Oh, the memories of the winter of ’22
The past four decades of outdoor recreation columns have seen their fair share of unusual and extreme winters.
It didn’t hurt that Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club had what skiers nickname a “bluebird day.” By definition, a bluebird day is the morning after a storm when the sun is shining bright and the world around you is covered in fluffy snow.
Downhilling skiing at Silver Star Mountain Resort at -25 C. At that temperature, the cold seems solid, pushing against your covered cheeks and the rest of your multi-layered body.
Powder skiing in a metre of fresh snow in the Columbia Mountains using parabolic skis. Not a good idea. Complete loss of control.
Ice skating on what was supposed to be a snow-covered run at Lake Louise. Sliding sideways, skis spread, screaming.
Every winter has a memory, some great, some not so great. And then, there is the winter of 2022-23.
From Nov. 4 to Dec. 31, Kelowna recorded 20 snow events which translates into an incredible series of powder alerts at Okanagan ski hills and crosscountry ski areas after record-setting early openings.
Then Mother Nature threw -29 C cold waves at the Okanagan during the busiest time of the year – before and during the Christmas holidays. Followed by
challenging spring conditions of plus-freezing temperatures instead of the normal -2 C to -8 C range. Daytime melt and an overnight freeze challenged groomers to chew up icy runs and trails without producing frozen snow chunks.
On the other hand, there were new opportunities. Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club is offering masters social ski lessons in classic and skate for all levels for four Sundays in January and a second series in February. And social events on Saturdays.
As Constant Companion Carmen was reminded of intermediate skills last Sunday, the Ski Sheriff ranged from group to group taking photographs and listening in to tips.
Volunteer intermediate classic leader Lisa Howard was a revelation with her tip to lean forward when doing the basic diagonal stride: “Lead with your heart.” In other words, the centre of your
chest should be generally ahead of the rest of your body, relatively speaking.
Volunteer beginner classic leader Lyle Nicholson walked without skis from one leg to the other, lifting the free leg and pausing to emphasize the crucial weight shift.
Howard had her class put on just one ski and put it in one track, then glide on the one ski with the un-skied leg pushing off, again focusing on the weight shift. Then, it was “ski, ski, glide” on two skis. Howard then had her group practise gliding on Log Cabin Trail without poles to confirm weight shifting from one leg to the other.
The Ski Sheriff practised on That Damn Trail as he tried to catch up with CCC. And didn’t catch her. Dammit.
Nicholson provided some interesting background: “A point on our masters team leaders. Not all are certified. We adopted the
Sovereign Lake masters style, which is members helping members. Eventually, we hope to have most of the team leaders certified, but any member with good skills who wishes to help will be welcome to join our teaching programs.”
The temperature was 1 C on Sunday when we arrived in the main parking lot and followed the cautionary note not to park in the soft snow on the side closest to McCulloch Road. The groomed track for classic skiing was in good condition but there were chunks of uneven snow in places, proving the challenge faced by the groomer.
———————— At Nickel Plate Nordic Centre, “we’re experiencing the best, most consistent conditions Tricia and I have seen up here in the five years we’ve been involved. We’ve also started training the local cadets (259 Penticton Panther Royal Canadian Air
Cadet Squadron) for provincial biathlon as we did prior to COVID-19. When we coached them before COVID, they had their best-ever results and this year, they have some incredibly solid skiers!” said marketing and communications manager Kevin Dyck.
On Jan. 28, Nickel Plate will host its inaugural Founder’s Dinner to honour all those who have contributed so much to the founding and ongoing development of the club.
“This year, we’re paying respects to one member in particular, Colleen Schneider. Most of you know that Colleen passed away unexpectedly in the fall. What many of you might not know is that Ernst Schneider has decided to make a significant donation to Colleen’s ‘home away from home.’ Clearly, he understood how important NPNC is to our membership,” said marketing and communications manager Kevin Dyck.
Those who would like to help organize this event should email: communications@nickelplate nordic.org.
———————— A reminder that registration is now open for Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club’s 2023 Stride & Glide at 9 a.m. on Feb. 25 in support of cardiac care equipment purchases for Kelowna General Hospital.
The cost of registration is $20. All registrants will receive a cool ski hat and lunch. Draws will be held for gift cards, Kelowna Nordic memberships, lunch and wine tasting, depending on how much is raised.
Co-ordinator Lisa Howard still needs volunteers for check-in, parking attendants, food pick-up, prep, serving and barbecue; and prizes – organize swinner and pick-up from donors.
Email: ljhoward@telus.net.