Join us for winter fun in southern Ontario’s best Nordic ski centres. Coach trips will run every Saturday from January 6 to March 16, 2024.
Snowshoers: Come on our guided hikes or explore the resorts’ trails at your own pace. Snowshoeing is easy to learn; if you love hiking you will have fun on snowshoes too. Fit beginners are always welcome.
Skiers: Glide through forests, fields, and dunes on trails groomed for classic and skate skiing. Ski solo or team up with new and old friends. Beginners are welcome to participate in our complimentary classic ski lessons or sign up for lessons with the resorts’ professional instructors. To ensure you have a super fun day it’s probably best to come with a buddy, so you have someone to practice your new skills with.
All the parks and resorts we visit offer marked snowshoe trails and groomed ski trails. They have washrooms and chalets to warm up in. Most also sell food and beverages and rent skis and snowshoes. If you ski or snowshoe on your own, then you can enjoy your lunch beside a cozy fire. If you join a guided snowshoe hike, come prepared to eat on the trail.
Each resort offers something special. At Scenic Caves enjoy awesome views of Georgian Bay while crossing southern Ontario’s longest suspension bridge and warm up with a hot chocolate at the Lookout Café on top of the escarpment. We also have our own log cabin (with private washroom) at the trailhead that’s ideal for our après ski and shoe potluck party. Kawartha Nordic offers trailside warm up huts at different locations along the trails; they’re the perfect place to enjoy your lunch and feed the chickadees on a cold winter day. At Highlands Nordic the guided snowshoe hike usually takes place on the Bruce Trail where you’ll pass through forests and fields, with views of the Bay. Highlands’ expertly groomed trails are a joy to ski and offer a mixture of hills, flats, and awesome views. End your day with one of their delicious home-baked treats. In Arrowhead Provincial Park you can add ice skating to your winter adventures. Skate along a 1.3 km trail that winds through the magical Muskoka Forest, then warm up by an outdoor fire.
Every trip is different. For full details check the trip descriptions in the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s (BTC) online calendar.
Departure locations: 10 York Mills Rd (York Mills station) and HWY 400 and Major Mackenzie Dr. Park and Ride
Coaches: We travel in 56-seat luxury highway coaches with ample leg room, overhead bins to stow packs, luggage bins for skis and snowshoes, and a washroom.
Registration: Registration starts at 8 PM on the Sunday before each trip. Register through the BTC online calendar. Coach fare is $36 per adult, $20 per child (12 and under) and must be paid when you register. Trail fees vary by resort and will be collected in cash on the coach.
Cancellations: To cancel, login to the BTC website, go to “My Hikes”, then select the cancel option. Please note that coach fares are non-refundable.
Trips will run if there is enough snow to ski on. Non-skiers come prepared to hike or snowshoe. Should the Club need to cancel a trip due to lack of snow, the BTC will refund your coach fare.
Schedule: The schedule below is subject to change on short notice. We go wherever snow conditions are best. When there’s lots of fresh fluffy snow, you’ll have a super fun time on snowshoes. If the snow is hard packed or icy, then microspikes may be more appropriate; some days you may find all you need is a good pair of hiking boots. For skiing you will need different wax depending on temperature and snow conditions. If it’s icy or mild, wax-less skis (skins or scales) may be best.
| Date | Destination | Depart. Time | Hike Leader(s) | Food | Rentals |
| Sat Jan 6 | Arrowhead Park | 8:00 | Roland Mark & Celia Ho | No | Yes |
| Sat Jan 13 | Highlands Nordic | 8:30 | David Royle & Brenda Menezes | Yes | Yes |
| Sat Jan 20 | Wasaga Nordic | 8:30 | Megan Haghighat & Tanya Cora | No | Yes |
| Sat Jan 27 | Scenic Caves | 8:00 | Tim Wainright & Nijole Mockevicius | Yes | Yes |
| Sat Feb 3 | Kawartha Nordic | 8:00 | Duro Vukman & George Lennon | No | Yes |
| Sat Feb 10 | Awenda Provincial Park | 8:00 | Lisa Lifshitz & Nijole Mockevicius | No | No |
| Sat Feb 17 | Horseshoe Resort | 9:00 | Duro Vukman & George Lennon | No | Yes |
| Sat Feb 24 | Mansfield | 9:00 | Brenda Dalglish & Celia Ho | Yes | Yes |
| Fri Mar 1-Mon Mar 4 | Gatineau Park | 7:00 | Martina Furrer, Nijole Mockevicius, George Lennon & Tim Wainright | No | No |
| Sat Mar 9 | Arrowhead Park | 8:00 | Frank Ye & Jen Zhang | No | Yes |
| Sat Mar 16 | Highlands Nordic | 8:30 | Duro Vukman & Celia Ho | Yes | Yes |