The World Cup cross-country ski races are coming to Canmore and Lake Louise in 2016. In Lake Louise, they’ll be using Tramline, Moraine Lake road, Fairview and Telemark. It would be similar to the 10K course for the Lake Louise Loppet.
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Ken Hewitt from the Alberta World Cup Society has provided this information:
Many skiers in Canada are already aware that in March of 2016, Canada will host the final cross country ski races of the FIS World Cup season. But not everyone knows that this coming January, 2015 will see a prelude to 2016 — the first ever FIS cross country race in Lake Louise.
Ski Tour Canada 2016 is an exhilarating eight-stage cross country skiing event across Canada that will highlight some of Canada’s most iconic and historic ski destinations. The world’s top athletes will meet in Canada for this marquee FIS World Cup competition — the first time that Canada will host the 2015/16 World Cup season finale.
On Thursday January 15, 2015, the Alberta World Cup Society will stage a “test event” for the 2016 World Cup race. This will be a 10km, classic technique, interval start race – using the existing ski trails in the upper Lake Louise area.
Grooming of the course will begin on January 5 and continue through to race day on January 15. At intermittent times, and for only brief periods, some trails may be closed while grooming with the large snow cat machine is in progress.
On “Official Training Day” (January 14) and Race Day (January 15), from 08:00 until approximately 13:00, the Tramline, Fairview, and a portion of the Telemark loop will be closed to the public. Moraine Lake Road will remain open, but recreational skiers will be asked to ski on the left (east) side of the road as far as Fairview junction (2 km).
The trails themselves will not be widened and will retain their historic “look and feel” – this is part of the attraction of this event. There has already been removal of about 20 small trees for safety, and to accommodate the larger grooming machine – but I doubt if skiers will even notice.
NOTE that the January 15 race itself has a free category for masters/recreational skiers and we invite your participation — register at https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=8070.
Additional information and volunteer registration at http://www.albertaworldcup.com/westerns/
Thanks Bob for posting that information. NOTE that the January 15 “test event” is still undergoing environmental assessment review and permitting with Parks Canada, as will the proposed March 2016 World Cup.
Equally relevant is of course snow conditions!! On Thursday this week there was still about 8 cm of slushy water on top of the lake. I bet most of us can recall one or more times in the past when either the Lake Louise to Banff; of the Loppett have had to move the start off the lake.