The Prince Albert Nordic Ski Club will welcome skiers of all ages and skill levels to Cooke Municipal Golf Course on Sunday as they will host the annual Kistapinahnik Classic Loppet.
Bill Jeffery, the chairperson for the event, says the conditions of the trails at Cooke are looking to be good for the event on Sunday, despite the unusually dry winter that Prince Albert and area has experienced this year.
“Everything looks good right now. We’re going to try to double track it by Sunday. The deadline for entry is Thursday at noon. I think we’ve had it at the golf course before, when there’s been minimal snow, and things have gone pretty good. I think it’ll be fine. We’re doing the best we can, anyways.”
“We were keeping off the trail, we weren’t sure if we had enough snow and then finally got a bit there about two weeks ago. We decided to try to pack it and also set a track. There was a little bit of grass here and there but we’ve got snow since then, so the track is pretty good. It takes a bit of work, but it’s gone pretty good.”
Last year, the event was hosted at Little Red River Park but was relocated to Cooke Municipal due to the lack of snow received in the Prince Albert region.
Jeffery says Cooke does not provide as much trail as Little Red, but participants are welcome to take the loop as many times as they would like.
“The main difference is it’s just a 5 km loop. At Little Red, it would be a 35 km loop with all the
loops together. We only have 5 km at Cooke Municipal. People can choose to do that one time, or maybe as many as six times up to 30 km. There will be a checkpoint where they can geta drink, maybe a little bit of food and then continue on if they like.”
“There’ll be a shorter look, about a 2 km loop for the jackrabbits and any kids or people who figure they can’t make that 5 km.”
According to Environment Canada, Sunday is forecasted to have a lot more favourable weather for the event with a high of minus two with a mix of sun and cloud.
“It’s looking like it could be about minus seven in the morning up to about zero by the afternoon. Last year, there was a little bit of a breeze and it was -26 when it started at 10:00. So it’s a little bit warmer for sure. It should be pretty balmy out there.”
The deadline to register for this year’s Kistapinahnik Classic Loppet is noon on Thursday. For more information, contact Bill Jeffery at 306-747-8212.
sports@paherald.sk.ca
