WELLS — The Wells Reserve at the Laudholm farm is holding its first ever loppet. A gentler version of the traditional cross-country ski race, it encourages visitors to use the trails and record their distances.

Loppets are long cross-country ski races that usually take a lot of endurance.

The loppet at The Laudholm Farm, where the Well’s Reserve is located, will allow the public to come and do the loppet at their own pace.

The loppet is running began Jan. 1 and continues until Mar. 10. Visitors can hike, snowshoe, and ski the trails and are encouraged to record and log their distances.

Tom Karb of the Well’s Reserve came up with the idea of the reserve hosting its own, but less strict, loppet.

“I ski the trails a lot and it’s also always been a dream of mine to ski a loppet. The idea just came to me,” Karb said.

Though unsure of how the specifics of the Loppet would play out Lynne Benoit-Vachon, the visitor service coordinator of the Reserve, and other volunteers loved the idea.

“Laudholm Loppet, it seemed fun to say and fun to do,” said Benoit-Vachon.

Karb and Benoit-Vachon loosely designed the loppet, leaving it up to the visitors of the reserve to have their own adventure.

The loppet can be done on any of the many trails the reserve offers and does not have to be any particular distance.

The Laudholm loppet has only three rules; Have fun, be safe, and encourage others.

“We wanted to make this as open as possible, we didn’t want to limit anyone,” Said Karb.

Karb wanted the loppet to both be ongoing and also end with a final event where the community could come together.

“If someone wants to come and enrich their lives, that’s what this is about,” Said Karb.

The loppet will the end on Mar. 10 with the All Trails Challenge. This challenge is an opportunity for the community to come to the reserve do the loppet together.

Visitors can choose to do their own trails challenge and Karb will also take a group of people on a course he has created.

At the end of the All Trails Challenge the reserve is inviting participants to gather together to talk about the loppet and their experiences.

The reserve encourages visitors to try and accumulate 32 kilometers. Thirty-two is the amount of years that the Well’s Reserve has been up and running.

“We wanted to tie in some of our history with the loppet, as this is a new thing we are trying and we’re excited,” Benoit-Vachon said.

Throughout the time the loppet is running, there will be organized activities on the trails as well as the finale. The reserve’s ultimate goal with the loppet is to give people the chance to experience something new and have fun.

Details about the loppet, the all trails challenge, and course maps can be found at wellsreserve.org/loppet.