December 2020

Happy Winter 2020/21 Everyone!
With all that 2020 has given us to deal with over the past months, we're excited that winter is here and our club is able to share some news with you on what's going on with the club & trails in our area. 

Membership & Child/Youth Programming (Bunny/Jackrabbit Lessons)

• Membership sign-up & Youth Programming registration will be available as of January 1, 2021 through Zone4 online: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=24753.
• A *new perk* this year, all members will receive a community discount card that can get you some great deals at various local businesses during the winter ski season. (Participating businesses: LLB Modern Wears, Costa Cafe, Queen Bean, & LLB Sporting Goods)
• Youth programming will be available, with the first lesson starting on Sunday, January 10 -- we will ensure we follow all Covid Protocols outlined and developed by Nordiq Alberta which follow the up to date Chief Medical Officer of Health recommendations.
• We will only be accepting a total of 16 registered child/youth participants at this time for lessons, first-come first-serve on registration, as we are limited by the number of coaches available this season. If you are interested in becoming a coach, send us an email or FB Message!
• Rental equipment for children/youth who are registered in lessons is available for the season - if interested, send us a FB Message to book. We have limited sizing available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Special Events

• At this time, following recommendations of the CMOH & Nordiq Alberta, we will not be hosting any special events or organized meet-ups at this time. If we are able to in the future, we will be sure to share them via E-newsletters & on our Facebook Page. 

Rental Equipment

• The club's rental equipment of boots, skis, & poles is able to continue this season! The cost of a rental remains as a donation to the club, as we hope many people will try XC-Skiing this season and use the gear to access some beautiful winter trails in the area. If you're interested in arranging a rental, send us a FB message! 
• The rental gear is only available for a single or 2-day rental, as we have limited supply and want to be able to keep a good variety on hand. All gear will be sanitized & set-aside to rest between uses to ensure we are doing our due diligence in keeping everyone safe. 

Groomed Trails in the Area

• Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park: loop road groomed with classic-track set. The other half of the roadway is cleared for winter walking. Interior trails & Old Growth trails (along lakeshore) are not groomed, and are most suitable for snowshoeing. 
• Beaver Lake Provincial Recreation Area - Group Use area: trails (approximately 5km total) groomed classic-track set. Parking is available along the roadway to the second gate. Please be sure to park along only one side to allow room for vehicles to turn around. 
• Shaw Lake Day Use Area, Lakeland Provincial Park: trails recently reopened to the public after a big trail rejuvenation project. The trails are currently suitable for walking & snowshoeing (on the lake). The warming shelter is currently closed due to construction, however there are firepits that are available for use. 
• Ongoing updates on conditions & what's available for groomed trails can be found on our Facebook Page. 

Donations & Supporting LLB Nordic Ski Club

• LLB Nordic Ski Club Toques are available for purchase! If you're a club member, you can get one for $25.00, for non-members $30.00. Three different patterns are available to choose from. 
• Friends of LLB Nordic Ski Club Discount Card can be purchased as a $20.00 donation for non-members. If you register as a member through Zone4, this perk card is included in your membership fees and we will get on to you ASAP. (Participating businesses: LLB Modern Wears, Costa Cafe, Queen Bean, & LLB Sporting Goods). 

These purchases will be cash or cheque only, if you're interested send us a FB message and we can coordinate pick-up/drop-off. 

The next executive meeting is planned for late January, where the club will continue to discuss & review how the season is progressing & see if there are any necessary changes needed to how we offer our programming & services or if additional activities can be added in or not. Here’s to a snowy 2021 winter season! Keep up to date on trails conditions, events, and more through our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/LLBSkiClub.

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October 2020

Yesterday, we held our Annual General Meeting, and our Club President (Brent Magneson) provided the following report looking back at the 2019-20 Winter Season for Lac La Biche Nordic Ski Club.

The Lac La Biche Nordic Ski Club had another great ski season in 2019/20. Although the ski season began later than normal due to a lack of snow and was ended early due to the Shaw Lake trails being shut down due to COVID-19. There were still plenty of good skiing in the 2019/20 season. The ski conditions at Shaw Lake were great throughout the season thanks to the work of the volunteer groomers and Alberta Parks.
Bunny/Jackrabbits were well attended once again this past year. The young skiers had smiles on the faces as they had fun in the outdoors on the trails learning the basics of cross country skiing. The availability of equipment for use by the club was again popular and allowed many community members to enjoy cross country skiing and the trails in the Lac La Biche area that may otherwise not have.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has somewhat altered our way of life, I expect another great ski season in 2020/21. The club continues to plan to hold Bunny/Jackrabbits and host events this upcoming season. There is excitement around Alberta Parks planned upcoming revitalization of the Shaw Lake Day Use Area and Trial System. This will ensure the presence of the trail system at Shaw Lake for another 30+ years into the future. I expect that this upcoming season will have a huge increase in local and non-local cross country skiers and trail users in the Lac La Biche area, as it seams people are making it priority to get outdoors and be active.
The opportunity to cross country ski in the Lac La Biche area would not be available with out the cooperation of Alberta Parks and the numerous hours of work that volunteers spend organizing, coaching and grooming/maintaining trails. Thanks to all that give the community the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors in the winter and keep active cross country skiing.
See you on the trails!
Brent Magneson
~ President, Lac La Biche Nordic Ski Club

The next executive meeting is planned for late November, where the club will determine it’s official start date for membership collection and follow with sharing our planned calendar of events online as well. Here’s to a snowy 2020-21 winter season!

Keep up to date on trails conditions, events, and more through our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/LLBSkiClub.

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January & February 2020

Welcome winter, and welcome the fresh snow we got yesterday! Although winter’s been around for a while now, the snow hasn’t been piling up too much. We’re very pleased we got some new snow to help maintain the grooming and quality of trails at Sir Winston Churchill Prov. Park & Shaw Lake Day Use Area in Lakeland Prov. Park.

Our season for Bunny/Jack Rabbit lessons kicked off in January, and all the participants are learning to have longer strides, control their down-hill speeds, and herringbone their way up hills too. We still have a few more weeks of lessons scheduled, with our year-end currently planned for Sunday, March 8.

Following the cold blast we had in January, Lac La Biche Ski Club assisted Lac La Biche Region & SnowSeekers in showcasing some of the beautiful trails, snow, and incredible views of Alberta Parks’ cross country skiing areas of Sir Winston Churchill Prov. Park & Shaw Lake Day Use Area in Lakeland Prov. Park. It was a great day skiing made event better since it was shared with great company!

Lac La Biche Ski Magic #SkiNorthAB

Over the next few weeks, we have a couple upcoming events including an Adult Ski Day (Saturday, February 29), Community Ski Day (Sunday, March 8). If you’re looking to ski or just enjoy some winter activities, check out the 10th Annual ‘Fun in the Snow’ Family Day event happening Sunday, February 16th at Beaver Lake Prov. Rec. Area’s Group Area.

Wishing everyone a great long weekend ahead, enjoy the snow!

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