Welcome to our Club E-Newsletter!
Polar vortex be gone!
President's Message
Just when we have a great snow pack, Mother Nature decides to send us the Big Chill - what torture for XC skiers .... fantastic snow but too cold to be outdoors! We have had to close the lodge on a couple of occasions due to the extreme cold - keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for daily updates. Take care if you venture out and watch for frost bite! Regardless of the cold we have lots of fun activities planned for the coming weeks - see below!
NEW! - Parents & Tots ski group!
Starts Tuesday, February 12th! The lodge will be open from 9:15 until noon and rentals will be available. A limited number of smaller skis are suitable for children 3 - 5 years. We will have a parent who has helped with the Jackrabbit program on hand. There will also be a volunteer to lead skis or snowshoes. Got questions? Email us for more information
Full Moon Valentines Ski
Want to spend Valentine's Day a little differently? Chicks on Sticks invites you come out Thursday, February 14th for our "Full Moon Valentine's Ski". Bring a partner to Chicks and enjoy some quality time together under the full moon! Potluck snacks in the lodge afterwards. Rentals will be available at 6:45 until 7:10pm, must be returned by 8:45pm.
Family Day Hot Dog Roast
All Members & day pass guests are welcome to join us on Sunday, February 17th between 11am and 3pm for a social ski or snowshoe, then stop by the shelter off the parking lot for a hotdog and refreshments! Full details here. Watch our website and Facebook page for temperature updates.
New Event! Fun Duathlon!
Has been rescheduled for Monday, February 18th @ 1:00pm. This inaugural event features a fun ski (classic or skate) + snowshoe event available in two distances - Long course (5km + 5km) or Short course (3km + 3km). You can enter as a solo and complete both disciplines or as a team of two. Full details and registration info here! Embrace Winter!!!
Other Upcoming Events
Save the date for the Club's annual Sveinungsgaard Loppet on Saturday, March 9th. Details are being finalized and will be posted here. And for anyone needing an excuse (!!) to go to Jasper - check out the NordicFest multi-day sports festival on March 9-10th featuring XC ski races, a trail running race and snowshoe races! Something for everyone!
Banff Film Festival Review
This year's event was a resounding success with Saturday and Sunday nights selling out and only a handful of empty seats on Monday. Save the dates for Jan 2020 - we can confirm Sat 11th, Sun 12th and Mon 13th. So mark that in your calendar now! If you weren't able to make it, check out the film line up for each night - some can be found on You Tube.
Thank You Jodi Henry!
On the final night of this year's film festival, Wapiti Nordic Ski Club acknowledged Jodi Henry's 20 years of exceptional volunteerism by presenting her with a nordic ski themed Robbie Craig print and bouquet of flowers. Jodi and her family are moving to Florida mid February and will be greatly missed. Thanks for your contribution to WNSC Jodi & Jason!
Trail News
Thanks to Crawford and our volunteer "dream team" groomers for their uber fast response to the fresh snow we got on Feb 1st. Too bad it has been so cold ever since! But at least all the trails have been groomed and tracks set so that when it does return to near normal temperatures we are ready to roll! Or is that glide?!?
Wapiti Nordic Race Team
The race team has been busy preparing for our last races of the season. Provincial Championships will be held in Drayton Valley over the Family Day long weekend and the team is looking very strong! A small contingency of the team are also representing the ski club at Western Championships. Please wish the team luck when you see any athletes out on the trails!
Membership Passes & Cards
Don't forget to display your parking pass when you park at the lodge or at the north trails. We rely on the integrity of our trail users to respect our membership / day pass fee structure. Thank you. If you have not received your 2018-19 pass yet, please email us. Winter 2019 and annual memberships are still available - full details here !
Thank you Volunteers!
A big thank you to all volunteers who helped out with the Calforex Cup on the January 12-13 weekend. Overall the event was a great success with perfect temperatures for racers and officials! We couldn't have done it without you!
Rentals
Want to try XC skiing after a few years off? Or visiting from out of town? Equipment rentals are available from 12noon - 4pm on Saturday & Sundays at the Lodge. Full details here. All rentals on a first come basis. Get outdoors!
Adult Lessons
Been sitting on the fence? There are still a few dates available for this season. We offer Intro and Tune Up lessons plus Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate levels and even private group and individual lesson! Confirmed dates & times are available here
Kids Jackrabbits
Unfortunately a couple of Jackrabbit sessions had to be cancelled due to the extreme cold. We are hoping the rest of the season goes smoothly. Parents will be emailed if any further changes.
Chicks on Sticks
The Chicks have had a few challenging evenings due to the cold but are committed to getting out when it is marginally less frigid! Remember to dress in layers, wear a headlamp and bring a re-useable mug for hot chocolate! Snow shoe rentals are available Monday & Thursday nights for your non skiing friends! Find out more about Chicks here
Tanks on Planks
The Tanks have mobilized and are making tracks on Wednesdays at 7:00pm. Get outdoors after work and join them for a drop in evening ski! Rentals are available for those that need them 7pm - 9pm. Find out more about this program here.
Snowshoes & Fat Bikes
Wapiti Nordic is proud to offer options for non skiers! Check out our new multiuse single track trails (watch for special signs) and specific information on our Snowshoe and Fat Bike webpages. And don't forget to download the TrailForks app!
Buy & Sell page on website
Did you know that we have a Buy & Sell page on our new website? It's a great way to repurpose old gear or pick up some gently used equipment, especially if you are starting out. Simply submit a photo and some basic info - no fee to post. Check it out here!
Pets
Now that the snow is flying, our trails are closed to dog walking. However, skiers are permitted to bring their pets on the designated " dog trails" that are part of the north trail network (North Blue, Wolf and part of Centre Blue). Sorry, dogs are not permitted on the multi use trails.
Club Governance
A complete list of our monthly Board meeting Minutes are available in the Lodge (hard copy) or on the dedicated page on our website. lf you would like to contact our Board or volunteer at the Club in some capacity please email us.
Monthly Member Survey
Check out this month's question here > How important is it to you to have an annual Loppet (race) at WNSC? Results from the January 2019 question: Do you think a WNSC Membership offers good value for money? There were 31 responses with 91% saying "Yes - great value for my fitness dollar", 3% saying "Yes - fairly good value", 3% said "OK value" and 3% said "No". This is great news for our Club and sport!
Wapiti Nordic Ski Club (WNSC) is a volunteer driven, membership based regional service club. We rely on the support and dedication of our volunteers at the Board, coaching and grassroots levels, along with municipal and corporate sponsors. WNSC welcomes persons of all abilities, fitness levels, ethnicity and backgrounds. We are stewards of the Crown land that our trails are located on, and operate under a recreation lease governed by Alberta Environment and Parks.
Wapiti Nordic Ski Club
62009 TWP RD 704, County of Grande Prairie