The successful cross-country ski season for Eden Mills Nordic Ski Club wouldn't be possible without a small group of ski trial volunteers.
Started 25 years ago on a private piece of land in Eden Mills, the club operates in Puslinch township, providing cross-country skiing memberships, rentals and kid's lessons at a low cost. The club manages nine trails on a private property along Maltby Road East, next to Victoria East Golf Club.
Board member Dorothee Bienzle said these are some of the nicest cross-country skiing trails outside of Collingwood, due to the work of six volunteers who help groom them.
“It wouldn’t happen without them, they are absolutely crucial, and it’s technically demanding," said Bienzle.
Being a ski trail groomer is a serious job requiring skill, adds Bienzle.
"This is not a simple drive around in a snowmobile job," Bienzle said about the role. “It’s technically challenging to do, and the reality is, it’s often done early in the morning or late in the evening, where there’s very little light. It’s cold and you’re out by yourself on a snowmobile in areas where it feels like the middle of nowhere.”
She adds the snowmobile used by volunteers can also get stuck in drifts, or can go off the trails and fall into ditches. Since a special snowmobile is used, volunteers must be trained before operating it.
Training is provided by the head ski trail groomer, Gary Barton. Bienzle said Barton is a committed and capable groomer, along with being a skier and coach.
“Gary is our man who does most of that, all of that, all of the training and organizes the groomers,” said Bienzle.
This year, the groomers role is even more important as the club saw over 500 members hit the trails to take advantage of the weather to ski.
“We’re entirely weather-dependent and we are as big this year as we probably have ever been,” said Bienzle.“We have a bit of a problem with parking because we’re on a small country road, but there’s lots of rooms on the trails."
Along with an increase in membership, the club has seen over 100 children sign up for lessons this year. With volunteer instructors of various levels, children learn the proper techniques for cross country skiing and play games.
“It’s gone up and down. We’ve had that many before and then we had a couple of relatively poor winters where the numbers went down, but right now that’s a lot," said Bienzle.
With about 20 volunteers who help out at the ski club, Bienzle said it would be ideal for their organization to get more young volunteers.
She adds there are always a lot of jobs to do, from cleaning rental equipment to joining their executive board.
“We really would like to pass on the reins onto the next generation to a greater extent than what we have done,” said Bienzle. “We have a lot of kids who have signed up, but they don’t make good executive board members yet.”
To learn more about Eden Mills Nordic Ski Club, click here. To inquire about volunteer opportunities, email [email protected].
