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HomeCross Country & Snowshoeing
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Have fun, stay in shape, get out with friends and family!  Cross country skiing is a sport for all ages and abilities.  Come out and enjoy our cross country skiing events and programs this winter. Don’t forget, cross country skiing is one of the most cost-effective winter sports – trail fees are modest if not free at many venues!

Skinny skis not for you?  If you can walk, you can snowshoe.  Most trips take place on packed designated trails, but we do occasionally stray from the beaten path. 

MEMBER BENEFITS

  1. Lots of events to choose from.  Easy to advanced, short or long.  Day trips and weekend trips. 

  2. Carpooling to save gas and wear and tear on your car.

  3. On extended trips where we carpool, we subsidize accommodations.

  4. Bus trips, some joint with the downhill crowd, we pay or subsidize the bus cost.

  5. You can earn points at the ski sale to reduce the cost of trips.

  6. You get first dibs on equipment at our ski sale when you volunteer.

Look at a few of the places we have been!

Weekend trip to Nipika Lodge near Radium.  XC skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking.  Subsidized accommodation, free wine & cheese and one paid supper.

Sovereign Lake next to Silver Star Ski Resort in Vernon. Four days, carpool trip, subsidized accommodation.  Condo with cooking facilities.  Downhill or cross country.  You choose.

Assiniboine Lodge - Helicopter in, backcountry ski or snowshoe.  Subsidized.  Note this trip is a bring your food and wine trip.

Milan, Italy  - 10 days.  Downhill, cross country and snowshoe.  Subsidized.

Note: the selection of trips and subsidies may change from year to year.


WHERE TO SKI & SHOE

Calgary offers access to excellent skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains in both south-western Alberta and south-eastern British Columbia, as well as access to some local trails within the City.

City trails

Snow and weather permitting, the following areas in the City allow cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Rapid changes in conditions may occur due to chinooks.  Some sites may be track-set, and others are skier set.  Snowshoers should stay to the side of XC trails.  Please avoid any roped off areas.

For more information, please visit the City of Calgary Cross-Country Skiing resources. 

Kananaskis Area, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park & West Bragg Creek

With West Bragg Creek less than an hour away and Kananaskis just a little further, there are numerous skiing and snowshoe trails: Ribbon Creek, Pocaterra, Saw Mill, & Mt. Shark are only a few.  Please purchase a single day parking pass or a seasonal parking pass to support grooming and track setting.

For more information, please visit Alberta Parks.

Canmore Nordic Centre

A world-class facility built for the 1988 Winter Olympics, Canmore Nordic Centre offers excellent trails, night skiing just minutes away from downtown Canmore.  XC skiing only.

For more information, please visit Alberta Parks.

Sheep River/Sandy McNabb Area

There is lots of excellent skiing west of Turner Valley.

National Parks

There is excellent cross country skiing and snowshoeing in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks. Lake Louise is often the first to get snow and has groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. It is an excellent early season location.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/skidefond-xcski


https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/raquette-snowshoeing


Nipika

Located just south of Kootenay National Park, this private area offers excellent cross country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking.  https://nipika.com/


Golden (Dawn Mountain)

Next to Golden’s Kicking Horse Resort, the Golden Nordic ski club maintains the cross country trails at Dawn Mountain. http://goldennordicclub.ca/


Kimberley

Located right next to the Kimberley Ski Resort, this club maintained trail system is excellent.  Cross country only. https://www.kimberleynordic.org/

EQUIPMENT

The Calgary Ski Club runs the annual Calgary New & Used Ski Sale each fall in conjunction with the Lake Louise Ski Club and the Canadian Ski Patrol (Calgary Zone).  For more information, go to Ski Sale.  We do not carry an inventory or sell skis at any other time.

Buying New Equipment

In Calgary:

Out of town:

Buying Second-hand Equipment

  • Calgary New and Used Ski Sale is the best place to get used equipment.  It is held annually in October at the Max Bell Arena. The Calgary Ski Club, the Lake Louise Ski Club and the Canadian Ski Patrol System (Calgary Zone) host the ski sale.

  • Lifesport and some rental shops sell off their used rental equipment each fall.

  • Switching Gears is an outdoor consignment shop in Canmore.

  • Trail Blazers in Cochrane is a sports consignment shop.

  • Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji are also suggestions with the usual precautions. Equipment is not inspected, and watch for scams and stolen equipment.

Rentals

In Calgary:

Out of town:


Equipment Checklist:

  • Skis or Snowshoes

  • Poles

  • Boots - make sure they are a good fit and warm.

  • Warm clothes, dress in layers. No cotton on the bottom layer, including socks

  • Warm hat that covers the ears

  • Wind/water-resistant outer layers

  • Mitts/gloves

  • Wax (if skiing with waxable skis) - there are starter packs available at the ski shops with three hard waxes, a cork and a scraper.

  • Water bottle and holder.

  • Dry clothes for afterwards.

IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS

Improving one's overall strength will help you improve your cross country technique.  Strength training exercises are something that you can do at home all year round to improve your fitness.

Apart from taking Ski Lessons, there are many resources on the web that offer tips on how to improve your cross country skiing technique.

The following links are under construction and will be updated shortly; we apologize for any inconvenience.