Woolner Weekend’s a Winner

The Trakkers weekend trip to Wooler Place was a great success and here’s why:

Roomy Yet Cozy
Wooler Place is just down the road from the Highlands Nordic ski chalet with direct access to ski and snowshoe trails. This is a new, very modern facility built to house large groups comfortably.
Big windows on both sides of the building look out over the quiet, snowy countryside.
“The place is so huge, it didn’t feel like we had 14 -15 people staying there” said Ursula. Uni enjoyed the bright airiness of the house. “It was very light with two kitchens, and comfortable seating downstairs, though one was drawn to the upstairs because of the wonderful wood-burning stove.”
Accommodations for Skiers
“I loved getting up in the morning and having a relaxed breakfast in a large, well-equipped kitchen, then stepping outside to go skiing… no driving!”   said Manny.
Wooler Place has a very spacious entrance area, and there’s plenty of room for coats and extra gear.  It even has ski racks.
More photos and a floor plan can be found here.

Trakkers is in the process of adding to the January 2017 Wooler booking with an additional weekend, possibly a 3-day trip. Watch for these opportunities next year and book early!

 

 

 

Welcome Instructor Jennifer

We are delighted to announce that Jennifer Leavitt has re-joined the Trakkers Ski Instructor Team. Long-time members will remember her as Jennifer McCleneghan. In an interview last week, she shared some of her history with the club and what led her to return to the instructor team.

Jennifer and her daughter

Tell us about your skiing background
I learned to ski when I was 10 years old in Edmonton. I got x-country skis for Christmas. I don’t know if it was the -20c constant in the winter or the fact that the skis were absolutely the wrong camber and length for my frame (I later found out that they were a better fit for someone twice my weight) but I never really enjoyed the sport much in those early days. Maybe I just needed a nurturing environment like Trakkers to reach my true potential.

What is your history with Trakkers?
I first joined Trakkers in 1992 I was living in Toronto and looking for a way to enjoy winter.  I heard about Trakkers, joined, and I loved it right away! My mentors were Sylvia, Xavier, Steve F. and Steve P. They were so encouraging …. before long I was buying better skis and improving.  In 1994 I got my CANSI certification and began teaching with Trakkers. The following year, I met my husband-to-be and he came with me to ski with the club. Later, life got messy with 4 kids and although we made a couple of attempts bringing the kids over the years, when we got to child no. 3 it was far from pleasurable. She’s almost 12 now and still claims to hate skiing.  I guess you can’t win them all…..

What led you to re-do your CANSI (Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors) certification to teach again with the club?
Well, my husband has issues with his knees and my teenagers are no longer willing to ski with me so I was looking for ways to get out with others who are passionate about skiing. I came as a guest last year and helped Steve with his skating class. He mentioned then that if I wanted to come back and teach that Trakkers could use more instructors. I did try to get away with a CANSI refresher but was advised to re-do the whole course. I’m sure glad I did as it had changed significantly in 20+ years and I made some great friends at the course.

What do you enjoy most about teaching skiing?
I love experiencing the satisfaction of helping skiers improve on their technique, fitness and skill levels. The look on a student’s face when they get the feeling of a proper glide or when they ski an advanced trail they thought they couldn’t handle is priceless!

Destination Wasaga Nordic

Here is Celeste’s review of Wasaga, our next destination.

Two busloads of Trakkers at Wasaga

Why would anyone wake up before 8 on a Sunday?

1. Your house is on fire.
2. You are the firefighter putting out a house on fire.
3. You’re going cross country skiing with Trakkers!

This is my third year as a Trakkers member. I came once as my mum’s guest a few years back thinking ‘sounds like fun, I’ll try it out this once and sleep in all subsequent Sundays,’ and loved it so much I rarely ever miss a Sunday of skiing!

This week we’re going to Wasaga Beach which has beautiful long sandy beaches, lovely swimming in Lake Huron, and amazing summer fun for the whole family (or at least that’s what the website says). But did you know Wasaga is just as fun in the winter? and, in my opinion, way more beautiful! My favourite thing about skiing at Wasaga Beach Nordic is the feeling of disappearing into a magical white forest right out of a storybook. Getting onto the bus in Toronto and arriving at Wasaga is like going through the magic wardrobe into Narnia.

Wasaga has plenty of tiny, twisty, trails that roll along in and out of the forest. They range from gentle, friendly trails perfect for learning and a nice relaxing afternoon ski, to REALLY steep dunes that if you are at all new, perhaps you ought to take off your skis and walk down. But if you do decide to brave the steepest hill, know that it ends in a fairly open field so there is plenty of padded snow to crash into.

Wasaga is the cosiest of all our destinations. Unlike most of our places, it doesn’t have a big lunch room so if your timing is off, you may literally share a chair with one of your pals at lunch – all the better to get to know other Trakkers members. Alternative spots for lunch are the nearby tiny cabin with a wood stove or a ski shelter on one of the trails. Make sure to pack your own lunch. Complete the cozy, magical setting by bringing fresh baked goods to share with me 🙂 and your red cheeked-ski pals (I especially like dark chocolate things).

One last point about Wasaga. It is a swell place to take a pile of photos as EVERYONE will be smiling and having fun. So, wake up early this Sunday and come skiing with me. (Don’t forget the chocolate banana bread!)