By Diana Lee (diana.lee@skipatrol.ca)
As we gear up for the 2025 – 2026 CSP season, what are you most excited about this year? For me, it’s that I get to go cross-country skiing every weekend through Narnia (also known as Highlands Nordic in Ontario) as one of the CSP Central Zone’s Nordic patrollers.
When people outside of our community hear about Nordic patrollers, they are almost always surprised to discover CSP on cross-country skis. Technically, we can also be on snowshoes! In fact, there have been many occasions where other CSP members have said they were not aware of Nordic patrollers or had not met one of us in person!
This inspired me to share my love for being a Nordic Ski Patroller in an Ontario Travel article last year. And with CSP preparing to introduce more Nordic-specific resources and supports, I was asked to share the article in hopes that it can help you and others you know who are looking to be part of CSP, who may be looking for non-alpine ways to be part of our national support, I was asked to share the article in hopes that it can help you and others you know who are looking to be part of CSP, particularly those seeking non-alpine ways to be part of our nationwide snow-loving family.
People who enjoy winter are a rare bunch. Instead of choosing to hibernate, they wake up hours before sunrise, bundling up in countless layers to get out in the cold, sometimes in harsh temperatures, and are excited about playing in freshly fallen snow.
And then there are ski patrollers who are all about that, not only for the love of snow sports but are dedicating their day, typically the weekends, to helping people.
Another rare bunch are Nordic patrollers. Yes, as in ski patrol for cross-country ski resorts!
While this is my fourth season with the Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP) as a Nordic patroller, I lost count of how many times people said, “I didn’t know there were Nordic ski patrollers!” Or “I thought ski patrol was only for alpine/downhill resorts!”
As one of the 4,000-plus volunteer CSP members across the country, there’s a lot of joy that comes with this uniform, to be among others who also love this season (proud winter person here), and from being part of this community. I’ll share some things I love about being a ski patroller, especially one of the few on cross-country skis (and sometimes on a snowboard or snowshoes!) in Ontario.
It deepens your connection with nature.
As a patroller at Highlands Nordic, I tell people I get to patrol Narnia. Situated on a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Highlands Nordic is not just a winter wonderland but this beautiful outdoor centre that seems to always have Christmas card-worthy snowscapes (and I’m talking about the Christmas cards with the glitter! Andy can tell you all about how much I gush on every shift, “Oh my gosh! It’s so pretty!!!!! The snow!!!”) The winding trails lined with towering trees covered in pillowy snow makes this place a winter lover’s heaven.
While there’s no shortage of places to cross-country ski in Ontario, there are fewer Nordic resorts with CSP than alpine resorts. As a patroller, this adds to the I-patrol-Narnia vibe! I recently visited Kawartha Nordic in Peterborough County and met patrol leaders Mark Wickham and Chris Davies. This was my first visiting patroller experience, where you can check out other resorts and put in a volunteer shift.
One of the features that stood out after spending a whole day at Kawartha Nordic was the abundance of animal tracks right along the track-set trails. Situated on the edge of the Canadian Shield in northern Kawartha, because Kawartha Nordic connects to many large areas of Crown land and parks like Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park, these connections serve as movement corridors for wildlife.
As a nature and wildlife enthusiast, skiing alongside Chris, who has extensive wildlife research experience for the province, meant I got to pick his brain about the local natural features (565 species of wildlife and 356 species of flora, with rare species and provincially significant habitats) and the local-to-Ontario wildlife like polar bears (yes, polar bears live in Ontario 😊).
“I love being outdoors and seeing wildlife, and cross-country skiing is an excellent opportunity. It allows enjoyment of wildlife in their natural habitat.” – Chris Davies, Patrol Leader, Kawartha Nordic
Mark and Chris’ conservation background and wildlife expertise not only helped with spotting and identifying the many signs of wildlife along the ski trails, but you could see the connection between their love of the wilderness combined with their passion for promoting the safe and informed enjoyment of these spaces.
The pace of cross-country skiing compared to alpine activities also allows for increased learning opportunities and chances to spot wildlife like deer, foxes, beavers, owls, and more! (When you visit Kawartha Nordic, you’ll have to ask Chris in person about encounters with moose and elk!)
Check out the dedicated Natural Heritage webpage, report, and iNaturalist page to learn more about Kawartha Nordic’s ecosystem!
It’s a different pace in a different place.
As much as I love snowboarding, cross-country skiing offers a different way of taking in snow-covered landscapes.
While yes, you can get passed by skate skiers on cross-country trails, especially those training competitively for loppets or biathlon (which I also love), one of the best things about cross-country skiing is being able to ski continuously, watching the number of kilometres climb on your smartwatch, all without the interruption of having to get on a ski lift, or worse – wait in the long lines during the weekend crowds.
Even on a busy weekend at Highlands Nordic, where multiple ski groups and families are all out at the resort, everyone spreads out on the property, and the trails are never as congested as some runs at alpine resorts.
“As a Nordic patroller, I get to engage with skiers in a different way. Alpine skiers (and snowboarders) get to chat with each other on the chair lift, while Nordic skiers can chat while skiing side by side on the trail.” – Andy Hueton
At Kawartha Nordic, there are cute, cozy little cabins with wood-burning stoves you can ski to and warm up in. Several species of birds fluttered and chirped about as the sun beamed through the branches of the trees just outside of the Laderach Cabin, adding to the enchanted forests of Narnia feeling.
Mark also noted that being a Nordic patroller comes with a calmer approach, a more defined public to serve, and other skills needed because of the environment. For instance, Nordic patrollers have added responsibilities on rescues because of the distances involved in getting people out from the trails to be transported by EMS.
Another unique element of being a Nordic patroller is having the option of putting on snowshoes and patrolling the snowshoe trails for a change in scenery and terrain!
Check out the Ontario Travel article [no French version] to see all the other reasons why I love being a Nordic Patroller with CSP!
And if this article led you to discover Nordic patrolling in CSP and perhaps even inspired you to see what it’s like to patrol in Narnia, send me an email at diana.lee@skipatrol.ca – would love to hear from you!
This post is also available in: French