Welcome to our Club E-Newsletter!
Merry Christmas everyone!
All we want for Christmas is
....SNOW!!!! After a bit of a false start in November, to date, this nordic season has been very skinny on snowfall. Our groomers have worked their magic to bring a range of skiable terrain - thank you! Fingers crossed that Santa brings good snow karma and we have a great January and rest of the season. Keep an eye on our trail conditions web page for grooming updates. Let it snow!
Holiday Hours & Rentals
Take advantage of time off over the holidays to hit the trails and recharge in the great outdoors. Holiday lodge hours are in effect. Rentals are available Dec 28th & 29th and Jan 4th & 5th. Visiting guests can purchase a day pass on Zone 4 or you can pay cash or cheque if visiting on the weekend. Members can access the trails 24/7 even when lodge is not officially open. And if you haven't picked up your Membership parking pass you can collect it at the lodge on the weekends between 12noon - 4:00pm.
2019-2020 Season Opener
A big thank you to everyone who came out on November 17th for our Fall General Meeting and Season Opener. It was great to see a mix of familiar and new faces. A special thanks to those who took the time to provide feedback on Club priorities. The Board is continuing its work to create a business plan and list of priorities to guide us over the next few years. Stay tuned!
Banff Mountain Film Festival
Saturday has officially sold out and Sunday Jan 12th is closing in fast too, followed by Monday, Jan 13th! As WNSC's biggest annual fundraiser, let's make it a sell out for all three nights!! Tickets are available via Revolution Place Come to one night, double up, or go to all three! Each night has a unique selection of hand picked films from genres such as mountain sports, mountain biking, paddling, running, culture and environment. Check out the 2020 trailer. The door prizes are an added bonus! See you there!!
Help Wanted - Calforex Cup
The Biathlon Team is hosting a Calforex Cup January 25 - 26th and we are still seeking volunteers - no experience necessary, just a great attitude! And if you could help with set up the week prior to the event - even better! It’s a great opportunity to watch some exciting racing and to help the club. Interested? Email Cori Kudos to everyone who volunteered for our upcoming New Years casino - we have all positions filled! What great support!
Multi Use Trail News
With low snow falls creating marginal ski conditions, a great "Plan B"option is an invigorating snowshoe trek on our new multi-use trails.They have been well used over the last couple of weeks, and the new reflective trail markers are a reassuring feature if you venture out for a moonlight snowshoe. Check out our trail maps before heading out. Dogs ARE permitted on the NORTH multi use trails while you are snowshoeing, back county skiing or fat biking (sorry no walking). As always, we ask that multi use trail users yield to skiers when crossing dedicated ski trails and try to avoid damaging the XC track set where possible. Thanks in advance for you for your cooperation. Feedback welcome from all trail users.
Try It Day & Sports Awards
WNSC is proud to be participating in the Grande Prairie Regional Sports Connection's (formerly GP Sports Council) first winter "Try It Day" on January 18th. We wanted to create an opportunity for kids to try cross country skiing and snowshoeing for the first time. Registration for our sessions sold out in under 48 hours! If you are available to volunteer and lead a ski or snowshoe group in the afternoon of Sat Jan 18th please email Doris. The local Sport Connection is also seeking nominations for their 2020 NW Alberta Sports Excellence Awards - full details here.
Tis the Season - support WNSC with your returns!
If you have had a particularly festive holiday period and want to do something positive with the evidence, just give any bottle depot (except Sexsmith) the code "2140 - Wapiti Nordic Race Team" on your bags of bottles and 100% of your returns will be credited towards the WNSC race team fundraising account! Win-win!
Chicks on Sticks
Keep snow dancing over the Christmas break and be ready to get on the snow in January! Monday and Thursdays - on the snow and ready to go at 7:15 pm.  If you need rentals we suggest you arrive by 6:45 pm. If you are interested, but not already on the Chicks emailing list can register here to be kept in the loop for the start date. If the snow is too low, Chicks can snowshoe instead.
Adult Lessons & Instructors
More adult lessons have been released for January and February. Group or private options available at very competitive rates! Check out our new Instructor profile page - you may recognize some familiar faces from the trails. They are all great folks who are passionate about promoting our sport as a life long activity.
Upcoming Events - 2020
Fun, social events are a big part of our club at Wapiti Nordic. We have some great opportunities coming up to get outdoors and meet like minded folks. Our Upcoming Events page (featuring an online calendar) is the best way to keep informed. Check out: New Year's Day Vintage Ski (Jan 1st), Ski & Snowshoe Duathlon (Jan 19), Family Day Ski & Marshmallows (Feb 16), 42nd Sveinungsgaard Loppet (Marc7). Who says there's nothing to do in the winter in GP?!?
Tanks on Planks
The guys are plugging away despite the low snow volume. Join "Tanks" Leader Darryl on Wednesday nights from 7:00 - 9:00pm starting at the main lodge. Classic or skate technique welcome. Drop in when you can - no fee outside of Membership. See you there!
Last call for Children's Learn to Ski program!
Our very popular Bunnyrabbits (4-6 yrs) and Jackrabbits (6-9 yrs) programs will start on Saturday, January 4th. Not registered yet? We still have a couple of spaces left on Zone 4. Program details here
Coaching Training Opportunity coming to GP!!
WNSC is hosting the NCCP Community Coaching course January 10 to 12, 2020 (or could be Jan 17-19 = to be confirmed). This course is an in-class and on-snow workshop where individuals will learn to teach basic cross-country skiing skills (both classic and skate). Anyone interested in participating can contact Theresa for more information. 
NEW - Tuesday afternoon Meet Up & Rentals!
Retired? Stay at home parent? Shift worker? As soon as the lodge officially opens, we will be offering an informal drop in guided ski / snowshoe group outing on Tuesday afternoons leaving at 1:30pm (come 1:00pm or earlier to get outfitted in rental gear). No charge for WNSC members! And a great way to meet like minded outdoor enthusiasts! Stay tuned to our Facebook page or Upcoming Events page on website.
Challenge yourself on home snow - Wapiti Race Series!
Did you know that WNSC hosts its own fun race series that is open to ALL abilities! Whether you're a current ski racer, a former racer, Masters athlete, someone seeking a challenge, or a weekend warrior with a need for speed (!!) - everyone is welcome to participate in one or all of our monthly Wapiti Challenge Race Series. See Upcoming Events page for full details.
2019-2020 Race Team News
Congratulations to all nineteen athletes from Wapiti Nordic who participated in the Alberta Cup in Canmore on December 6-8th. Way to represent!! Thinking of joining the race team - check out our web page or Coach Claire's blog for the latest scoop on what the race team are up to!
Buy & Sell Web Page
Missed the Nov 2nd ski swap but still want to offload some gear or pick up some previously owned equipment? Check out our Buy & Sell page periodically for updated items or to post your items for sale.
If you see something - jump on it fast! Just like Costco it may not be there when you go back!!
Missed an e-Newsletter?
We now have an e-newsletter archive section on our website if you ever missed an edition or need to check back on something. Plus we have tidied up the Minutes & Agenda page to make it more user friendly. We would love to hear if you have any other suggestions for our website or e-newsletter.
Monthly Member Survey
In November we asked "Do you think it is a good idea to have multiuser trails at Wapiti Nordic?" Results were: 61% said "Yes - good to offer people other options"; 39% said "Maybe - so long as it doesn't impact XC trails" - so overall very favourable results! Thanks to all who participated!!
Check out this month's question here >
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