Hey FastRabbits, technique tonight will be free, better known as “skate” so leave the grip wax at home and come out to feel some fast snow. We will be doing some volume skiing, so nothing too stressful,
Coach Ihor
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Hello Jackrabbit Managers,
Coach Ihor’s and Coach Rob’s groups are invited out to the Windsor Park Nordic Centre tonight, Thursday, 15 January 2015, at 18:30 for “Fast Rabbits Thursday 4”. Even though it has “4” in the title, don’t let that fool you: This will be our first on-snow Thursday session this winter.
Meet Coach Ihor in the clubhouse at 18:30. While Coach Rob is unable to attend tonight’s session, it is likely that Coach Katherine, Coach Jeff, and Soon-To-Be-Coach Yan will be in attendance to have vertical ski fun with the younger skiers.
The latest weather forecast is predicting a -17 degree Celsius air temperature with a -20 windchill at skiing time.
Technique (classic or skate) to be determined.
Daily trail pass (and hot chocolate, if required) is the skier’s responsibility to purchase in the clubhouse.
See Google Maps for location (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Windsor+Park+Nordic+Centre/@49.859899,-97.099657,1426m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x52ea76e64794ac85:0x1028d8f8d5753b9f?hl=en).
Posted in What's New
Yesterday was such an AWESOME session in the Hummocks Area at Assiniboine Park! What a gem that place is… sheltered from the wind and groomed trails – so wonderful! I was especially appreciative of Coach Jeff taking time to coach the parents on technique, too, so we could really be a part of the action and stay warm.
I have added photos from our initial ski session in the Hummocks area back in December. I was able to capture a number of club members “on film” before my camera batteries died. Check them out in our Photo Gallery drop-down menu (by date).
Hello Jackrabbit Managers,
Do you have a skier in your home that would like to try out ski racing?
If yes, then this upcoming Wednesday, 14 January 2015, from 19:00 to about 20:00, at Windsor Park Nordic Centre, is the “Wednesday Night Race #5 / Schools Race #1”. Ski technique is “free” which means your skier can do either classic technique or skate technique or both.
If you are interested:
Posted in What's New
Hello Jackrabbit Managers!
How did we (collectively) do today? Warm? Cold? Happy? Miserable?
Answer our one-question poll to help us plan the rest of the winter.
Posted in What's New
Hello Jackrabbit Managers,
Today’s session is on! Yes, “Sunday Session (8)”, for Sunday, 11 January 2015 will indeed run.
Yes, you are right. The latest weather forecast is predicting a -23 degree Celsius air temperature, and 10 kmh winds from the southwest, for a -31 degree windchill, at the start of our skiing session (https://spotwx.com/products/grib_index.php?model=meteocode&zone=r1.15&tz=-6&title=FPWG11&lat=49.89975&lon=-97.13749).
And yes, you are right, this is colder than our published -27 degree windchill outdoor activity cutoff (https://assiniboineparkjackrabbits.wordpress.com/about/is-it-too-cold).
However, we are going to run the entire session in a very wind sheltered area that will also let the sun shine in to keep us warm.
We are meeting and skiing on The Hummocks in the Nature Playground at 13:30. We will not be skiing the Lyric Loop nor anywhere else.
As such, we are not meeting before the session at the Duck Pond Shelter.
Regardless, no skin should be showing (balaclavas, neck warmers, buffs, and so on). Snow suits are encouraged. Mitts instead of gloves.
Kids who do get cold will be able to return to the Duck Pond Shelter to get and stay warm.
We will have hot chocolate and wagon wheels likely in the Duck Pond Shelter after the session.
So, your call as to where to park your car. It can be on Assiniboine Park Drive. Or, park your car in the Nature Playground parking lot just north of Pavilion Crescent (west of the Pavilion). The rectangular patch in the satellite imagery southwest of the “Nature Playground” icon is where you want to go (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nature+Playground/@49.872217,-97.232062,713m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x52ea74a63956c015:0xc311873f39af8afb).
Posted in What's New
Hello Jackrabbit Managers,
Whew! Saved by Mother Nature!
With a -24 degree Celsius air temperature and a -32 windchill forecast for 13:00 tomorrow, Saturday, 10 January 2015, the Assiniboine Park Jackrabbit excursion to Fort Whyte Alive for Snow Trek is hereby cancelled.
