Friday, November 27, 2009

Gear up for good times at Galena

Exercise, eating and adventure in nature

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By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Galena Lodge offers a plethora of activities, including snowshoe adventures with scenic backdrops, monthly dinners during the full moon cycle and three backcountry yurts for overnight accommodation. Photo by Mountain Express

Looking for winter fun away from the lifts and usual haunts this winter? How does a scenic drive through the valley on a moonlit night and a tasty meal sound? Or some vigorous exercise on pristine Nordic ski trails followed by a hot beverage? Maybe a cozy and romantic night in a backcountry yurt?

Those are just a few of the popular winter offerings at Galena Lodge, a 23-mile drive north of Ketchum on state Highway 75.

Since its beginning in the late 19th century, the Galena area has made the transition from a mining town to the preeminent Nordic ski center in the Wood River Valley. Since the 1970s, when the first cross-country trail system was developed around the lodge, access to groomed trails has expanded exponentially. The lodge's trails now connect with the North Valley Trails system for over 130 kilometers of skiing and snowshoe trails.

Rolling across blank-canvas meadows, pine-covered hillsides and an icy Big Wood River, the trail system includes the 31km Harriman Trail, the course for the popular Boulder Mountain Tour, which runs from the lodge to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters, eight miles north of Ketchum. This trail is connected to another 50km trail system around the lodge.

For those looking for a bit of company or help on the trails, Galena Lodge provides a number of clinics, mostly for skate skiing, including three women-only sessions that run monthly beginning in January, and four sessions in January to specifically help prepare for the Boulder Mountain Tour in early February.

There is also an ongoing lunchtime clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. that starts at the SNRA headquarters, weather permitting, or at the lodge. These clinics will begin Dec. 1 and run through March.

The North Valley Trails are maintained by the Blaine County Recreation District, which uses trail pass fees and donations to pay for grooming, signs, equipment, support staff, passes, maps and all the other needs of winter trails. One pass grants access to the entire North Valley Trails system and costs $199 for the season or $15 for a day.

"The lodge and the trails offer a great place for the family to get outside," said Don Shepler, who operates the lodge with his wife, Erin Zell. "The lodge offers many things to many people, and they're a lot easier on the wallet than lift tickets."

Naturally a day of Nordic skiing or showshoeing will leave anyone with a healthy appetite, and the lodge has the perfect antidote, serving hearty lunches from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For those looking for something even more out-of-the-ordinary, the lodge holds special dinners throughout the winter, including the popular Full Moon Dinners, offered monthly during the full moon cycle. The first of these four-course dinners will take place on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3.

Other special dining occasions at the lodge include Thanksgiving, four days of Christmas holiday, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day dinners.

All of the dinners require reservations and fill up quickly, so early booking is recommended.

Also requiring reservations are the lodge's three backcountry yurts (Mongolian-style tents), accessed by snowshoe or skiing from the lodge.

The yurts, sleeping between four and eight people, are furnished with firewood and stoves for heat, cooking facilities, lanterns, books, games, snow shovels and beds with foam mats. The yurts also require reservations.

For reservations or more information on additional activities and offerings, call 726-4010 or go to www.galenalodge.com.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com

Galena Lodge Quick Hits

Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Dinner

Dec. 2: First Full Moon Dinner of the winter

Dec. 19: A visit from Santa Clause; 12-2 p.m.

Dec. 24-27: Christmas Holiday Dinners

Feb. 6: Boulder Mountain Tour

Feb. 14: Valentine's Day Dinner