Fox Creek Nordic and Trail Club approaches $1 million mark

By Reed Clements

Since its founding in 2013, the Fox Creek Nordic and Trail Club has completed many projects, the total cost of which is approaching $1 million.

Before the founding of the Nordic and Trail Club, the old growth boreal forests around Fox Creek had no trails for hiking, snow-shoeing, and biking. The club, led by its president Michelle Williscroft, created the trails for the enjoyment of Fox Creek residents.

The club began its existence in 2013 thanks to the generosity of several companies, with Jay Hoots of Hoots Inc. leading the effort. Hoots, who is based out of Vancouver, British Columbia, was a professional mountain biker who traveled the world, ultimately developing an interest in developing mountain biking parks in Alberta and B.C.

However, Hoots’s contributions have not been the only source of support for the Fox Creek Nordic and Trail Club, which has collaborated with local businesses, other corporations, and a community of volunteers to create and maintain these trails.

During the winter, the trails are perfectly groomed for cross country skiing and fat biking, a form of biking with wide tires that allow for stability on snowy terrain. During the summer, hiking and mountain biking are especially enjoyable in these trails.

In fact, there is a fundraising Fat Bike Festival coming up for those who wish to support the trails, or to explore them for the first time.

Furthermore, two years running, the Fox Creek Nordic and Trail Club has held a “Glow Night” event which features 9,000 glow sticks placed along the trail to form “corridors and tunnels,” according to Williscroft. The event leads to a “truly spectacular sight.”

Finally, the Ahn family has contributed a Trail House to the system of trails.