Confused by the “Whew!”?
Turns out that cross country ski trails will be found only on the exposed lakes at Fort Whyte Alive tomorrow, rather than through the fabulous forested trails of previous years. So, the session would have been not as pleasant as we originally had hoped.
So, as of now, “Sunday Session (8)” has been rescheduled back to Sunday, 11 January 2015, from 13:30 to 15:00, at Assiniboine Park.
Of course, we will confirm whether Sunday’s session will run or not by 09:30 Sunday morning. Currently, the forecast indicates a -21 degree Celsius air temperature with a -28 windchill (which is 1 degree colder than our cutoff).
We have been told that we should expect mechanically groomed, flat packed, ski trails in The Hummocks area and in what is to be our terrain park area for Sunday afternoon.
Stay tuned.
Posted in What's New
Hello Jackrabbit Managers,
The information in this post will be confirmed via another post to this website no later than 09:30 this upcoming Saturday morning. Don’t show up for skiing without seeing the Saturday morning post!
Yep. We call them our “Sunday Sessions” because we hold them, uh, on Sunday. Except this weekend coming up. Possibly.
“Sunday Session (8)”, scheduled quite clearly on our official schedule as to be held on Sunday, 11 January 2015, from 13:30 to 15:00, now likely/possibly needs to be moved to Saturday, 10 January 2015, also from 13:30 to 15:00 (or cancelled).
There are two reasons for this day of the week change:
So, the latest plan (weather dependent) is that we will be skiing at Fort Whyte Alive. Meet at the Fort Whyte Alive Interpretive Centre at 13:30 on Saturday, 10 January 2015.
Admission for everyone will be free on Saturday only because Fort Whyte Alive is hosting the “6th Annual Snow Trek: Winter in Motion”. Fort Whyte Alive indicates:
“Get in motion for Snow Trek! Try x-country skiing with free equipment rentals and instruction all afternoon. Join a guided showshoe hike through our forests, and bring along your skates for a spin on the rink. Cap off your day with a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows by the fire. FREE admission all day!” https://www.fortwhyte.org/event/snow-trek/
Posted in What's New
Hello Jackrabbit Managers,
Tomorrow’s (2015-01-08) scheduled session of “Fast Rabbits Thursday 3″ will indeed run:
Latest weather forecast sees Mother Nature giving us a -21 degree Celsius air temperature with a -33 degree windchill at what would be skiing time (https://spotwx.com/products/grib_index.php?model=meteocode&zone=r1.15&tz=-6&title=FPWG11&lat=49.89975&lon=-97.13749).
So, the revised plan is that Coach Ihor’s older kids group and Coach Rob’s not quite as old kids group will meet at 18:30 inside (not outside!) the likely-to-be-deserted Assiniboine Park Duck Pond Shelter ready to:
Besides leading the exercising and stretching session, Coach Ihor indicates: “We are going to wax like crazy. It will be the best waxing sticker that has ever been generated. No fewer than 3 irons will be running, I hope we don’t pop a breaker! We will even do a klister ski!”.
Session to be finished about 19:45.
Posted in What's New
Hello Jackrabbit Managers!
Yippee! We (finally) have snow!
Bleech! It’s too cold to ski (without significant concern of your children suffering frostbite)!
As such, tomorrow’s “Sunday Session (7)″, for 4 January 2015, in Assiniboine Park, is now cancelled.
The latest weather forecast is predicting a -28 degree Celsius air temperature, and 20 kmh winds from the west, for a -38 degree windchill, at the start of our skiing session (https://spotwx.com/products/grib_index.php?model=meteocode&zone=r1.15&tz=-6&title=FPWG11&lat=49.89975&lon=-97.13749).
This is colder than our published -27 degree windchill outdoor activity cutoff (https://assiniboineparkjackrabbits.wordpress.com/about/is-it-too-cold).
However, if the Environment Canada weather forecast published at 11:00 on Sunday were to radically change for the better (possible but not likely), I will send out another notification that the session is back on again.
And, no, we still awaiting receipt of the paperwork to allow us to do indoor sessions as previously posted (https://assiniboineparkjackrabbits.wordpress.com/2014/11/30/a-limited-future-for-cancellations/).
Posted in What's New
Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits 