City helps club create x-country ski track at Kin Coulee

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on January 9, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

In a new partnership between the City of Medicine Hat and the Cypress Nordic Ski Club, the initial steps in creating a cross-country trail in Kin Coulee Park are underway.

On Wednesday morning, volunteers from the club met with parks and recreation department members near the toboggan kitchen to lay the groundwork for the snow track.

“We were approached by the Nordic ski club about the potential of looking at Kin Coulee as an option for cross-country skiing,” said Dave Genio, superintendent of parks and recreation for the City of Medicine Hat. “This kind of started off as a question of if we can do this, and then when actually we looked at it, it became a matter of if the weather was going to cooperate, which it has.”

Using a borrowed roller from Elkwater, the designated track was flattened, packed with snow by 15 Ski Club volunteers, and then flattened again, before it was eventually set into place by the very instrument that will get the most use out of it: many, many pairs of skis.

“Once snow is packed and trails are set, even with skis, they will last quite well, and they’ll last here even during some Chinooks, if we are careful,” said club secretary Donna Balas. She mentioned that this wasn’t the first time that cross-country trails had been considered, but this space was ideal, as snow tends to linger in Kin Coulee longer due to the geography of the park.

Balas said they are deeply grateful for the support and enthusiasm of the city, which has been proactive and excited to help them make their dream of having a space to host lessons, meets and generally enjoy the park a reality.

The club sports more than 70 members, and is determined to help maintain the trails, which will be marked with signage and designated crossing areas, as regular foot traffic on them will damage the surface and make it more difficult to ski.

Ski club members suggest that if residents would like to use the trail, the answer is to strap on a pair of cross-country skis and try the sport for themselves, which is a great way to get outdoors and be active during the winter.

“We think it’s a great opportunity for further outdoor recreation, for people to get into cross-country skiing, and Kin Coulee is a great location for that, as it’s a great open space, so it’s ideal for us as we try to maximize what’s out here to do in the wintertime.”

This is the first year for this project, which if it sees good use, the city will look into continuing and expanding, said Genio. As for the Ski Club, the first lesson for small children on the new trails is this coming Saturday.

For more information, those interested in getting into cross-country skiing with the help of the club’s qualified coaches, or to volunteer to help maintain the trail, are encouraged to visit cypressnordic.ca.

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