St. Albert is a community that embraces winter, and many of us don our toques and buffs so we can get outside and enjoy our beautiful river valley. But walking down the “wrong side of the tracks” can become a safety concern for skiers, and a maintenance issue for the groomers.
St. Albert Nordic Ski Club is asking St. Albert and Sturgeon County residents to help us keep our trails safe and in good condition for our skiers. SANSC is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that provides groomed cross-country ski trails in St. Albert and Sturgeon County. With the crazy weather this year, maintaining the trails has been a challenge. When you combine this weather cycling with damage to trails due to boots, paws, poop, or snowmobiles, our club faces many extra work hours for our volunteers and our grooming machines.
It is pretty obvious when a snowmobile decimates a trail, but when a paw or foot stomps on a trail, can that little track really cause damage? The simple answer is: "Yes!" Any damage to the track destroys the walls and roughs up the surface. The initial indentation makes the skiers' glide difficult, which can cause a fall, especially when night skiing. Over time, as we go through the freeze/thaw cycles, the holes in the track get bigger and can cause a skier to catch a ski tip and thus get seriously injured.
Use of the ski trails is free and enjoyed by all ages. More than 250 adults and youth take part in ski lessons provided by the club each year. Skiers come from around the greater Edmonton area to the Sturgeon River Valley so please help us keep our trails in good condition for all those who enjoy Nordic skiing.
Michelle Guest-Morre, SANSC Board, St. Albert
