Snow far, snow good: Nordic ski trails open in Peterborough and The Kawarthas

While it has been a bit of a slow snow start to winter, cross-country ski trails in Peterborough and The Kawarthas are open and outdoor enthusiasts are eager to enjoy the season.

Our ski adventure starts in North Kawartha, about 40 minutes north of Peterborough and two hours north of Toronto, at Kawartha Nordic Ski Club. 

“We have about 55 kilometres of trails here,” said Dave Woodfine, facilities manager at Kawartha Nordic. “There is about 25 kilometres with classic on both sides and a skate lane down the middle and then we have about 25 kilometres of just track set for classic skiing.”

He added it also has a lit loop for night skiing, though he said that if you have a head lamp, you can also enjoy the trails in the evening.

“We also have a ‘full moon coffee house’ event coming up,” Woodfine said. “Some of our more musically inclined members will be playing in the chalet and then you ski before or after.”

That event is weather dependant and takes place Friday, starting at 6 pm.

Meanwhile, Peterborough Nordic Club in Peterborough, Ont., is grooming a new set of trails this year, located at Liftlock Golf Club. Previously the club had maintained a section of trail in Jackson Park.

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“We have moved our operations over to Liftlock Golf Club,” said Dave Dame, Peterborough Nordic Club president. “Brian Kruk offered us this property to groom and it is just fantastic.”

He said that while Jackson Park was done on a donation basis, this year you do need a membership, or day pass, to enjoy the new set of trails.

“We have 6.5 kilometres of trails,” he said. “The trails weave like a spiderweb so you can make all kinds of different loops, with a flat area for the kids and then some rolling hills on the back-nine.”

Dame said it is all about making the activity more accessible.

“We just want people to try cross-country skiing. We want to remove all of the barriers,” Dame said. “What we have in Canada is snow. So if you embrace it with skating and cross-country skiin,g then you’re going to thoroughly enjoy it.”

Seasonal memberships, day passes and rentals are available at both locations.

For more information you can find Kawartha Nordic Ski Club online and Peterborough Nordic Club on facebook.