December 17 - Inside Wax Session

-41 with an extreme cold warning. So we are moving indoors!

The cookie party is canceled and will be reschedule that for sometime in February -- perhaps around valentines days. Instead we are going to have a (mostly) indoor session in the Wildwood Community Centre.

1. Coach James is going run a wax clinic. We'll have waxing gear so we can hotwax skis. Bring yours to get them all prepped for when the weather turns. We'll also talk about proper general waxing.

2. Coach Ted is going to have some games upstairs.

3. The trails have been tracked, so if people want to brave the cold and go for a bit of jaunt around, we can do that - then back inside to warm up!

5. There is a great toboggan hill that folks can use as well. It is sometimes easier to bundle up for that than it is for skiing!

If this feels like it is a stay at home day for you, that is also fine.
For those who want to take advantage of a wax clinic and perhaps brave the outdoors with the community centre as a safety net. We'll be there!

For the rest of Holiday season, here is the plan:

December 24 - no Jackrabbits
December 31 - casual session. Coach James will be out and if anyone wants to join in then we'll have a session and go for a ski.
January 7 - Regular Session

December 12- Jackrabbits Canceled for today

Only in Winnipeg can you go from almost too warm and not really enough snow, to too cold and almost too much snow in the span of 7 days.

Our cutoff is -27 with the windchill. The models this morning show -30. Add to that that the grid and tracks haven't been put in so we would be slogging through deep snow, and it means the session would he hard going from many angles.

We hate to cancel so early in the season, but it is the right thing to do.

Stay warm! Cookie Party next week!

Last week was a great first session on show! A bit sketchy in places, but we made it work!

However, we may have gotten a bit carried away with the snow dance. On the plus side, we are set for the season!

The temperature is another matter. -27 with the windchill is our standard cutoff. Our model is predicting -31 at 10 and -27.4 at 11. No matter how you slice it, it will be cold. We are not canceling yet, but watch for emails. If it is obvious in the evening that we should cancel, we will. If the trend is getting warmer we may hold off until the morning.

If we do go, then this will be a bundle up sessions. Layers, warm socks, good toque and good mits. parents will need to watch the kids for frost nip and frost bite. We'll talk a bit about that at the beginning of the session. We'll do lots of movement to keep warm. We aren't sure if the golf course has been tracked yet, so we may be making out own trails. The golf course is pretty protected from much of the wind and we have often had great sessions in the cold!

Remember that the 17th is the cookie party. We'll end the session in the community club for hot chocolate and cookies. Families are asked to bring something cookie-ish to share.

Stay tuned!

December 3 - Skis and Snow!

I am going to be straight here, it is sketchy. But hear me out! The golf course has protected a lot of the snow from wind and sun and as a result there is some half decent snow that is (mostly) skiable. And a few people have actually been out on it. We are pushing the envelope a wee bit, but assuming the weather stays below zero It will work. We only have so many weekends in a year, so lets get started!

We may not spend the whole time on skis (depending on how it goes) but we'll give it a shot. You'll need some pretty grippy wax.  If your skis aren't ready that is fine - just bring your poles.

December cookie party! on the 17 we will have cookies and hot chocolate after jackrabbits. Families are encouraged to bring a cookie-like thing to share with the group. We'll organize the hot chocolate.

Registration is still open.

https://zone4.ca/regc.asp?id=13635

Contact us if you have any questions. 

Looking forward to seeing folk on Saturday at 10:30 for skiing!!!

Saturday November 19 - Swap Shop and Jackrabbits

No snow yet, but we are working on it!

This weekend is the Ski Swap at Windsor Park Nordic Centre. A great way to get gear for the year. Make sure you get there early if there is gear that you really need.

http://www.ccsam.ca/event/swap-shop-2016/

Otherwise we'll meet at the soccer field at 10:30.
It looks to be getting on the chillier side with -1 forecast. So dress appropriately. Layers is good. Good shoes and water is also recommended.

Saturday November 12

Should be a lovely morning! Sunny and warm (relatively speaking).

We'll meet at the soccer field at 10:30 as per usual. We will be having an and obstacle (assuming it all comes together!) and will have our regular games and such. We also want to do some running with ski poles. This helps get used to the motion of feet and hands together.

So, things to remember:
1. dress in layers - it gets warm running about all the time!
2. bring water
3. bring poles if you have them (no worries if you don't)
4. If you haven't yet registered please do so here: https://zone4.ca/regc.asp?id=13635

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email to talk to us after the session.

First Session Saturday November 5

Welcome to another great year of Winnipeg Winter Fun! We are in for a few more weeks of fall weather, which means more time to get those ski legs back in shape.

