Skiing Allowed Around Golf Course

Your new cross-country skis sit near the Christmas tree. You sit facing them, trying to think of somewhere nearby where you can go for a quick glide.

The Spokane Valley offers relatively few choices for cross-country skiers.

But there are some legal, public places in the Valley that offer room to ski. County parks and the Centennial Trail are open to skiers, as is the Painted Hills Golf Course.

Painted Hills has a two-mile loop around the perimeter of the golf course. The course is flat, smooth and well-covered by snow, said owner Mike Senske.

All Senske asks is that skiers stay off the greens and tee boxes, since skis can damage those areas. Senske said he wants his golf course to be a community resource, which is one of the reasons why he opens it to skiing.

“And if there’s somebody here, we even have good hot chocolate,” he said.

The three golf courses in Liberty Lake aren’t open to skiers or sledders.

The county closes MeadowWood and Liberty Lake golf courses in the winter because the skis damage the greens, said Laura Rumpler, Spokane County Public Works spokeswoman.

“You wouldn’t think this, but even with a lot of snow, it still does damage to the greens,” she said.

In past years, the county hasn’t had a problem with people going around the locked gates to ski. If it becomes an issue this snowy winter, the county will put up signs reminding people that skiing is prohibited, Rumpler said.

Signs will go up at the Valley View Golf Course at Liberty Lake, said owner Dennis Reger.

He can’t open the course to skiers because of the liability if someone were to get hurt, he said.

The discouraging thing is that most skiers don’t even ask whether they’re allowed before cutting across the course.

Robin Deruwe, an avid cross-country skier and owner of Fitness Fanatics on Trent, said she usually sends people to the Centennial Trail.

“Most of the people that rent are going somewhere else because the snow is so unpredictable out here in the Valley,” she said.

But this winter, she suggests heading toward the county parks.

The county parks, including Plantes Ferry and Liberty Lake, allow skiing during the winter. But they aren’t officially open, which means that there are no groomed trails or open bathrooms.

Still, skiers are welcome to glide around the park land, said Parks Director Doug Chase.

“I think this year you’ll see a lot of folks out (in the parks),” he said. “Especially on weekends.”