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As I write this, a winter storm watch is in effect and up to 10 centimetres of snow with high winds and plunging temperatures are forecast.

I'm not sure what to think about this. It's not like we haven't had enough winter, but I haven't had enough skiing!

Lacking the determination of some Rock and Ice Ultra participants who skied at -30 C or colder for most of the winter, I only managed to get in a few good weeks on skis after the Arctic Winter Games.

It's so great out there I don't want it to end, and judging by the record number of participants in the Northwestel Yellowknife Ski Club Loppet a couple of weekends ago, neither do hundreds of other skiers.

More than 240 skiers of all ages came out on a warm, gloriously sunny Sunday to ski the six-, 15- or 25- kilometre sections of the Bert Mockford trail, a scenic set of Nordic tracks around Vee and Walsh Lakes. The glide that day was phenomenal - I didn't see a single skier who wasn't smiling.

Marilyn Robak was one of the "domestic divas" welcoming skiers into the Covello cabin for chili and hot chocolate towards the end of the course. These women, with their tiaras, charm and fabulous food made the ski for me. Making it to the cabin was my motivation.

"It was so much fun watching all these fresh- faced, happy people pouring through the door, enjoying one of the first warm days of spring," said Robak. "It lifted my spirits after a long winter."

She even managed to convince the ultimate domestic diva, Kathi Woodward, to share the recipe for her crackerjack cookies.

Kathi and her culinary team faced extra challenges this year, when the number of skiers who registered for the loppet turned out to be more than double what they'd expected. Somehow they managed to come up with enough grub and thousands of cookies. Kathi has supplied those cookies for years, a quiet labour of love.

It's that kind of contribution that will be recognized this Saturday at the Yellowknife Ski Club's annual volunteer recognition dinner.

We're celebrating our amazing volunteers as well as our 40th anniversary. The theme is The Winter of Love and volunteers are encouraged to come decked out in 1960s garb. Wine and socializing get underway at 4:30 p.m. in the ski club building, and dinner is at 6 p.m. Awards, presentations and door prizes galore will follow.

My thanks go out to everyone who contributed so much to the quality of my ski season and everyone else's.

- Catherine Pigott is a recreational cross-country skier and a member of the ski club