FABIUS — This winter, the Highland Forest Nordic Ski Patrol is inviting couples, friends, and individuals to celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days early at Highland Forest’s Skyline Lodge.
The park’s annual “Valentine’s in the Forest” event will be held on Friday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature a four-course meal, dessert, a one-hour open bar, musical entertainment, dancing, a photo booth, and complimentary horse-drawn sleigh or carriage rides through the luminary-lit forest. Catering is provided by White Linen Hospitality.
All proceeds will go to the county park’s all-volunteer Nordic ski patrol. The local patrol is part of the National Ski Patrol, one of the largest outdoor safety organizations in the country.
“Since this is a volunteer patrol, we try to cover most of the required expenses of patrolling for our members,” said Highland Forest Nordic Ski Patrol Director Jennifer Jones. “[If sufficient funds are available,] the patrol pays the annual dues to the National Ski Patrol, including regional dues, for members who complete a required amount of patrolling and training each year. This is the patrol’s most significant regular expenditure. The patrol also purchases the bandages, gloves, splints, and other emergency supplies used by the patrol, including many of the basics that patrollers are expected to have in their patrol packs.”
According to patroller Kerstin McKay, the Valentine’s in the Forest fundraiser has been an annual tradition since at least 1996.
“In the past, [Onondaga] County would host this event and proceeds would go to the patrol,” McKay said. “But in recent years, the patrol has put on the event.”
The primary responsibility of the Highland Forest Nordic Ski Patrol is to ensure the safety of visitors who use the park’s 20-plus miles of hiking/snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and skate skiing trails each winter.
“Highland Forest is a gem of a park for cross-country skiing, and it’s right in our backyard,” said McKay, who lives in Cazenovia.
The park currently has about 20 to 25 patrollers who typically volunteer their time at least several times a month — often more frequently when the snow conditions are good — and attend monthly meetings in the fall and spring.
“We patrol mainly on weekends but also at various times during the week,” said McKay. “We help with medical emergencies, search and rescue, directions, and more.”
To become a patroller, volunteers must take a course in outdoor emergency care as well as a course in Nordic skills, such as fire and shelter building, navigation, orienteering, and GPS use.
“For me personally, it is a great way to be active outside in the winter,” said McKay. “I’ve also learned so many wonderful ‘life skills’ about how to survive and be comfortable outside, especially in the cold. The patrol is filled with people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and everyone is willing to share what they know. It’s a very friendly group.”
The cost of the Valentine’s in the Forest event is $180 per couple. Tickets, which are limited to 50 per night, are available online at bullandbearroadhouse.com/merch. For more information, call (315) 559-8800.
“Each ticket is for two people, though groups or singles can call the caterer to get tickets,” noted McKay. “In the past, it has been a great fundraiser for us, and we’d like to see that return. Last year we offered one night, and it was well attended.”
Highland Forest is located at 1254 Highland Park Rd., off Rt. 80, in Fabius.
To learn more about the Highland Forest Nordic Ski Patrol and how to join, visit onondagacountyparks.com/parks/highland-forest/nordic-ski-patrol/.
