January 13, 2006 (McLean, VA) – Organizers estimate that nearly 10,000 people attended Winter Trails Day on Saturday, January 7, based on preliminary reports from several “anchor sites” in various parts of the country. Last year, approximately 6,000 attended. Snow in the Pacific Northwest boosted numbers in Oregon and Washington State. Weston, in Massachusetts, reported a strong turnout partially because of coverage in the Boston Globe. The national, regional and local public relations campaign for Winter Trails generated more than 50 million impressions. Winter Trails Day, organized by SnowSports Industries America (SIA), Cross Country Ski Areas Association and the American Hiking Society, took place at nearly 120 locations in 25 states and Canada. A few Winter Trails Day events will take place later in the month and the largest one – Estes Park, CO – is scheduled for February 18, 2006.

The Liberty Mountain, PA, site also hosted the third annual President’s Council Clinic in conjunction with SIA’s Winter Feels Good campaign to promote the health, fitness and social benefits of snow sports. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the clinic at Liberty was the first “official” clinic of the anniversary year. Melissa Johnson, executive director for the President’s Council, kicked off the event with Liberty Mountain President Eric Flynn and demonstrated warm up and cool down exercises to participants and mingled with a large contingent of Girl Scouts and Maryland Special Olympics athletes. Participants who attended five “learning stations” – Snowshoeing, Dressing for Winter, Exercise and Conditioning, Nutrition/Hydration and Winter Camping and Hiking – received a Certificate of Achievement from the President’s Council. The SIA Education Foundation is one of the President’s Council’s 50th Anniversary Partners to Get America Moving.

Winter Trails is dedicated to encouraging those new to snow sports to try snowshoeing and/or cross country skiing FREE as an incentive to getting involved. “All of the feedback that we received on Winter Trails has been excellent,” said Tracey Ferland, sales and marketing manager of Exel Sports. All of the venues where we were present were well attended.” Anchor sites are those that are serviced by sales reps from supplier companies that sponsor Winter Trails. Members of the Cross Country Ski Areas Association are affiliate sites that offer their existing inventory and trails for the day.

“We had an excellent event this year,” said Jason Livingston, Colorado rep for MSR/Cascade Designs, about the Echo Lake, CO anchor site. “I was super busy the whole time and we were out of snowshoes for a while based on the amount of people there. In fact, we had a line of people waiting to try them (snowshoes) on; all of the presenters had lines.”

Sponsors for Winter Trails 2006 are founding snowshoe companies Atlas, Mountain Safety Research, Redfeather and Tubbs, Columbia Sportswear, W.L. Gore and Associates, Manzella gloves, Nature Valley granola bars and Sorel, Alpina, Atomic, Exel, Fischer, Karhu, Rossignol, Salomon, Swix, Whitewoods and media sponsors Cross Country Skier, Snowshoe and SkiTrax magazines and XCSkiResorts.com.