move out onto the nearby Access Ski Trail. Advanced skiers may participate with classic or with optional skate skiing equipment.
Required Clothing
  • Warm hat
  • Layers of coats
  • Warm socks
  • Neck gaiter
  • Warm gloves
  • Snow pants
  • Optional: goggles and hand warmers
Required Equipment
  • Classic Skis (waxless skis, soft to flex, and in length long enough to reach between your child’s nose and forehead) or Skate Skis
  • Boots that are comfortable and warm
  • Poles long enough to fit snugly from the snow to up under your child’s armpit
Food to Share

If possible, bring in a thermos of hot water and a snack to share for apres ski hot chocolate. You may leave your thermos at the Patrol Cabin, about 0.4 kilometer from the Parking Lot.

Canceling Class Due to Weather

If cold or wind forces us to cancel classes, a cancellation notice will be posted on this website (https://lcnsc.org/youth-program) by Saturday at 8:00 a.m. We usually cancel classes when temperatures are less than 15 degrees F., or when there’s a strong wind.

Volunteer Teachers

Are just that, volunteers, who love to ski and share their love of skiing with your children. Please help your child’s teachers any way you can; and we’re always looking for volunteer teachers. If you are interested in teaching, please contact Youth Skiers program coordinator Pete Behrends.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Youth Photos

DSCN3707-775767
« ‹ of 8 › »

Youth News

Friday, February 11, 2022 6:04 PM

LCNSC Youth Skiing – Saturday 2/12 – No Regular Lessons

Hello All,

We will not be having regular lessons on Saturday, 2/12 due to the big warmup which has melted the golf course and will likely make the front of Mac Pass difficult for the youngest skiers.

That being said, for the eager kids and parents who really want to ski, there is still skiing to be had at Mac, especially once our appreciated grooming team works over the snowpack tomorrow. My wife Kelsey and daughter will be there at 10 am and invite people to come for an informal ski tour. I will be off to a ski race in Bozeman.

February 12 was our last scheduled lesson. The 4 lessons we’ve had were a success and I thank everyone for your participation. It’s great to see all the enthusiastic kids improving their skiing! Please continue to ski when the snow is good. For those of you with LCNSC rental gear, I will email some dates in later March for ski returns.

Pete, Chapin, and Dave

Thursday, February 3, 2022 5:32 PM

LCNSC Youth Skiing – Saturday 2/5 at the Golf Course

All,Youth ski lessons will meet on Saturday, February 5th, 10am at Bill Roberts Golf Course. This new snow has freshened things up at the golf course, so we will hold lessons there this week.

We will likely split out the beginner skiers for drills in the stadium area and then some of the intermediate/advanced skiers will head out for a ski and practice kicking/gliding on the more gentle terrain. Dave will be able to work with any skate skiers that are there.

Please bring our own snack and a warm drink.

Thanks and see you on Saturday!
Chapin, Pete, and Dave

Thursday, January 27, 2022 8:21 PM

LCNSC Youth Skiing – Saturday 1/29 at MacDonald Pass

All,

Youth ski lessons will meet on Saturday, January 29, 10am at MacDonald Pass. The golf course held on for a long time, but it has finally given up the ghost, but the snow at Mac Pass is great right now.

Please meet at the cabin at 10am. We’ll find some space to have the smaller kids do some drills and practice duck walking up hills and some of the older group can go on a ski out on the trails.

As most of you know, navigating the hill from the parking lot to the cabin can be a challenge for beginning skiers, so I’d recommend a sled to help transport kids to/from the cabin.

Please bring our own snack and a warm drink.

Thanks and see you on Saturday!
Chapin and Pete

Thursday, January 20, 2022 5:41 PM

LCNSC Youth Skiing – Saturday 1/22/2022 at Bill Roberts Golf Course!

All,

Youth skiing will meet on Saturday, January 22, 10am at the Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Conditions at the golf course look like they will hold on for another youth lesson this Saturday. The groomer has reported that the kids area should still be good skiing after the recent new snow, and they will groom it up for us before Saturday, and others have reported conditions out on the trail are good too. This will be another good opportunity for everyone to work on their skills on easier terrain! We will split into groups depending on age and experience. Make sure to dress warmly in layers! We will ski until about 11am.

Also, given the recent spike of COVID cases, if your child is showing any symptoms of sickness or if they are quarantining please skip this week and join us next time.

Please bring your own snack and a warm drink if you would like.

Thanks,

Chapin and Pete

Thursday, January 6, 2022 9:12 PM

Youth skiing will meet on Saturday, January 8, 10am at the Bill Roberts Golf Course

The golf course should be great this week and will give everyone a chance to work on their skills! We will split into groups depending on age and experience. Make sure to dress warmly in layers! We will ski until 11am.

Please bring your own durable snack and a warm drink if you would like.

Thanks,
Pete and Chapin

Last Chance Nordic Ski Club Copyright © 2022
Home | Join | Donate | Volunteer | Contact
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.