A person skiing on one of the trails during last winter. (Prince Albert Nordic Ski Club/Facebook)

By Logan Lehmann

Busy off-season

Nordic Ski Club highlights off-season upgrades as snowfall remains sparse

Dec 6, 2023 | 1:10 PM

The Prince Albert Nordic Ski Club is ready for the green light to hit the trails for the upcoming season.

However, because of the lack of snowfall in the area, the club has not yet embarked on the season but they have been keeping busy upgrading trails and facilities during the off-season.

First on the to-do list was to improve roads in the area to make them more accessible. With the city’s approval, the club widened a section of road near the Prince Albert Youth Residence to meet the fire code.

The road was previously very narrow and did not allow for both the fire trucks and the club’s snow grooming machine to pass.

The club has also improved some of the trails to make them safer for skiers of all levels.

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“We’ve seen an uptake in memberships, many of them new skiers, and some of the trails close to the parking areas were too steep or had sharp turns,” the club said in a statement. “These have been [removed] or bypassed to allow for a much safer ski experience.”

Memberships for the club are holding steady around the 500 mark, which is close to what they saw during the pandemic.

The club is welcoming back two attractions to the area as well.

The first is the return of the River Trail in its entirety. The club said they will be grooming the trail past the new Rotary Adventure Park to bring it back to its former glory, which will add another kilometre onto the trail. The next is the Herringbone Hill, which offers a climbing challenge to test skiers of all experience.

Another highlight for the club this off-season is they have built, and maintained, walking trails for people to have their own paths for hiking and or snowshoeing. Additionally, the club will begin grooming a new trail from the Cosmo Lodge to the new Rotary Park and beyond that will connect with an already existing trail.

The city built a new warmup shelter near the Cosmo Lodge which includes a wood stove. It may be used as a future site for lessons or events.

Those looking to pay memberships, trail fees, events, or lessons, or to donate toward maintenance costs can now do so via e-transfer with payment being sent to fee2ski@gmail.com.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com