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Winterfest Is Back!!
One of Our Favourite Days of the Year!
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We are thrilled to share that Winterfest returns to the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club on Sunday, January 25, and we cannot wait to welcome everyone back for one of the most fun, inclusive, and festive days of the winter season.
Free trail passes all day mean this is the perfect opportunity to invite friends, family, neighbours, and anyone curious about Nordic skiing to come out and experience the club.
Winterfest is all about celebrating winter together — whether you are brand new to skiing or a long-time member who knows every trail by heart.
What to Expect:
Throughout the day, the club will be buzzing with activity:
- Free trail access for everyone
- Introductory classic ski lessons for beginners (ages 7+)
- A guided snowshoe tour exploring our winter trails
- A biathlon try-it with laser rifles — no experience required
- A self-guided scavenger hunt for all ages
- Ski-out S’mores and a warm fire at the gravel pit
- Plenty of time to ski, snowshoe, explore, and enjoy the trails at your own pace
When it is time to warm up, head upstairs in the lodge where B & E Eats will be serving up hot, hearty food — perfect for refuelling and catching up with friends.
A Day for the Whole Community:
Winterfest has become one of our favourite traditions because it brings together everything we love about the club: community, movement, laughter, and time outdoors. It is welcoming, relaxed, and designed so everyone can participate in their own way.
Mark your calendar, spread the word, and come celebrate winter with us. We cannot wait to see you out on the trails for Winterfest 2026
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One of our favourite annual traditions has returned — the Grand Tour of Caledonia, a 6-week Signature Club event designed to get everyone out on the trails and enjoying winter at their own pace.
Whether you are chasing the fastest overall time, working toward a personal best, or simply looking for a fun reason to get out and ski regularly, the Grand Tour is for you. This event is all about participation, consistency, and enjoying the season, no matter your skill level or skiing style.
Registration is completely FREE, and there are prizes up for grabs along the way to keep things fun and motivating.
The Grand Tour is a great way to explore different parts of the trail network, challenge yourself (as much or as little as you like), and share the experience with friends, family, and fellow members.
Sign up, pick your routes, track your progress, and most importantly — have fun out there.
Let’s make this another memorable Grand Tour season at Caledonia
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We are excited to share a brand-new opportunity for members to show their Caledonia Nordic pride — club clothing is now available to order online, thanks to the hard work of Aaron and our local partners at Sprague Skate Shop.
This new partnership gives members access to a wide range of Caledonia Nordic apparel, including zip-ups, pullovers, t-shirts, toques, and more. There are lots of options to choose from, making it easy to find something that fits your style — on the trails or around town.
Orders are placed online and take approximately two weeks to complete. This is a new system for us, so there may be a few small bugs to work through at the start, but it is an exciting step forward and a great way to support your club while supporting a local business.
A huge thank you to Aaron and Sprague Skate Shop for making this happen and helping bring Caledonia Nordic apparel to our community.
Check out the options, place an order, and wear your Caledonia pride proudly
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This past week was a challenging one, and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. With a rain-on-snow, freeze–thaw weather pattern, our grooming team had to make some difficult but necessary decisions to balance safety, quality skiing, and preserving snow for the remainder of the season.
During rain and above-zero temperatures followed by freezing, grooming can do more harm than good. Moisture is pulled to the surface, and once it refreezes, it can create icy, unpredictable conditions and accelerate snow loss. In these situations, allowing the snow to rest is often the best way to protect it.
Our grooming team draws on decades of experience from within the Nordic community while adapting to the realities of climate change. Rain-on-snow events and frequent freeze–thaw cycles are becoming more common and require more cautious, deliberate decision-making than in the past.
There is nothing more our groomers want than to be out in their machines—often at very early or late hours—creating the best possible experience for our members. Over the past week, the team went above and beyond, adjusting schedules and grooming overnight whenever conditions allowed to achieve the best possible results.
When grooming does not occur, it is never due to a lack of effort, but rather a commitment to protecting the snow, the equipment, and the season as a whole.
Please note: until we receive new snowfall, you will likely see less use of the large grooming machines as we focus on preserving the snow we have.
As always, please check the grooming report before heading out to determine the best skiing options for the day.
Thank you for your continued trust, patience, and support of the people working behind the scenes to make skiing at Caledonia possible.
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As we come off the incredible momentum of the Teck BC Cup, we’re already setting our sights on another major milestone for the club. From March 5–8, 2026, Caledonia Nordic Ski Club will play host to a combined International Biathlon Union (IBU) Regional Event, Western Canadian Biathlon Championships, and BC Provincial Biathlon Championships.
(Please note: this corrects the date shared in our previous newsletter — the event website has now been updated.)
This multi-day competition will be one of the largest biathlon events in North America, carrying IBU continental sanctioning and attracting athletes from across Canada, the United States, and potentially beyond. It’s an exciting opportunity to once again highlight our trails, facilities, and the depth of our Nordic and biathlon community on a national and international stage.
Events of this scale are only possible with strong volunteer support. As planning continues, we’ll be looking for help in a wide range of roles. Whether you’re able to lend a hand for a single shift or throughout the event, your involvement will be a key part of delivering a successful and memorable championship.
If you are interested in being part of this event, please consider signing up through our Zone4 volunteer registration link:
https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=39238
Thank you, as always, for supporting Caledonia Nordic Ski Club and helping us continue to bring high-level competition to our community.
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As all who roam the trails now know, the land has frozen hard. Ice reigns supreme. Edges are sharp. Footing is treacherous.
And yet… the outdoors call.
Our brave and adventurous General Manager, John Bowes, is the proud owner of three high-energy dogs whose enthusiasm for walks does not yield to weather forecasts, grooming reports, or common sense.
On Thursday, he set out for Ginter Park, one of Prince George’s finest off-leash dog areas, adjusted his standard route to avoid the worst of the ice.
Alas, the ice had other plans.
Those who have seen John walking know his form well:
- a hot tea held firmly in one hand
- the other tucked safely into a warm pocket
- confidence high
As he began his descent, the trail betrayed him. In a moment now etched into legend, John executed what witnesses (the dogs) later described as a classic banana-peel maneuver—both feet skyward, gravity fully engaged—before crashing heroically onto his back. Winded. Stunned. Ribs protesting loudly. Possibly bruised. Possibly broken. Definitely offended. This would likely keep him from any activity for some time.
But John Bowes is not one to retreat indoors.
Skiing, he reasoned, might be unwise with aching ribs. So instead, he turned to another noble pursuit: fatbiking at the Tabor recreational trails (which were absolutely fantastic!). Sensible. Reasonable. Surely safe.
All went well. Strength returned. Spirits lifted. Then came the BFG trail.
With bold resolve and unyielding optimism, he charged forward—committed, assured, and perhaps overly convinced of his own invincibility. In an instant, the bike slid free, launching John toward the unforgiving boundary between groomed perfection and wild, icy chaos.
Impact was swift. The lesson immediate.
Today, if you see John out on the trails, you may notice a constellation of purples and blues around his left eye, paired with the unmistakable expression of a man replaying one sentence over and over in his mind:
“That seems like a bad idea.”
— spoken earlier that day by his very wise wife
Let this tale serve as a reminder:
Ice is real. Gravity is undefeated. And sometimes… the grooming report applies to walking too. And always choose adventure!
Stay safe out there, friends.
I guess now I can once again focus on my Art, perhaps a Silent Auction will be in the works....more to come
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PO Box 1243, Prince George, BC V2L 4V3
(250)564-3809
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