February 10-16, 2025.

 Reminders:

1.  Red Deer registration is open, please click HERE and register for all 3 events. We will figure out relay teams (Friday Night Lights) on Friday afternoon. Costumes will be here this week and distributed- white shirts/hoodies are on sale at Michaels's (thank you coach Krista) if you need. Also, I encourage you to stay for Sunday afternoon/evening as Nordiq Alberta is hosting their year end party and awards, and as we usually aren't able to attend, this is a great way to represent! To register for the banquet and celebration and to get details please click HERE. Reminder that Monday is Family Day long weekend, so we will have all day Monday to travel back to GP too!

2. Tawatinaw training camp is now combined with the provincial camp which means we have grants that are being applied to the cost and the cost is now (all inclusive) $250/athlete. Which is way better than what I was getting and so please mark off your calendars for March 7-9. We will need drivers please as coaches are unable to drive athletes (coaches will travel in 1 car). This price includes food, accommodations, coaching, trail passes, and I'm hoping the loppet fees (I'm wainting on confirmation for this). It will be a great opportunity to enjoy skiing with others across the province in a beautiful place. Details to come still. 

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Tuesday: Skate practice bring your headlamps and dress for dropping temperatures during practice time. U14's will wax from 5:30-6:30 and we will need parental help please (U14's- are fairly independent, however skis need to be looked at to ensure they're cleaned off well enough- if U14's come with their skis prepped for the races, they can do the workout with the older athletes- but there's no stress on this- we're just trying to give them more time to get their skis done). Athletes will then go for a 30 minute ski on revolutions (both classic or skate). Parents, please help your athlete(s) along with three coaches to get both sets of skis done. U16 and older, we will do our workout until 6:30 and then you will wax your skate skis, plan to stay later than 7 if you need extra time to wax your skis.

Thursday:U14's will ski the entire practice and do some race prep on revolutions. U16's and up will do race prep (done by 6:15) and then clean and wax their classic skis and pack up. Supper will be served at 7:15pm. 

Friday: Meet at the River Bend Golf Course for 2:00pm training please. We will need help setting up our waxing tent area as athletes are out checking out some of their courses. Athletes will train on snow, skate skiing ready for 2pm-3:30. Athletes and costumes to be ready for 6:00pm for the first race of the weekend. Wear your costumes and glow sticks (to be provided) for 6. Team meeting may be at the tent at 6:00pm, or may not be. Stay tuned on TeamSnap for this information.

Saturday: CANCELLED due to cold weather in Grande Prairie too.

HOLIDAY MONDAY!! 

Meet in the Costco parking lot- West end for 8am. We will carpool out to Tumbler Ridge (coaches cannot drive athletes unfortunately- unless they're family) and classic ski out to the seeps. I anticipate we will be back around 5pm. 

From Tumbler Ridge: Lower Babcock Creek – Driving Time – 15 min. Driving Distance – 21 km Trail length - 7 km return

Drive south on Monkman Way or Mackenzie Way to Hwy 29. Turn left (east) on Hwy 52 E. At 19.5 km you will pass the turnoff to the Core Lodge Road which leads to Boulder Gardens, Shipyard-Titanic and other hiking trails. Continue on Hwy 52 for 1 km, and park just before the bridge on the right side of the highway, or in the pullout if it is plowed. Walk down to the right onto the creek. This is where the Game of Thrones “Throne of Ice” was found in March 2019, part of an HBO contest where 6 Iron Thrones were hidden around the world leading up to the 8th and final season of the hit TV series Game of Thrones.

Head upstream (right) and follow the creek. It meanders through open sections, and some sections that have higher banks. After 3 km you will see a long section of beautiful frozen seeps on the right, where the Throne of Ice was originally placed. 

*we will park 1km before the Core Lodge Road on the left. :) There's a pullout that is usually ploughed out. We will gear up here and then ski on the creek. Please ensure that each athlete packs in their own pack to ski with:

• Wax
• Sunscreen
• extra Buff & mitts 
• Hand and feet warmers
• Puffy jacket
• Change of clothes- usually tops and a warm pace layer
• Frost tape (Coach Claire will have extra if we need)
• Lunch there's no microwave
• Yummy snacks
• Water bottle
• Hot chocolate in a thermos (not mandatory)
• Headlamp (for emergency preparedness)
• Emergency blanket (if you have one)
• Sun glasses
• Toilet paper (partial roll)
• Dry socks
• Matches
• Pocket knife 
• Chair or situpon (only if you have something)
• First aid kit (coaches will pack these)