James and Adam will be coaching this Saturday. There will be warm-ups, games, and likely a short run.. and of course a snow dance. Good running shoes and warm fall outdoor exercise clothes are the order of the day. If there is Rain or other inclement conditions we'll post here about canceling.

If you haven't had a chance to register we encourage you to do so. It helps us get numbers and plan for the year. We have had a good response so far, but we know that there are a number yet to come. We know that several families won't be joining us until January or until after their fall activities wind-up, which is totally fine. If you don't get a chance to register by Saturday or just want to check it out first, please come!

You can register online using Zone4 here:
https://zone4.ca/regc.asp?id=13635

As always, if you have any questions don't hesitate to email or chat with us Saturday.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
10:30 Saturday November 5, at the Wildwood Community Club Soccer Field.

Registration Open!

Hello Jackrabbit Families!

Fall is fully upon us and we are gearing up for another great winter of skiing fun! Registration for Jackrabbits is now open.

 You can register online using Zone4 here:
https://zone4.ca/regc.asp?id=13635

 Here are a few notes about registration.

1.  All members of the family who will be skiing should register (parents and kids). 
2.  There are 2 levels of registration: - Family 1 - for any number of adults and 1 child - Family 2 - for any number of adults and more than one child. 
3.  you have an option to make a donation towards the trail maintenance for the Wildwood trails. This is totally optional, but a good opportunity to contribute if you wish. If you do wish to contribute, the minimum contribution is $10. 
4.  Please make sure you check off the "opt in" for the group emails on the individual registrations. Every person can have their own email if you wish. The opt-in is right below the email on the registration. 
5.  if you registered last year and saved your registrations, you can log in this year and pull everything up again so you don't need to re-type it all (may be a good idea for next year!) 

Some people can't start coming until later int the fall or January. That is totally fine. However we would ask people to register sooner as opposed to later so that we can plan for the year. Also we want to get the Jackrabbit kits ordered early so that we have our toques for most of the season!

 The first session is Saturday November 5 at 10:30 - 11:30 at Wildwood Community Centre soccer field. If you have any questions about Jackrabbits, gear or anything ski related please shoot us an email. We can also chat at the sessions. our email is wildwoodjackrabbits@gmail.com We are looking forward to another great year!

 Coaches Adam, James and Ted

2016 Startup Pre-News

With winter just around the corner (well around the corner and down the street a bit, but still coming!) people are starting to think about the ski season. So are we! We have had a few conversations and are starting to put the plans together for the year. There will be lots more info coming, but here is what we know so far:

• Adam, Ted and James will all be back as coaches. 
• We will likely be starting up in early November - probably November 5th (we are just finalizing plans now). 
• Registration will be open in the next few weeks. 

There is more information about the program on the "about" page (it will also be updated shortly for the new season) and you can always email us if you have questions wildwoodjackrabbits@gmail.com.

Snow Snow Snow!
(too soon?)

Windup - Saturday March 12th

We are on skis! Yep! another sketchy end of year windup. This is becoming a thing. We'll meet as usually at the 4th T. Backup plan (if our flats become a lake) is the baseball diamond directly south of the community centre (30 seconds south-ish on North Drive).

It is going to be +6 at 10am and only getting warmer. Wax as warm as you have. Klister is an option if you have it and you want to work with that awful stuff. The wax guide only goes to +5 so we are in uncharted territory! Dress in layers - potentially including shorts.

Here are some pictures from last years windup with even less snow.

Hot Chocolate, Cookies, Games, fun and skiing. a great way to wrap a great season.

Saturday March 5

We have had a chilly week, but there is fresh now and warm weather - perfect for skiing! The coaches have a bit of a bet going on about how may weeks we have left. Current odds say at least 2 more weeks and maybe 3 if we are lucky - 4 if we are very lucky! So come on out as the season starts the process of winding down. There is still lots of great skiing to be had. Windsor Park Nordic Centre was featured in Global TV and if you haven't been there yet this year, you should check it out. Very well groomed and great for all levels.

See you Saturday!

February 27

A beautiful warm day for a ski! We'll meet as usual at the 4th T for some games and skiing. Only a few more sessions left if the weather keeps up like this! We will continue until there is no snow to ski. Last year we skied in shorts!

Don't forget the Jackrabbit Touque Design Contest as well.

Saturday Feb 20

After 2 day of melting weather, it is going to start getting cooler. Saturday morning will still be really nice though, looking like -10 around ski time. It could mean that we have some icy conditions, so opt for a bit of a warmer wax. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 4th T at 10:30.

Saturday Scavenger Hunt at Fort Whyte!

This week, we are going to try a new adventure.  The weather looks nice for a Family ski and scavenger hunt at Fort Whyte Alive.  The plan is to meet up by 10:30 am Saturday, Feb 13 at the Welcome Centre, gather up the scavenger hunt list and then you can head out along the trail looking for different kinds of animals along the way.  There will be a treat for everyone at the end and the cafe is open there to purchase hot chocolate if you want.

We have established a Group Rate for Wildwood Jackrabbits.  When you arrive, you can go to the Welcome Centre tell them you are with us and they will collect their access fee.

For non-members our rates are:

• Adult -$5.75/person
• Children 3 and up-$3.75
• Children under 3 - Free
• There is $3.00/person trail fee.

We have 3 family passes available for those interested.  If you are already a member, it is only $3.00 per person for skiing.

The fees will allow you access to Fort Whyte for the whole day.

The trails are groomed for classic and have a 1.5 km out and back trail to a 1.0km loop and another 1.5 km loop for the  track attack.  Once you are done the ski, there is an awesome sledding run down onto the lake for the adventurous or the animal exhibits are there too.

Fort Whyte Alive Website is https://www.fortwhyte.org/

Trail maps for Fort Whyte is https://www.fortwhyte.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SkiTrailMap-2.pdf

 Look forward to seeing everyone there.

Coach Ted

Toque Design Contest

Every year we have new toques for the Jackrabbits. These great toques are designed by the jackrabbits! The 2017 contest is now open! It would be awesome of one of our own Wildwood Jackrabbits won the contest this year. If you are interested, visit this website for more information. The contest is open to all enrolled jackrabbits across Canada from 5-9 years old. The contest closes on March 14th.

The Jackrabbits and their new toques!

 Another great day on skis.

Saturday Feb 6

There are lots of things to choose from this Saturday!

The Jackrabbit Jamboree is on at Windsor Park. For those heading out to that it should be a great day! It is also the Wildwood Park Winder Carnival! Jackrabbits will be on as usual at 10:30 on the golf course. It will be a warm perfect winter day with fresh snow!

Saturday January 23

It is going to be something like 32 degrees warmer this Saturday than last week. In fact we have a risk of rain. Actually the weather is deceptively warm -- the forecast is showing the temperature in the -1 range for 10am, but it will feel more like -6 and it could be a bit on the windy side. As always, layers with particular attention to a windbreak/water shed layer.

For wax we are in the Special Violet or Extra Blue range. Warm wax, old snow.  This is also the range where waxless skis work well. If you have waxless, often you need to wax them in cooler temperatures, but at this range, you can use them straight-up.

We'll meet golf course (4th T box, just across the road from the soccer field). 10:30 am on skis and ready to go.

See you then!

Cold

The cold hasn't let up. Our most optimistic models show -31 and many are showing -38 with the windchill tomorrow and even Coach Ted says that is too Cold. 

So Jackrabbits is off this week. We'll see you next Saturday! If it is STILL tool cold we'll do a waxing session and some inside stuff. 

Jan 9 - Canceled

The temperature really dipped. So we are calling it.

Coach Ted and Coach James (and maybe Coach Adam if he can psych himself up to it) will be there, so if you really want a cold weather ski, you won't be alone. But for the most part - especially for the young kids, consider today canceled.

January 9 - Cold!

It is a cold one! Current model shows -27.5 with the windchill -- right on the line where we cut off. So here is the call:

The coaches will be there. We will plan for a brisk warm-up and then a ski. Anyone who wants to join us would be great! But this is a family call for you. Some of the coaches are leaving their little ones at home. For the real little ones or kids who are just getting used to skis, this may not be a great day for skiing and you likely want to take a pass. But you can also come out and so a shorter circuit, or play on the hill for a while. We'll have all the gear there. We may also cut the time down if it is really too cold.

If you want to come out, make sure you dress for it. Cover up, lots of layers. parents keep an eye on the kids, particularly cheeks. A little Red is ok. Red with white is frostnip and it is time to cover up or get inside.

Wax is full-on white/polar. No nuance to this at all.

If we don't see you tomorrow, then we'll be on again next week (looks like it will be warmer!)
If you want to come out and brave it with us we see you then!

If you want to check with us about whether you should brave it or not, feel free to email.

Happy New Year!

We have lots of snow, the weather is fantastic, the trails are groomed. What could be better! The weather for tomorrow morning looks like about -5, but feels like -13. Beautiful for skiing. Blue is probably the wax  du jour, perhaps an Extra Blue if you kit has it. As always, dress in layers. We are getting into the warm end of things temperature-wise, so the snow may start getting a bit wet, which means the kids will start getting wet. Extra socks for after, and extra mits are always a good idea. Remember to bring a water bottle as well.

If you want more information about the Wildwood Jackrabbit Ski program please email the coaches: wildwoodjackrabbits@gmail.com