Winter Wonderland
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According to the weatherman, there’s supposed to be a big dump of snow in Kelowna this weekend. Those of us who love the outdoors are already waxing our skis and pulling out the Lifa. I spoke with a member of the Kelowna Nordic Ski Club today, and the excitement was palpable! Here’s why a day at McCulloch Nordic ski area should be on the top of the list of weekend activities for anyone who owns a pair of snowshoes or cross-country skis.
For starters, it makes for an exercise-filled and economical day enjoying the Great Outdoors. Plus, with 65 km of groomed cross-country trail and an additional 70 km of snowshoe trail, you really won’t be lacking for interesting surroundings! There are 3 cabins equipped with stoves, so be sure to bring your lunch. You can tell the seasoned McCulloch skiers when they pull out their pre-made grilled cheese sandwiches wrapped in tinfoil and pop those onto the stoves in the cabins for that ideal skiers’ lunch!
Cabin at McCulloch Nordic Ski Area in Kelowna
So here are the details: the ski area is maintained by the Kelowna Nordic Ski Club which is a not-for-profit. To cover their costs, they ask skiers for a voluntary donation of $10 for a day of skiing, up to a maximum of $20 per family. For snowshoeing, a donation of $5 is recommended. This helps with trail grooming, etc. Of course you can also become a member of the Kelowna Nordic Ski Club. You can bring your dog – there are specially marked K-9 trails that are there especially for that purpose.
Group of skiers with happy doggies - from kelownanordic.com
Snowshoe trails begin with the word Snow or Snowy, and all trails are well marked as far as difficulty level. There’s a trail map at the main cabin, although you can also download it from their website in advance if you like.
Snowshoers at McCulloch
The cabins are placed as follows: one right at the main parking lot – this is the “Main Cabin” and has 2 stoves for cooking inside. The next, called the “Log Cabin” is brand new, and located 2.5 km along the trail. This is a perfect expedition for families as it’s about a 5 km round-trip and a great mid-way warm up. The last cabin is called the “Backcountry Cabin” and it’s 8 km out, and has one stove for cooking.
Tranquil Beauty of the Kelowna Nordic Ski Area.
I’m told that right now the conditions are quite good, although there isn’t quite enough snow to groom the skating trails. McCulloch has some of the best skating trails around, as some visitors from Seattle raved last season. The grooming is done by skidoo right now, although once we get more snow they’ll be using the big groomer.
It promises to be a great excursion, so get your gear ready and plan to pay this excellent ski area a visit this winter!
