Since the Cavell Road reopened on Wednesday (Feb. 17) cross-country skiers are excited about once again being able to use the area.

Loni Klettl was one of the first to ski in when it opened.

“We are really happy to see this road open again because it takes you up to the hostel and then on up to Mt. Edith Cavell,” said Klettl.

Klettl says the road is basically all they have for back-country skiing with facilities such as lodges and huts.

“It takes you in to one of the most amazing back country lodges,” said Klettl. “It’s great terrain and great touring.”

The road was closed to skiers and snowshoers on Nov. 15, 2009 in an attempt to protect caribou from wolf predation.

Parks Canada sent a consultant into the Cavell area to investigate collar data of caribou killed by wolves.

“There was one caribou killed,” said John Wilmshurst, ecosystems science coordinator for Parks Canada.

Wilmshurst confirmed the kill was made by wolves, however, he could not say whether the road closure reduced wolf access.

“Once the season is finished and we have collected all the data from the wolves and the kill sites we will review it and then look at the decision again,” said Wilmshurst.

The decision to close the road again next year is still pending investigation, but Wilmshurst said it will likely be closed again next year.

“This is a long process, said Wilmshurst. “We won’t be able to make a decision after one year.”

Wilmshurst said people are excited to be using the road again, and the snow conditions are really good.

Hosteling International (HI) owns the Cavell hostel at the end of Cavell Road. Tim Hein, a HI employee, said he and five others went into the Cavell Hostel to dig it out.

“There were six of us, two of which snowshoed in very painfully,” he said.

Although it is easiest to ski in, two of the six decided to take the longer and more difficult means of snowshoeing. The difference was two hours in and many more on the way out.

“It took us three and a half hours to get to the top and we had to dig the hostel out just because it hadn’t been used all winter,” said Hein.

Hein and his crew prepared the hostel, which has 34 beds. He said they dug out meter deep trenches between the various buildings.

“It was in spot-on condition because it hasn’t been used all winter,” he said.

The hostel loses about 25 per cent of its yearly revenue due to the area closure, according to Klettl.

Twelve kilometres up the Cavell Road is the Cavell hostel and Hein said it is absolutely amazing.

“You can see the glacier right outside the window,” he said.