The Nordic Council reports that in late October there was about a foot of snow on the ground in the Skyway and County Line trail system areas.

“Right now we can ski there,” said Christie Aschwanden, executive director of the Nordic Council.

While people can now ski the slopes, they should expect early season conditions such as rocks and other obstacles. They may also encounter non-skiers on some trails, such as on Scales Lake Road, where there may be Forest Service crews or workers servicing the tower in that area or local reservoirs.

The Nordic Council has been working to place snow on the trails and help establish a base. But grooming is not scheduled to begin until the planned opening day, Nov. 15, and skiers should not expect groomed trail conditions until then.

The Nordic Council trail system is becoming known for its long seasons. The system’s 10,000-foot elevation generally means that snow arrives early in the ski season and is slow to melt late in the season. Aschwanden said he has already heard of some college and youth ski racing teams planning to come on Thanksgiving Day to train at the start of the season.

The Nordic Council will also organize some ski clinics from November 29 to December 29. 1. More information about the clinics is on their website, www.gmnc.org.

The Nordic Council will host a season kickoff party from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Edgewater Brewery, 905 Struthers Ave. in Grand Junction. Light snacks will be provided and there will be a cash bar. People can email [email protected] if they have any questions about the event.

It will be an opportunity to meet Nordic Council staff and board members, become a member of the Nordic Council or renew your membership, and learn about the group’s plans for the season and its fundraising campaign for the Skyway station.

Founded in 1990, the Nordic Council is now looking to build its first permanent building. The structure will be located among the trees just north of the parking lot at the group’s Skyway trailhead. The building will provide safer, more protective storage for snowmobiles, grooming implements and other equipment. The importance of secure storage was underscored earlier this year when one of the group’s snowmobiles, valued at more than $13,000, was stolen from where it was stored outside. It has not been recovered.

The building will also allow crews to maintain equipment in a protected environment. And the solar-powered installation will heat the Nordic Council’s grooming machine’s battery and motor, making it easier to start the machine on cold winter mornings.

The building will also serve as a community space for users of the trail system. Heated by a wood stove and solar power to provide electricity and supplemental heat, it will serve as a place for people to warm up, refuel, change clothes and socialize, and as a meeting point for lessons, races and other activities.

The Nordic Council has a fundraising goal of $1.3 million for the project and has raised just over $1 million so far. The effort received an $800,000 boost from a Grand Junction donor who Aschwanden said does not want to be identified, and has also benefited from grants from entities such as banks and foundations.

While the goal is to begin construction in the spring, “we won’t continue with the project until we know we have the money,” he said.

You can find information on how to donate to the project and how to become a member of the Nordic Council on the organization’s website.