By this time most years, Tantramar’s cross country ski trailheads on Walker Road are normally packed with cars as enthusiasts glide their way through the extensive and carefully maintained trails. But a lack of snow is pushing the ski season back later than they’d like.
Robin Walked runs the local Jackrabbit Cross Country ski program, through the Tantramar Outdoor Club (TOC). There are about 65 kids signed up this year, but they haven’t been able to go skiing yet this season.
“Without snow it is a bit tricky,” she said.
The weekly ski group is led by volunteer coaches and is part of a national program designed to get kids outdoors, be active and have fun on cross country skis.
Walker hopes to start the program sooner than later, but it depends on the weather.
Ross Thomas, a retired doctor, member of the TOC and a self proclaimed exercise evangelist, skis about five times a week, when there’s snow.
He’s one of a group of volunteers from the TOC who plans and maintains the about 30 kilometers of trails, 20 of those are exclusively for cross country skiing. The land is owned by the TOC, the town of Tantramar and local people who have given permission for others to pass.
While Thomas said the few inches of snow on the group aren’t enough to make for enjoyable skiing on TOC trails, he’s still managed to find some open fields to strap on his skis and go for a glide.
“Skiing has its own pleasures,” said Thomas.
“I refer to it as a lazy man’s sport because you can glide.”
He added, “and you can go fast down hills and that’s just exhilarating.”
And while it isn’t unheard of to have bare grass this time of year, for some it’s disappointing. “It isn’t much fun, but it does happen,” said Thomas.
According to Environment Canada on this day in 2022 the region saw nearly 30 centimeters of snow, while ten years ago in 2014 there was a whopping 70 centimeters of accumulated snow on the ground.
