Trails

General Information

The Nelson Nordic Ski Club trails operate from mid-December to late March
Trails are open dawn to dusk daily. Apex lighted loop is open until 9:30 pm daily
25 km of groomed trails classic and skating tracks - beginner to expert level
Warming huts at Apex and at the top of Clearwater road
Night skiing
10 minutes south of Nelson on Highway 6 at the Whitewater Ski Area turnoff
Trail conditions and weather
Google Earth NNSC trails KML file. Free download of Google Earth.
Trail Map: Letter Size Legal Size

Trail Descriptions

Beginner Level:

Apex - A gentle 3 km loop with easy access from the parking lot to the warming hut and trailhead. Private land.

Night Loop - A 1.3 km, wide, double-tracked lighted loop with the warming hut as its terminus. Private land. Daily to 9:30 pm.

Intermediate Level:

Cottonwood - follow Apex trail to its north end where the Cottonwood trail begins (keep right). 5 Km return. Private land.

Camp Busk - from the Clearwater Cr. Forest Road parking lot, register (and pay) at the hut, then keep to your right. You can also get here from the south end of the Apex trail by removing your skis and crossing the highway. This trail plus Euphrates trail totals 6.5 km; can be skied in sections to reduce the length to 3 or 4 km. Private land.

Euphrates - A continuation of the Busk trail south from where you cross the Salmo River. Named after the Euphrates mine across the river from the trail. Crown land.

Clearwater - Keep left from the Clearwater registration hut. Ten km round trip along the Clearwater Cr. Forest Road Five km up a gentle grade with a viewpoint loop, a short wooded loop at 3 km and an old growth forest loop at the end. Returning takes half the time and is twice the fun!

Expert Level

Beaumont - Look across Apex Valley from the warming hut for the long, narrow, clear cut. The 1.5 km Beaumont trail takes you there from the Apex loop. A good view over the Apex Valley from the top. In cooperation with Beaumont Timber Ltd.

Trail Etiquette

Good Trail Etiquette makes skiing more enjoyable for all:

Keep to marked trails
The warming hut is user maintained - please remove your garbage.
Don't "park" on the trail. Step aside for overtaking skiers.
Fill in your sitzmarks!
During recreational skiing, slower skiers yield to the right when faster skiers are passing. Faster skiers should call out "track" when approaching slower skiers, and should pass on the left.
During a race, the faster skier calls "track", and the slower skier moves out of the track to allow the faster skier to pass in the track.
Two skiers meeting head on pass to the right of each other.
If a trail is too narrow to allow safe passage past another skier, wait until the other skier passes.
Skiers coming downhill have the right of way.
Try to ensure a safe run out from a downhill section of the trail to avoid slower skiers at the bottom of the trail.
Leave trails in the same or better condition than you found them in.
If you need to stop, or if you fall, move off of the trail to allow clear passage for other skiers.
Move off the trail if you wish to socialize.
Do not litter. If you packed it in, pack it out.
Obey all trail signs - ski in designated areas only.
Respect private property.
It is customary to say a friendly "hello" when passing other skiers.
Please leave your dog at home - for the safety and enjoyment of all skiers.

Common sense goes a long way to make skiing more enjoyable.

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