(Participants leave starting line in Sunday's loppet at Otway Nordic Centre.  Photos 250 News)

Prince George, B.C. – The weather was great, the facility top notch and the participants and volunteers exuberant at the 2014 Prince George Toyota Spirit of the Rivers Loppet on Sunday.

So what is a loppet you ask.  Well it’s a gathering of skiers who ski over specifically groomed trails, some for great distances.  It is an intense competition for some, and a fun outing for others.  It’s an event with Scandinavian origins and, at least in times long ago, when they took part in a loppet it involved consuming large  quantities of food and drink, as well as putting on the slats.

(Youngsters with the ski "bug" were out in full force and took pride in crossing the finish line)

Under a bright, sunny and mostly clear sky, over 135 cross country skiers from Prince George and the surrounding area gathered at the spectacular Otway Nordic Centre for a 10 a.m. mass start of what has become a fun, recreational style  family-oriented event.  Distances range from 2.5 to 30 kilometres and the age range is from small children to people over 60.

Don’t let the fun family atmosphere fool you though because there are some very accomplished skiers who race in the competitive Free Technique and Classic Technique categories.  Unfortunately race results for the various categories are not available.

The Spirit of the Rivers Loppet is not a test event for the 2015 Canada Winter Games.  That Games prerequisite was taken care of earlier this winter.  However Sunday’s loppet could well have been a test event judging by the clockwork precision of the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club and the volunteer crew it had assembled.   The competitors were supplied with everything they needed, the public was welcomed and treated like a guest and the club members put in an effort which can only be described as professional.