Hitting the slopes can be a challenge on the prairies as mountain peaks are few and far between, but a local group is hoping to make winter sports more accessible. 

A growing Facebook page of over 200 members started by Moose Jaw resident, Kyle Lichtenwald, has brought attention to cross country skiing in the city, specifically Wakamow Valley. Avid skiers took a page from the Regina Ski Club's book and figured out the logistics of becoming an actual club.

Interested members met in November and began creating by-laws, and developing a partnership with the Wakamow Valley Authority and the City of Moose Jaw, making the Moose Jaw XC Ski Club official. 

Two cross-country trails are currently being maintained in the Valley, the green trail at 1.4km and the blue trail at 3.7 km.

"There's a skiing community that's here and a lot of us were just cutting our own trails, and skiing without the groomed trails, it isn't as good," says Lichtenwald. He got into the history of the sport in Moose Jaw. The trails were first cleared in 1977 for the 1978 Winter Games, and volunteers cleared the tracks with a small budget from the city. "Those volunteers set this up 45 years ago, and then we kind of had a lull, partly because not every year do we get good enough snow to do cross country skiing," said Lichtenwald. 

The avid skier says there isn't a downside to picking up the sport. "There are lots of health benefits with cross country skiing. It's a low impact sport, it gets us outside, we can connect with the land, and it is good for the health of the community," says Lichtenwald. He mentions signage on the trails that tell you of the direction to go, so people don't ski head-on into each other. 

The club is primarily using its Facebook page to inform members of trial conditions and share updates with each other. When it comes to gear, Lichtenwald says renting isn't currently an option, but members of the club get 10 per cent off at Boh's Cycle & Sporting Goods in downtown Moose Jaw. It is $25 to become a member, and all the information is on the page. 

Lichtenwald says the group hopes to expand the length of the trails and the number of members in the coming seasons. 

"Who knows, this could lead to a future Olympian coming from the trails in Wakamow."