For $35, Inuvik residents can get unlimited access to more than 10 km of groomed cross-country skiing trails that snake through a section of Inuvik's beautiful back country behind the club house on Gwich'in Road.

New club member Pierre Marchand takes off for the trails located close to his apartment on Gwich'in Road Sunday afternoon. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

The club's treasurer Brian Terry knows the reasonable membership fee isn't enough to draw as many active members as he would like. Although the club currently boasts about 100 members, many only show up to ski a handful of times throughout the season.

"It's too bad, especially for a place that has a strong history in cross-country skiing," said Terry. "People are losing interest. There are three months in the winter when it's pretty bloody cold and it seems most people just want to stay inside."

To try to beef up membership, the club has a Jackrabbits program which teaches children ages six to 12 years the fundamentals of skiing. For adults interested in learning, it offers a host program where experienced members take them out on the trails for a few sessions free of charge. The club has an equipment room that boasts 65 sets of ski equipment for kids and 35 for adults which can be used for free by members. The club also organizes regular social skis where participants go out by lantern light followed by a dessert potluck.

Members also get a key that gives them 24-hour access to the club house. There's a two-hour timer inside that controls a three-km string of lights that runs from the trail entrance. When the timer ends it can simply be reset. They even have access to a waxing table and as much wax as needed.

Terry, who's been a resident of Inuvik since 2003, gets a charge out of exploring the trails during a crisp cold morning or on a moonlit night.

"It's an exciting activity," he said. "Sometimes you end up with tunnel vision, thinking about if you were racing and what would you be doing at a particular part of the course," he said. "It's beautiful to be close to nature. I like the competitive side of skiing and the social aspect of the sport."

Once an avid downhill skier, he took on cross-country since there are no mountains nearby.

"There's very good cross-country skiing here," said Terry. "Compared to downhill skiers they are kind of a neater, friendlier community."

Over the summer he and a small crew of community members cleared about 2.5 km more trail. Sections of the trail were also graded and two 30-foot light poles were installed.

With the Canadian National Cross-Country Championships coming up in Whitehorse in mid-March, Terry would like to register a few skiers in the event. He's looking to organize five races this season and at some point hopes to start a Delta racing series drawing skiers from around the region.

But he realizes it takes a lot of work. Luckily the club is able to get by through volunteer efforts which range in duties from trail grooming to show shovelling to organizing races.

"People think that the club just runs on its own but unfortunately that's not the case," he said. "There's a million things to do."

Pierre Marchand joined the club this season for the first time. He was part of the team who cleared the extra trail last summer. He said joining a club with such a low membership fee and that gives him easy access to a network of beautifully maintained trails was an easy decision.

"It's right beside my home," he said. "It's beautiful to be close to the wilderness. It's a lot of fun and it's not only flat trail, there are nice hills which give a little bit of an adrenalin rush."