Skiing the Thebacha Trails
The Thebacha Loppet route is 30 kilometres — but shorter routes are maintained to accommodate participants of all ages and skill levels!
Route Breakdown:
Fort Fitz (Starting Point)--> Goose Island 9.6km
Goose Island --> Pelican Halfway 7.7km
Pelican Halfway Checkpoint --> Mountain 5.3km
Mountain Checkpoint --> Nordic Centre (Finishing Point) 5km
The Thebacha Loppet is one of the oldest classic ski tours in Western Canada. It officially began in 1973 but skiers have used the route since it was cleared for the centennial celebrations of Confederaion in 1967. The route, which features incredible views of the Slave River rapids, is now part of the Trans Canada Trail.
For centuries, the loppet route was the First Nations’ portage route around the mighty Slave River rapids. There are stories of young men who paddled voyageur canoes from Tulita on the Mackenzie River to Thebacha, then hike across the portage to avoid the rapids and ultimately trade furs for supplies at Fort Fitzgerald.