By Emily Stonehouse

With the first big snowfall of the season well established around the county, the Haliburton Highlands Nordic Trail and Ski Club Association (HHNTA) has officially opened their trails. And while it may seem early in light of the sloppy winter that graced the Haliburton Highlands last year, president of the HHNTA, Thom Lambert, says otherwise. 

“We actually opened around the same time last year,” he noted, “but we did have to close around New Year’s with the rain we got.” 

Lambert shared that the opening of the trails is never fully planned, and is always flexible around the conditions. But with the surprise accumulation that the county has received over the past few weeks, both Glebe Park and Twin Lakes trails are open and ready for skiers. 

The only issue with this year, is that the ground was not quite frozen upon the dumping of snow. So, with years of experience under their belts, Lambert and the other volunteers at HHNTA set out to pack the trails down, in an attempt to get the ground to freeze. “If you go out as soon as you get snow, and start to pack it down, it allows the frost to get into the ground,” he said. “By going out early, we started to freeze some of the wet spots, where the snow had insulated the ground.” 

With the hope of a good season ahead, Lambert is optimistic about the fact that both Glebe Park and Twin Lakes are open for skiers. 

One difference that some returning skiers may notice, is that Moosewoods is no longer available on the trail system through HHNTA. “We had a land use agreement with Alderville First Nation last year,” shared Lambert, noting that the property belongs to the Indigenous band of Mississaugas, a sub-nation of the Ojibways. 

“We heard in late September of this year that they did not want to renew their land use,” he said. “It’s a very bittersweet thing. Moosewoods was our most beloved trail, but we are in complete support of reconciliation.” Lambert shared that Alderville intends to use the land this year for some traditional Indigenous activities on the Canadian Shield that have not been available to the band members for many years. “We are absolutely, 100 per cent in support of this,” he said. 

While some may recall that Moosewoods was available last year, the Twin Lakes system was not. That has already changed for the current season, though, and the trails around the Carnarvon property are groomed and accessible. One shining feature of the Twin Lakes trails is that they are dog-friendly, which Lambert says has many people eager to try them out with their furry friends. 

As far as what the season is shaping up to be, Lambert still feels uncertain, despite the recent dumping of snow. “It’s tough to say looking at the forecast,” he said. “Could we have enough snow to survive a small thaw? Maybe.” Lambert noted that it’s generally not the warm temperatures that could send the ski season into a nosedive, rather, it’s the rain. 

“We laugh because every few years, we get rainfall on New Year’s Eve,” chuckled Lambert. “Last year, for the first time in Nordic skiing history, we had our Jack Rabbits program on the grass.” 

Information on HHNTA memberships, trails, and this season’s programs can be found at www.skihaliburton.com.