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Halle Bauman spends snowy days skiing at Great Bear Ski Valley. Her dad and brother ski, and it’s part of how the family spends a winter afternoon.

But Halle, who is 13 and has spina bifida, causing lower-limb paralysis, uses a sit-down ski with special poles. It’s part of the adaptive skiing program at Great Bear, which is funded in part through an endowment at the Community Foundation.

Private instructors provide lessons and equipment to bring skiers of all abilities to the park.

“Her instructor tethers to her and guides her. They’ve taken her on the ski lift and down the big hill,” her mom, Christa Bauman, said. “It’s wonderful to have someone who can help her learn a skill. Any time there is an adaptive option for Halle, it means a lot.”

As for Halle, she said it’s fun to be part of skiing at Great Bear.

“They are dedicated to having an adaptive program, and we are grateful for that,” Christa said. “It means a lot to us when the disabled community is seen and acknowledged.”

Alexa Jerstad, assistant general manager, said the adaptive ski program continues to grow and has become a regular part of their operations.

“Being able to use funding from the Community Foundation to offset costs really helps. We offer the first lesson and the equipment for free thanks to the endowment, and that lowers the financial barrier for people who want to try skiing for the first time,” Jerstad said.

The program offers modified equipment that can accommodate different physical or developmental disabilities, such as skiers like Halle who need a sit-ski or skiers who are blind who need a guide with them.

Year-round programs

Leaders at Great Bear want everyone to feel invited – and they want guests to find something to do at the park year-round. They host weddings and events, but recently they’ve added a summer concert series, a music festival and, with the help of Falls Area Singletrack, mountain biking trails to the property.

It’s all part of the bigger push to make Great Bear a destination right in city limits.

“Great Bear has always been a year-round park, but it’s been kind of a hidden gem,” Jerstad said. “We’ve been raising awareness to show people there are so many things you can do out here for off-season recreation.”

One event that began last year was Chill at the Hill, which is the last Wednesday of the month. Guests can purchase beer and wine in the lodge lounge, buy food from a local food truck and enjoy music out on the lawn.

“We really wanted to complement what’s already happening in the community,” Jerstad said. “We wanted to invite people to come out and experience the park – bring a picnic blanket, go for a walk and just slow down.”

And, of course, there was Lallycooler this summer – a massive two-day music festival featuring Sam Hunt and Pitbull. Jerstad said they saw an opportunity to fill the gap left by events such as JazzFest and RibFest when they went away.

“We were really excited when the Washington Pavilion came to us as a potential partner,” Jerstad said. “We really appreciate partnering with other organizations because it lets us do more and provide more for our guests.”

Another endowment at the Community Foundation helps support park improvements to allow for a variety of programming and the sustainability of Great Bear.

“Great Bear has truly planned for their future – and the future of recreation in the region – by creating an endowment with the Community Foundation,” said Mary Kolsrud, chief philanthropy officer. “A local ski hill, expanded trails and year-round events accessible to everyone right here in city limits improves the quality of life in Sioux Falls.”

Adding trails

Another group Great Bear has partnered with is Falls Area Singletrack, a nonprofit that builds mountain bike trails across the city. (All those dirt trails next to the paved multiuse path along the Big Sioux River? Those are built by F.A.S.T.)

Like requests for a larger music festival, for years, the park has fielded questions about bike trails on the property. Trail building began in July.

“It’s really exciting and helps us expand the different ways we can provide experiences for people,” Jerstad said, noting that many ski resorts offer off-season mountain biking. “The trails they’re building out here include beginner and advanced trails. We want to make this a place that welcomes everybody. That’s really important to us.”

RonPaul Dezell, F.A.S.T. board member, said the project will add 13 miles of bike-optimized, but multiuse trail to the park over the next three years, all funded through donations and maintained by volunteers. The trails will be professionally built by the International Mountain Bike Association.

“The question has been asked for decades: Why aren’t there more trails at Great Bear? And there was this misconception that trails would ruin the park. But properly, professionally built trails that work with the landscape will preserve the park,” Dezell said. “This has the potential to change people’s lifestyles – they can get outside and recreate more within five minutes of their house because it’s in the city.”

The trails will be built in three phases, with the first phase beginning this year, adding 4.5 miles of trail that will integrate with existing paths. The trails will be open to all users, with a few sections for mountain bike-only. Dezell said other groups, such as the Sioux Falls Area Running Club, have supported the project.

“Sioux Falls is slowly becoming a trail community. We have rolling terrain at Great Bear, and we can create a great experience here,” Dezell said. The trails will be groomed for fat biking in the winter, weather permitting. He also noted that the trails will be built with adaptive needs in mind. “That means the trail might need to be a few inches wider here or there,” Dezell said, to accommodate different types of mobility.

Jerstad said the project fulfills the hopes of Great Bear – to become a year-round destination. “We’re only a few minutes from downtown, and it’s a very accessible getaway for people who want to experience nature but not have to drive far,” Jerstad said. “Whether you come here skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer, you can do that together and have those family experiences.”

The F.A.S.T. partnership is good for the park and the community, she said.

“They still need funding from the community to finish, and we encourage everyone to pitch in,” Jerstad said. “They’re not only building bike trails – they’re integrating them into the hiking system and making it a place for everybody.”

Dezell said F.A.S.T. is grateful for the partnership and helping create a vision for the park. “Our continued financial support from the community and Great Bear’s blessing never ceases to amaze me,” he said. “This project is not only an asset to the park, it’s an asset to the community with generational impact. My daughters’ daughters will be able to recreate at Great Bear.”