The North Shore Nordic Club recently capped its best season ever, with more skiers and additional funding to help keep the crosscountry center near Echo Lake open during low snow years.

The North Shore Nordic Club is on state land at the corner of Jewel Basin Road and Foothills Road. The club maintains the four miles of trail near Echo Lake as well as the Blacktail Mountain Nordic ski trails. With the help from state gas-tax money, the club was able to get new equipment in 2011. “We’re in a place now where we have top of the line equipment,” club spokesman Dave Hadden said.

Two years ago the club put about $4,000 into trail renovation by hiring the large-equipment class at Flathead Valley Community College to do trail work.  That project opened 1.5 miles of new trail, Hadden said.

“That really changed the nature and quality of the trail system,” he said. “It’s working really well now.” The Nordic club opened in 2004 and took over operations of the Blacktail trail system in 2006. The Bigfork trail system has a variety of trails in four loop systems.

With funding from the state for non-motorized recreation, the North Shore Nordic Club may be able to expand its trails in the near future, Hadden said.