Our classic tracks definitely felt it! Along with trees down, debris covering trails, ice, ice and more ice! What a miserable couple of weeks we've had for classic skiing! Our grooming team have battled valiantly - rest assured that they will make the most of whatever gets thrown at us - literally! At the moment (Feb 23), we have the best classic tracks that we've had in weeks - get out when you can! Trail updates are posted daily on our website and Facebook to keep you informed. Fingers crossed we get an extended XC ski season right through until Easter!

Despite the marginal conditions and a last minute change from classic to skate skiing, and some snow shoes to ice cleats, 27 recreational athletes participated in this year's event in either a solo or team capacity over a 6km or 10km course. The event raised over $500 for the Wapiti Nordic Cross Country Race Team! Special thanks to event volunteers who set up the course and managed the timing. We look forward to seeing more XC enthusiasts participating in this in the future! And congrats to all the Grande Prairie based XC skiers who participated in the Birkie on Feb 12th - way to go!

Anyone have a crystal ball?!? Plan "A" is to offer rentals and lessons throughout the rest of February and all of March - weather dependant of course! Best bet is to check our respective Rentals and Adult Lessons web pages or Facebook where info will be updated as conditions dictate. Wax Clinic info can be found on our Upcoming Events page. Thank you for your patience during what has been a very challenging snow season. Assuming the Provincial mask mandate is removed on March 1st, then the same will apply in the main lodge although wearing a mask is still optional based on your comfort level. Stay healthy!

Want to participate in a fun XC ski event? Check our our very own Sveinungsgaard Loppet! You don't have to be speedy, just have a good attitude! Adults can choose from 5km, 10km, 17km or 35km distances and the Bunny & Jackrabbits can choose from 1km or 3km. Snow conditions might determine whether skate or classic techniques will fair best, but if possible we will set track for both. Full details here - it will be fun!

We are pleased to announce that Wapiti Nordic's main annual fundraiser has been rescheduled for Friday, April 22nd, Saturday April 23rd and Sunday April 24th, 2022. Each 7:00pm evening show will feature a different line up of films that have not been available for rent. Tickets are now on sale by calling the go on sale March 1st via the Grande Prairie Live Theatre box office at 780-538-1616 (sorry no online ticket sales). The shows will be held this year at the KMSC Law Performing Arts Theatre (John Paul II high school off 132 Ave) as the college only had limited availability when we had to reschedule due to COVID-19 restrictions. This smaller venue will sell out for sure! Keep tabs on the BMFF Facebook page and our WNSC website for full details.

The month of February has been a challenge for the Chicks. The ladies have spent more time snowshoeing or walking than skiing. They have explored some of the snowshoe trails on both the North and South side. Snowshoeing through the Tamaracks at night is really peaceful at night. Here's hoping that the Chicks can light up the ski trails again at night. They have done many snow dances!

Thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, we now have a slick new trail map that clearly shows skill levels recommended for each trail plus numbered junctions to stay orientated. A georeferenced PDF version is available on our Trails page. You can download the PDFto your phone on an app such as Avenza Maps to see where you are - real time while out skiing! Or for the less tech orientated, save the image to your Photos on a smart phone or go totally old school and print a copy to put in your ski jacket pocket!

... are a resilient bunch - whether they know it or not! They have been out every Saturday in some less than ideal snow conditions but our volunteer leaders were keen to keep the momentum up with this invaluable program. We will stretch the sessions as long as we can into March and parents will be kept informed via email.

The race team has been busy traveling around the province for races. Although winter has been lacking, we are so grateful for the many hours that the groomer have put in to give us something to train on!! Here’s to another month of racing! And a special thanks to members of the race team who helped out with the kids Bunny & Jackrabbits program - so inspiring for the little ones to have someone to look up to and mentor them!

Too soon for snow lovers?!? But not so for our mountain bike fans! Check our Mountain Biking web page on March 1st for registration details and a link for our first wave of 2022 kids and adult programs. Never a dull moment at Wapiti Nordic!

Where do you like to park to access our trails for skiing or snowshoeing? It's not uncommon for our lodge parking lot to be quiet, yet the north trail parking is busy. Got us thinking! Please take 10 seconds to share your preference via our survey - thanks!

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.