With more than two feet of snow on the ground and very few days that temperatures have climbed above zero, it could be easy for Borderlanders to complain about winter — which may just be getting started.

There are others, however, who warmly embrace Old Man Winter’s blow by strapping poles to their hands and stepping into their skis.

Burgess Eberhardt is one of these people.

As gusty winds whisked spirals of snow off Rainy Lake Wednesday, Eberhardt and three others set off down the Tilson Creek Ski Trail for an afternoon of exercise and companionship.

“You can ski in absolutely any weather – if you dress right,” Eberhardt said as he sipped from a cup of steaming coffee earlier in the day. “If it’s 20 below zero outside, you can definitely still get out and ski.”

As president of the local Polar Polers Ski Club, Eberhardt said he knows cross-country skiing is a beautiful, graceful sport – but not always for beginners. Although he has been skiing for several years, the outdoor enthusiast said he doesn’t always radiate elegance.

“I am the least graceful person you will ever see,” he said. “Some people are gifted athletically, but most skiers, when they start out, are not.”

The Polar Polers currently has about 35 members, all who have different levels of ability, he said.

“The club has really good skiers and a lot of people who are not necessarily beginners, but just enjoy being outdoors on skis,” he said.

For people who are hesitant to give skiing a try, club members can come in handy.

According to Eberhardt, the Polar Polers are always willing to teach people who are new to the sport some techniques to make the idea of propelling themselves across snow-covered terrain more appealing.

“There are only a few things you can do outdoors in the winter,” he said. “Skiing is just great...The more time you put in, the better you get at it and the more fun it is. Why would you live here in the winter if you can’t be outdoors? Skiing gets you outdoors.”

There are two main techniques when it comes to cross-country skiing: classic skiing and skate skiing, Eberhardt said.

Skate skies are shorter and lighter than classic skies and don’t require as much balance as using classic skis, Eberhardt said. “It depends on what style best fits you...Either style can be very easy or challenging, depending on how much you put into it.”

Skiers at work

Aside from enjoying what the wooded trails of the great outdoors have to offer, Eberhardt said club members strive to ensure the Tilson trail and the Manka Trail are in prime condition for skiers to enjoy.

“The Tilson trail really requires a lot of work,” Eberhardt said of the grant-in-aid trail. “There is a lot of mowing and brush removal we have to do in the fall before we can even think about skiing on it in the winter. I think we spend more time in the fall cleaning the trail than we do grooming it in the wintertime.”

Fortunately, Eberhardt said the club receives an annual grant of about $4,300 from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“Our club really appreciates what the DNR does for us,” he said. “They have been very helpful in every way.”

Become a Polar Poler

Eberhardt said the club always welcomes new members and urges anyone who has skied, would like to ski, or is just curious about skiing, to attend a monthly meeting.

“We meet from November through March on the first Monday of every month,” he said.

Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in the basement meeting room at the International Falls Public Library. Each meeting consists of certain topics, discussion points or demonstrations for those who attend. Membership fees, Eberhardt said, are relatively inexpensive – $25 for a family and $15 for single registrants.

“We just want to get people involved,” he said. “We don’t want this to be too big of an expense. We want to have everyone enjoy skiing together.”