Arrowhead Provincial Park’s winter activities don’t stop with its skating trail, it is also home to a network of cross-country skiing trails. We put on a pair of skis for the first time in Canada to check them out.

My first and only skiing experience had been just as traumatic as my first ever skating lesson. As with anything that required coordination, my one and only skiing experience, a lesson 18 years ago in Scotland’s Cairngorm mountains, was a complete failure and I absolutely sucked. The lowest point was when I crashed and got stuck in a fence.

Emma on the other hand, has been skiing since the age of two!

We followed up on our morning skating experience at Arrowhead by renting some cross country ski equipment, and spent the afternoon taking to just some of their 33km of trails.

That skiing lesson in Scotland was so long ago, that this might as well have been the first time I had ever put skis on my feet.

Ah the frustration, I just wanted to move my feet, and every time I did these stupid long skis protruding out of either end of my feet would cross over each other and try and trip me up.

We shuffled over to the start of one of the cross country skiing trails, and off we went. To be fair, It wasn’t too bad, keep to the tracks groomed through the snow, and keep those feet gliding.

But that wasn’t enough to keep me upright. Much to Emma’s amusement, I fell on my butt 7 times, becoming this knotted tangle of limbs, skis and poles each time.

We skied over to the Big Bend Lookout, the showcase view in Arrowhead. Last time we had been here, with Emma’s parents in Sping, it was grey and muggy. Once again it was a grey day, but at least it had the excuse of being winter this time.

Cross-country skiing was challenging, as well as a good workout. Arrowhead was a great place to try it out, with plenty of trails, lots of snow, equipment to rent, scenery and the ability to combine it with the skating trail.

But most importantly it was fun, so much so that it left Emma wanting more. With her family, who are all proficient downhill skiers, due to visit in the next month, no doubt there will soon be ample opportunities for me to embarrass myself yet again on skis!

Here’s a short and sweet video of our time skating at Arrowhead!

Visiting the Cross Country Ski Trails at Arrowhead

• Skis, boots and poles can be rented from the Park for $17.50 for half a day.
• Parkbus runs several trips throughout the winter to Arrowhead. A return ticket costs $79, and includes your park entry fee as well as a ski trail pass.
• If you chose to drive, you’ll need to purchase a $17 daily vehicle pass to enter the park and pay $13 per person for a daily ski pass.

Stewart