What You Need to Know

• The Whiteshell Cross-Country Ski Club volunteers maintain over 40 km of ski trails near the town of Pinawa for the enjoyment of both local and visiting cross-country skiers.  Our trails traverse upland boreal forest, granite outcrops, wetlands, and our local golf course.

• The terrain is varied: our Golf Course Trails are rolling, with a couple of optional steep hills, while our forest trails have numerous hills, up to 20 metres in elevation. Several downhills have curves throughout and/or sharp turns at the bottom.

• It is important that skiers stay on the groomed trails, and not create their own trails on the golf course, in the forest, or on the ice.

• Our trails are designed to be skied in a single direction, with a few signed exceptions.  Pay attention to the START and END signage of each trail. Skiing in the wrong direction may cause collisions and damages the ski tracks.

• Three of our trails have warming huts located near the halfway point. Firewood is usually available, but not guaranteed. Overnight stays are not permitted.

• You are skiing in a forest – human-wildlife interactions are possible. Do not approach or attempt to feed wildlife.

Personal safety is every skier’s responsibility.

• ·        Ski within your abilities (see map for difficulty ratings/hill info)

• ·         Pay attention to trail and weather conditions

• ·         Ski with a buddy or tell someone where/when you plan to ski

• ·         Carry a cell phone and keep it warm

• ·         Carry a map or take a photo of our trailhead sign

• ·         Know where you are on the trails (forest trails have distance markers)

 IN AN EMERGENCY: Call 9-1-1 for AMBULANCE or RCMP

Trail Descriptions

Be sure to check current information on the Trail Conditions page before heading out.

Golf Course

These trails are on private property belonging to the Pinawa Golf and Country Club, and care has been taken to set tracks that avoid greens, tee boxes and sand traps. It is critical that skiers stay on the groomed ski trails.

South Side --  1.2km -- Classic & Skate

This is our easiest trail, providing skiers take the classic-tracked bypass around the “Toboggan Hill.” Access to the trail is beside Willis Drive in the Pinawa Club parking lot. The skate track going over Toboggan Hill is steep with a sharp right turn at the bottom. This trail has access to the parking area at the end of Highway 211, so skiers can continue onto the North Side of the Golf Course, or to the forest trails beginning across the Diversion Dam.

North Side  -- 6km – Classic & Skate

Beginning at the end of Highway 211, this trail is relatively flat, but does have some hills. Skiers have the option of doing a shorter loop (~4 km) by turning back near the Hydro substation.  When the ice is thick enough, the Red Trail is also accessible from this trail by crossing the Pinawa Channel at Pumphouse Hill.

Red Trail   -- 5 km, Classic & Skate, with optional 1.7 km Classic extension

The Red Trail is the easiest of all our forest trails, traveling through mixed forest, wetlands and over granite outcrops. It is the only forest trail with both classic and skate options.  It has longer areas of flattish ground, where a skier can enjoy extended periods of diagonal stride. Still, it has significant hills, some of which have a bypass.  There is a warming hut located on the Red Extension, which is classic-tracked only.

Blue Trail  -- 4.5 km -- Classic

The Blue is a very pretty trail, featuring several features of the boreal landscape. Crossing granite outcrops, beaver sloughs, a black spruce bog, open and dense mixed forest, it provides the skier with a scenic, challenging ski.

Don’t let the short distance fool you – the Blue Trail is not a trail for skiers with limited experience on hills and fast turns. This trail has continual ups and downs, and many of the downhills have curves or S-bends, or a sharp turn at the bottom.

English River Trail  --  6.5 km -- Classic

The English River Trail is accessed only from the Blue Trail or the JGG Freeway. With granite outcrops, mixed forest, and wetlands, its terrain is very similar to the Blue, although the trail is slightly more difficult. It features a scenic view over the Winnipeg River across from Otter Falls, just before a warming hut located before the 4 km mark. Again, the trail includes long or steep downhills with curves or sharp turns at the bottom.

Jones-Graham-Gauthier Freeway --  3.6km -- Classic

The Freeway is a 2-directional trail that links the Orange Trail and the English River Trail at each warming hut. It is a trail with challenging hills, only one of which has a bypass. The trail crosses 3 distinct wetlands, of which the ash swamp is particularly scenic.

Orange Trail  – 10 km -- Classic

The Orange Trail is our most difficult trail. It travels through dense forest, over granite outcrops, and crosses several wetlands. The relative easiness of first 1.5 kms is not indicative of the remainder of the trail. There are several large, steep hills, with sharp turns at the bottom, and only two of the hills have bypasses.  There is a warming hut located at the 5 km mark. This is a trail for experienced skiers.