To ski or not to ski...

If you need to find me on a Saturday during the winter, head on down to the Kenora nordic trails at Mt Evergreen. I have found a home in the Kenora Nordic & Biathlon Club (KNBC) community (shameless plug!?) where I help out as a coach for the kids Jackrabbit ski program as well as the adult ski program. Skiing has been a way to stay active, meet new people with shared interests, and feel connected to the community, which I find can be particularly difficult in the winter time.

This week I'm looking at the ski world from a different perspective: would it be feasible on an OW budget?

• Get the gear! There are ways around the cost of ski equipment. Yard sales and asking around to neighbours or friends could help to dig up a cheap or free set of ski gear. Also, if I reached out to the KNBC executive they would most definitely assist me in tracking down a set of cheap or free skis, boots and poles. 
• Dressing for the weather - It would also be important to have warm clothing for hitting the trails, which could be a barrier. I'd be relying on donated winter clothing to piece together my ski outfit.  Women's Place Kenora would be a great place to start as they provide access to women's clothing to those in need.
• Getting there - For the challenge I will accept the $4 penalty for driving out to Mt Evergreen in my car. Another option would be to hitch rides with another participant (for the challenge that would also be a $4 penalty). It is important for a community to have public transportation options that can like people and families to physical activity opportunities. The city bus does not go as far as Mt Evergreen and according to Google maps the walk will take 1.5 hours.  At times, I can be a bit intense about physical activity, but that's just too much, especially carrying ski gear!
• I love cheap hills (and flats) - The trek to Mt Evergreen would be a major barrier if I was on OW because I wouldn't be able to afford a vehicle. Fortunately, there are lots of options for skiing within Kenora though - Rabbit Lake, golf course, the creek, beside any of the ice roads, Tunnel Island - so once the gear is acquired skiing becomes a much more accessible option.
• Volunteer perks - As a coach, I am able to use the KNBC trails for free on that day, which is really great. If I was able to secure a regular shared ride to the club, then I could hit the trails in my low-cost/free gear after the lesson wrapped up. Committing to long-term volunteer opportunities is currently a feasible option for me, but that might not be the case if I was on a tighter budget. I likely wouldn't be able to say that I can offer 2 to 4 hours of my Saturday for 10 weeks. However, I could donate my time in small chunks in exchange for reduced ski options.

Something else important to share... When chatting with the KNBC president, Greg Richardson, he highlighted that the main goal of the club is to get people skiing. While registration numbers are important for club funding, the ultimate goal is to facilitate ski development for beginners, school groups, or recreational skiers, all the way up to the elite racers. Whether or not it is happening right on the KNBC trails is irrelevant. I'm proud to be a member of a club with a mandate such as this because access to sport and recreation is a part of building a healthy and resilient community.

SUMMARY - I could make skiing work for me, but it would be a lot of effort at first. And I might be best to ski in town.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: I have never had to think about money this way before. I'm constantly adding up in my head what a particular activity could cost, whether I should buy a food item or not - what if something comes up and I need the money for it? - and how I will actually get from point A to B.

Total buget: $55

Food: $23.50
Cell phone: $12.50
Skiing with borrowed gear & volunteer coaching: $4 transportation fee
Remainder: $13

Cost of skiing without own gear: $10 day pass, $20 rental, $4 travel
Potential remainder: $-15 -- definitely not in my budget!