Daniella San Martin-Feeney is one of our volunteer ambassadors and contributed to this guest blog as part of our winter activity blog series.
Like many others raised in Canada, my first cross-country skiing experience was in elementary school. It was either a field trip or a special gym class when they had us all strap on some skinny skis and trudge around a schoolyard in the snow for an hour or two. Needless to say, I wasn’t taken with the sport.
A couple of decades later, I was looking for new hobbies and things to do in the winter. I was drawn, this time, to cross-country skiing because it looked fun and peaceful when I saw others gliding around on the Victoria golf course. I liked the fact that you can just put on the skis and go and that, unlike downhill skiing, you don’t have to buy an expensive lift ticket.
I grabbed a couple of friends and we took our first steps into the world of cross-country skiing by taking an afternoon lesson from the City of Edmonton. I rented skis and went out a couple more times, took a few more lessons, and before I knew it, I was hooked! This was nothing like the boring afternoon in elementary school all those years ago.
I hadn’t realized that it was possible to cross-country ski in the dark. This meant it was a viable activity option for getting outside after work when the sun sets so early in winter. I loved how accessible it was, and was so pleased to discover lots of places right in the city with available ski tracks.
One of my first practice sessions with a friend in the river valley found us Googling animal tracks and marvelling at the spot where a large bird had swooped down, presumably to catch a meal and left distinctive wing markings in the snow.
One of my later ski lessons took place at Victoria Golf Course on a foggy Wednesday evening. We could barely see the trees on the other side of the course. The downtown lights glowed above us, and when a pack of coyotes started to howl, we felt like we were in another world.
Valerie, another RVA ambassador, enjoys cross-country skiing in Devon.
Now, I am out cross-country skiing every chance I get. My technique needs improvement, I’m still scared of falling when I go downhill, I’m not fast enough to catch up to any other skier out there, and I’m out of breath constantly. But now and then, my stride falls into place, and for a few seconds, I glide along through the forest almost effortlessly, and the feeling is magical. I’ll be chasing that feeling all winter long.
Get started with cross-country skiing
- The City of Edmonton has several cross-country ski lessons and programs for all age groups. All programs include your equipment rental.
- The Edmonton Nordic Club has cross-country ski programs for youth and adults, but you must have your own equipment.
- Strathcona County offers cross-country ski programs primarily at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre, and equipment rental incurs an additional fee.
- The Devon Nordic Ski Club organizes outings and lessons for kids and adults at Voyageur Park.