The Canmore Nordic Centre is getting a head start on the ski season and is already grooming a trial for cross country skiers to practice on.
Back in January staff from the Nordic Centre began making snow and using to fill a giant pit. The snow was covered with an insulating layer of sawdust to keep it from melting over the summer.
About a third melted but crews used what was left to create a 50 centimeter base over a two kilometre trail called Frozen Thunder.
"Obviously if the temperature is above plus ten during the day we're losing snow. If it gets down below freezing at night, we can groom it and it really hardens up and that preserves it through most of the day," said Michael Roycroft, Manager, Canmore Nordic Centre.
The trail opened this past weekend and Canada's National Cross Country Ski team took advantage of it right away.
"It's the kind of advantage you almost can't imagine, our World Cup athletes are going to hit the first World Cups and have already logged three weeks of skiing in our back yard," said Justin Wadsworth, Head Coach.
The Snow Preservation Project was started in 2009 and the centre hopes to add an extra kilometre to the trail next year.
