Skip to content

St. Albert ski club brings trails to Sturgeon County

9 km loop goes all the way to golf course

Sturgeon County residents can now ski all the way to St. Albert along new trails in the Sturgeon Valley. 

The St. Albert Nordic Ski Club’s new Sturgeon Valley trail network officially opened last Jan. 22.  

A joint project of the St. Albert Nordic Ski Club, City of St. Albert, Sturgeon County, Riverlot 56 Natural Area Society and the Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club, this nine-kilometre ski trail network was an extension of the 15 km of trails that have for many years looped through Riverlot 56 just outside of St. Albert.  

Ski club president Laurie Hunt said the idea for this expansion started in December after some Sturgeon Valley residents tried to set their own trails using a snowmobile. A bylaw officer stopped them (as snowmobiles were illegal in that region), but also called Hunt to see if the ski club could bring its trails to the valley – something the club had wanted to do for many years. 

Weeks of work later, and the club’s volunteer groomers had plowed a wriggly nine-kilometre addition to the trail network that starts in St. Albert’s Kingswood Park and runs north to Bellerose Park in Sturgeon County. Hunt said the trails were complete and in-use by about Jan. 18.  

Hunt said these trails are great for beginners, as they are mostly flat and exceptionally scenic – expect to glide amongst red willows and golden grass alongside moose, coyote, weasel and deer tracks as you hear the hoots of northern saw-whet and great horned owls overhead.  

“It’s a nice place to ski.” 

Hunt said it was tough for crews to set tracks due to the scarce snow, but conditions had improved given last week’s snowfall. Future years could see the club add chairs to the trail or extend the trails onto the actual Sturgeon Valley golf course.  

Hunt said the ski club would maintain the new trails and monitor ice thickness at the few spots where they cross the Sturgeon River. (River ice on the Sturgeon is generally considered safer to walk upon outside of St. Albert as there are no stormwater outlets to pour warm, running water under it.) County officials would post signs along the trail and close it should the river crossings become unsafe. 

Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said she was pleased this partnership with the ski club came together so swiftly, noting outdoor recreation is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“These trails are going to be well used and well loved,” she said, adding she hopes to eventually see ski trails throughout this region. 

Cross-country skiing is a great sport during the pandemic as its participants are typically separated by large distances, Hunt said. The St. Albert club has had to roughly triple its number of ski lessons to keep up with demand and provincial limits on outdoor gatherings.  

Hunt said guests should stash their cars at Kingswood or Bellerose Park and not at the Sturgeon Valley Golf club. Skiers should stay on the tracks and respect private property, while pedestrians should keep their feet off the tracks, their dogs on leash, and their pet’s poop off the trail. 

See stalbertnordic.com for details on the new trails. 


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks