Members of the Five Winds Backcountry Ski Club enjoy cross country skiing on marked, ungroomed wilderness trails. Five Winds maintains approximately 200 km of trails on scenic Crown land in the Gibson River area between Georgian Bay and Gravenhurst, Ontario.
A lot of our members have been skiing these trails most winter Sundays for many years and never tire of the endless variety and beauty of the area. Newer members benefit from their knowledge of the trails and the experience they’ve acquired so that they too can get out and enjoy Muskoka’s winter beauty.
We travel to our trails on a luxury coach starting from downtown Toronto traveling up Yonge Street early on Sunday morning picking up members. Once off the bus, we break into groups of six to eight skiers who want to ski at the same pace. Some groups set off to cover as much trail as they can while others take it slower and easier, stopping more often for breaks and to look at the country. Some skiers may even opt for a shorter day but, for the most part, we head out, packs on backs, to enjoy six hours of traveling along the trails. We stop for lunch, snack breaks, adding and subtracting layers from our clothing and wildlife!
At the end of a ski day, we return to the bus and make the reverse trip back to Toronto. It’s a little quieter on the way back – a day of fresh air, sunshine and exercise will do that to you. Another thing a day like that will do for you is to set you up to take on the challenges of the week ahead!
The focus of Five Winds is skiing but one Sunday a month we invite snowshoers to discover our trail. The volunteer Executive Committee works through the year to organize trail clearing, various social events and, of course, on Sundays from January through March, the ski days. That said, Five Winds is a good way to connect with like-minded people who enjoy off-the-grid outdoor activities. Many members avidly participate in outdoor activities like hiking, paddling and cycling in the off season.
Find out what skiing with Five Winds is all about! Complete a membership application form or let us answer any questions you may have by filling in the query form. Someone will be happy to talk to you.
