Ready to Snowshoe with Trakkers

Snowshoeing is offered on Trakkers trips and the number of members choosing this activity sometimes or all of the time is growing every year.

For those thinking about what to expect and what they need to enjoy a day of snowshoeing with the club, here are some tips:

Conditions and Terrain on Trakkers Trips

Snowshoeing first-timers can expect marked trails and easy to follow maps at the destinations we travel to. No need to bushwhack! Trail choices may include rolling and hilly terrain, but you are unlikely to encounter icy, steep climbs or highly challenging descents. Expect surfaces packed down by those who have gone before you without a lot of deep powder.

Choosing a Snowshoe

Despite the simplicity of the sport, there is a lot to know about selecting snowshoes that are right for you and the type of snowshoeing you plan to do.

About snowshoes from Mountain Equipment Co-op
How to choose snowshoes from REI Co-op

You’ll want to wear stable waterproof boots with firm toes and flat soles. Taking a pair of poles along to can give you a better workout for the arms and help with balance.

Interested in becoming a Trakkers member?  Click to join!

Add a Weekend to Your Trakkers Experience

While Trakkers is best known for its popular Sunday trips, some members have discovered that they can enjoy winter even more with a whole weekend! We asked some veterans of weekend trips offered by the club to tell us what they like most.

Weekenders enjoy cozy cottages.

Relaxing Getaway
Weekend destinations offer skiing and snowshoeing options from the door or very close by. There is no rush to make it to the bus. Skiers return when they want to a crackling fire, a warm meal, and wine with fellow Trakkers. Bogna likes that you can sleep in if you desire and have a cozy breakfast in your pajamas.

Trail near Blue Spruce Resort, Algonquin Park area.

Quiet Winter Beauty
Spending a whole weekend in nature is rejuvenating. “The weekends provide a great opportunity to trade our hectic city lives for the peace and tranquility of the winter forest” says Weekend Trips Coordinator Barb.  Some trips provide the opportunity to explore more remote surroundings than those offered on Sunday trip destinations.

According to Henry, there’s lots more to do than just skiing or snowshoeing. Skating across the lake, saunas, hot tubs, and indoor games are offered by the different weekend destinations. One of last year’s highlights was an evening skate on the torch-lit ice trail at Arrowhead Provincial Park.

“The only disappointing part of the weekend is that it goes by too fast” says Mark.

For details about 2016 trip destinations and dates, check out the Sunday Trips web page. Get more information and sign-up at the Trakkers Open House on Friday November 20.

November President’s Broadcast

Hello Trakkers,

The chill is in the air and the club is now officially in high gear to prep for the ski season. We’ve just launched our exciting new logo design and look, the Open House is next Friday, November 20, we’ve got final details for all our weekend trips — plus, we need to know your birthday (see below).

Check Out Our New Look!

You may have noticed the club’s new visual identity — new logo and colour scheme, and updated web site and social media pages to match. Doesn’t it look fantastic?

A special shout-out goes to two of the club’s volunteers who single-handedly made it all happen: Han Zhang, the club’s Publicity Coordinator, who is responsible for the beautiful design work, and to Pascal Ethier, the club’s web site assistant, for updates to the site.

Members can pick up some of our snazzy new brochures at the Open House to share with friends — or better yet, like us or share on social media to help spread word about the club.

Reminder: Annual Open House — November 20

Hold the date to come out and reconnect with members in anticipation of the upcoming season or to find out more about the club! New and prospective members welcome. Light refreshments will be served and we’ll have some wonderful door prizes!

Friday, November 20, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia Avenue

Registration for the club’s three weekend trips will also begin at the Open House (bring your chequebook or credit card for payment). Destinations this year are as follows:

January 15-17, 2016 – The Woolner House, Highlands Nordic —  note: cost and room arrangement details are now available — see the web site
February 5-7, 2016 – Blue Spruce Resort, near to both Algonquin and Arrowhead
February 19-21, 2016 – Pine Vista Resort, near to Kawartha Nordic

We Still a Few More Bus Captains — Training Session is December 5

Want to meet more people in the club and get a free Sunday bus fare? Why not consider becoming a Trakkers bus captain?

Our bus captains are responsible for registering all skiers as they board the bus, purchasing and distributing the club’s trail passes when we arrive at the resort, and acting as all-around ambassadors on each Sunday trip. It’s a lot of fun, the club provides full training, and as an extra incentive, if you volunteer as a captain the cost of your Sunday bus fare is covered by the club. We require two bus captains per bus for each of our Sunday trips.

The club is holding our annual Bus Captain training boot camp for all returning and potential new captains on Saturday, December 5. If you are interested in volunteering as a bus captain please contact Sam Tosaria, the club’s Lead Bus Captain, for more details.

Returning bus captains, please note that the training is mandatory, as there are new process improvements we’re lining up this year to make the job even easier.

Thanks to Our Snowfest Volunteers!

The Trakkers booth got a ton of interest from prospective new members at the annual MEC Snowfest last weekend.

Special thanks to all the Trakkers members who helped out at the booth: Paula van Nostrand, John van Nostrand, Han Zhang, Sam Tosaria, Michelle Flanagan, Katja Lutte, Nathalie Auger, Carolyn Sitler, Karen Olsen, Anita Elash, and Doug Seaborn.

Paula and John showing off our gorgeous new promo materials at the Trakkers MEC Snowfest table

We Need to Know Your Birthdate

All members please note: this year there is a new mandatory requirement under Trakkers’ insurance policy for us to collect date of birth for each of our members. A new field has been added to the member profile page — simply log in to your member account and click on the “Member Profile” link in the My Account section to add this information. Trakkers’ insurance policy is administered under Cross-Country Ontario. Please email us if you have any questions.

Renew Before November 30th to Save! — and Don’t Forget to Provide Your Consent!

Still on the fence about renewing your membership? Why wait? The annual membership fee is $75 until November 30, then it goes up to $80. Membership includes free lessons from our CANSI-certified instructors, one free Sunday bus fare (a $27 value), and access to all the club’s social events.

Returning members should log in to their member account. New members simply fill out our online membership application.

Please note that membership renewal is a two-step process: after completing payment, confirmation of informed consent and assumption of risk is also required for our insurance purposes. This step is available from your member account, after you’ve logged in.

Keep on trakkin — we’re approximately 8 weeks out from our first Sunday trip! And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates!

Jen Liptrot
Volunteer President
Trakkers — LOVE Winter!

Dryland Ski Drills – No Equipment Needed

Thinking about doing some training specifically for skiing?

You can recreate the rhythm and movement patterns that mimic classic cross country ski technique with ski walking and ski striding. The term ski bounding is also used. All you need are a pair of poles (ideally the poles should be of a height that allows you to put them under your armpit), running shoes and some open terrain in a park or school yard.