Hey Santa, Eastlink Park needs colder temperatures and snow

With ever-changing restrictions implemented on indoor sports and activities, outdoor recreation opportunities have become so much more important. Thankfully, there is a wonderful assortment of outdoor activities for Whitecourt and area residents. From the many outdoor rinks that will soon be ready for skaters to the various sliding hills and trails to enjoy, families have some choices on what they do.

One of the gems available for outdoor activity in Whitecourt is Eastlink Park. Situated on the natural divide between uptown and downtown, the hill offers a fun way to raise your heartbeat without driving more than 15 minutes. Over the last few years, Eastlink Park has attracted enthusiasts of all ages to carve up the snow as they race down the hill, whether on skis, snowboards, or tubes. As people grew more confident in their abilities, they would often seek out more challenging hills, but at the time, Eastlink Park only had so much area to offer; this year, that has changed.

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the Eastlink Park fairies have been working hard developing a fantastic new area. With a long list of volunteer hours completed and donations received, those responsible for the T-bar addition to the hill better be giving themselves a massive pat on the back. The sheer size of the expansion, and the work it required, is mind-blowing, truly. Eastlink Park has gone from a 10-acre ski hill to over 40 acres, and the vertical drop has increased to 57 metres from about 18 metres! All they need now is snow.

Milder temperatures have been a blessing to many as people enjoy the unseasonably warmer days. However, the volunteers up at Eastlink Park, including Guye Lappin, are anxiously waiting for things to dip down into the double-digit negatives. “Ideally, we need -20 weather to make nice snow. Evenings of that temperature with days that warm up to only -12 would enable us to run the machines for 24 hours periods without shutting down.” Lappin said that cold temperatures would make all the difference. “It takes quite a bit of Mother Nature’s snow to make a base. Man-made snow makes the best base. If we can get our base out and then get some fresh snow on top of it, then that would be the best.”

Currently, the central hill is open, as is the terrain park. The tube run is halfway completed as they await the cold, and the T-bar area is about the same. “One more week of cold weather will get us open over there,” he said. They have two big, powered air guns and nine sticks that blow the water out through a set of nozzles. “They work awesome after -15. Last year when we have that stretch of -30, we were the only people happy because we were making snow like crazy,” he laughed.

The T-bar expansion was inspected on November 10 by government inspectors and the engineer responsible for designing the lift. “Everything went well. They were all happy. They gave us a shortlist of things we had to finish up and put together. That’s all done now, and we are just waiting on the final letter, but we are ready to go once we get snow. Our weather just needs to cooperate.”

On Wednesday, December 2, they opened the gates and held a soft open. Roughly 100 people hit the slopes that evening. Everyone followed the rules and kept their distance. “They were all nicely spaced out and keeping their distance from each other. They were lined up outside the building to keep the numbers down inside and were spaced there too. Everybody was wearing their masks inside, in the lineup and on the lifts. Everything went smooth,” he explained. “Normally, the carpet is clustered with the people on their way up, and they weren’t doing that. They were keeping their space.”

One big difference this year will be not using the chalet as a place to hang out. “Everybody has to get dressed at their cars except the people getting rentals as they can try those on inside here, naturally.” He said that those wanting a snack would have to enjoy that in their vehicles or outside.” Unless someone needs to rent equipment or speak to the front desk staff, the only reason for being inside the chalet will be to use the bathroom.

Due to the limited number of people allowed in the chalet, users will be able to purchase all lift tickets online for day, night or season passes. This step will reduce the need to go inside as enthusiasts will be able to park and play since staff will be checking for passes on the hill. “I like to say that our rates are very reasonable because all it works out to, to buy a season’s pass for a family, is six days of use for a four-person family. It is a good value. With not being able to use the chalet, you can go home for lunch and then come back since it is not far away.”

For comparison’s sake, Eastlink Park has more to offer than Edmonton’s Snow Valley. “They have 30 acres with a 40-metre vertical drop, so we are a little bigger. We have longer runs and more of a vertical drop without driving a distance for it,” said Lappin. The longest run at Eastlink Park will be around 2000 feet. “To go straight down the T-bar is 1100 feet, but if you go around Boomerang, then it’s longer,” said Lappin, referencing the new trail that will be on the outer side of the tube run.

As they wait for the thermostat to drop, volunteers and enthusiasts alike can all but wait for the chance to hit the new slopes and carve new pathways in the trees that flank the T-bar. “The kids are really excited about getting out there in those trees. Some of them are a little flatter, but some of those areas are going to be some good tough skiing.” There are already black diamond spots marked out for the more advanced crowd and plenty of fun for everyone in between. “On Wednesday night, they were going down the Pembina Trail, and they could see the new part of the hill. They kept asking us when they could go try it out,” chuckled Lappin. For now, do the Eastlink Park volunteers a favour and add snow and colder temperatures (even just a week!) to your Santa lists. You never know, maybe a little North Pole magic will help!