Spring is a little late this year
Winter was supposed to end this week. The Sheriff bet on it with Constant Companion Carmen, who predicted it would be March 15 before spring arrived.
And then, it started to snow on Wednesday with another storm or storms on the way Thursday into Friday. So much for winning the bet.
It is now warming up, so all of that snow in the valley bottom has already started to melt. Come on, Mother Nature.
Spring was certainly on the minds of Central Okanagan Outdoors Club members at Monday’s monthly meeting with plans for spring skiing, then hiking, biking and camping.
However, it’s still glorious midwinter at Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club, and at Big White Ski and Silver Star resorts.
The highlight of the week was the Kelowna Nordic XC Cabin Tour when 80 skiers had their choice of a six-kilometre loop to the Log Cabin, 12-km out-and-back route to the Log and Meadow cabins, or a 16-km huge loop to the Log, Meadow and Backcountry cabins, all stocked with cookies.
A large group took off from the Main Cabin on McCulloch Road under sunny skies at 10 a.m. with many others leaving on their own later in the day. Back at the Main Cabin, they could enjoy chili, hotdogs and hot chocolate before a ton of draw prizes from MEC, Fresh Air and Anthony’s Subaru were handed out by tour organizer Lyle Nicholson.
The 16-km loop (it actually turned out to be 18 km) led by skiing/hiking/biking buddy Marshall was the reverse of our usual route to the three outlying cabins. That meant climbing hills we usually come down at high speed and coming down new-to-us hills we usually climb, a most unusual experience.
We climbed up the long, long Oops Hill on Log Cabin Trail, then came down to Log Cabin. We climbed the one-kilometre hill of Lower Meadow Trail — always the exhilarating end of our usual route — to Meadow Cabin.
Having done these trails backward on Sunday, it is highly recommended for newbies, and those who want to try something completely different and lots of fun.
The temperature was nowhere close to the –28.8 C reported by the Drive BC weather station on Highway 33. It was a comfortable –7 C when we arrived.
On March 1, Big White had 200 schoolchildren plus teachers, chaperones and parents hitting the slopes. But all you had to do was to let the groups pass, wait a minute and you had runs to yourself.
The website reported it was –9 C, snowing lightly, there was light wind, variable visibility and seven centimetres of fresh powder. Always check the website and webcams before you leave, but keep in mind that conditions can change quickly.
The reality was a morning of sunshine, blue skies and nowhere near –9 C. A temperature just below 0 C meant the groomer’s ground-up snow evenly spread across runs wasn’t melting — so it wasn’t spring skiing, but it was that unusual soft snow that metal ski edges just grip so wonderfully for long, long swooping descents.
On busy weekends, that kind of soft snow means traffic quickly piles it up and runs can become choppy.
On a sunny Tuesday, Silver Star’s groomed runs on both the Vance Creek and Putnam Creek sides of the mountain had hard and fast conditions. Groomer ground-up snow was untouched in many spots and there was still some corduroy from the groomer on the sides for controlled, high-speed turns.
With virtually no one on many runs, other than COOC buddies and a skunk, it was an opportunity to analyze where you ski or board on a groomed run. Think of a reworded Paul Simon song, 50 Ways to Leave Your Ski Tracks.
Putnam Creek is best done in the morning, albeit when it is colder, while the sun is bathing the runs (or when visibility is better than Vance Creek). In the afternoon with the sun in the west, large tree shadows make it difficult for the eyes to adjust from light to dark to light. It’s better to choose either the light or dark side of the run and stay there.
If lighting becomes flat later in the day (or from low cloud), stick to the sides of groomed runs because the close proximity of trees makes it easier to determine snow location, texture and shape. However, remember a lesson learned the hard way by the Sheriff: I taught that tree a lesson that my shoulder will never forget.
If you have additional tips, email them to jp.squire@telus.net.
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Big White Ski Resort received 170 cm of snow in February, ending the month with a 247-cm alpine snow base and 530 cm of cumulative snowfall since the start of November.
One Extreme Powder Alert (20 centimetres or more in 12 hours) as well as three Powder Alerts (10 centimetres or more in 12 hours) were sent out during the month. The deepest powder day was Feb. 23 with 42 centimetres of snow in 24 hours.
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It’s not too early to think about the next ski/board season at Silver Star Mountain Resort. From now until April 7, you can purchase next season’s pass at last year’s earlybird price.
“It’s the best offer you will see all year for the 2019-20 alpine season pass,” said Chantelle Deacon, the resort’s media relations manager. “Not only are you getting the pass at a great deal, but if you don’t already have an alpine pass (for 2018-19), you can use this early-bird pass to ski for the last three weeks of this winter season.”
This early-bird pass, which must be purchased at the resort, includes unlimited two-for-one gondola tickets for summer 2019. The season pass office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
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If you live in the Okanagan and want to learn how to ski or snowboard, there’s no better day to do it than Sunday at Big White Ski Resort. The mountain has introduced Locals’ Sundays “where locals can give this whole winter snowsport thing a try for a discounted price.”
Depending on your age, you’ll receive a beginner-area lift ticket, a full day of rentals and a two-hour beginner lesson for as low as $50. Register through the Ski and Board School at 250-491-6101 or email skischool@bigwhite.com.
***** Kelowna wildlife/nature photographer Linda Quon is one of 30 photographers now displaying 68 works of fine art in Captured Images at Peachland Art Gallery through March 31. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday.
Born in Regina, Quon came to Kelowna in 1991 and established Foilan’s Photography (foilanphotographer.com) in 2010. Foilan, which means smart person, is the name given to her by her Chinese mother.
Her latest work comes from an African safari, depicting her love of adventure and the outdoors. Several African images are also on display at the West Kelowna London Drugs during March as part of its Local Inspirations exhibit.
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The Kelowna Canoe and Kayak Club’s first meeting of 2019 will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the May Bennett Wellness Centre, 135 Davie Rd., Kelowna. It will likely be a sad occasion after the death of KCKC president Sue Harrhy on March 1.
In upcoming events, one-hour pool sessions will be held on March 23, 24 and 31 so members can practise their wet exits, self-rescues and assisted rescues.
A presentation of the World Tour Paddling Festival will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 2 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts on Cawston Avenue in Kelowna. Tickets are $20 and available at Mountain Equipment Co-op. The first Wednesday night paddle is at 6 p.m. that day at Rotary Beach on Lakeshore Road in Kelowna (weather permitting).
The club is also making plans for its annual Fintry Provincial Park campout on June 21-24; another Fintry campout on Aug. 9-12; and a Dimion Ranch campout is on July 26-28.
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The first round of water damage repairs is about to get underway at Okanagan Centre Safe Harbour Regional Park in Lake Country.
Starting Monday and lasting approximately two weeks, crews will make repairs along the Okanagan Lake foreshore and to the parking area. Both were damaged by record high water levels in the spring of 2017 and last year.
While workers and equipment are in the area, there may be reduced access to the boat launch.
***** An information session on an outdoor forest preschool will be held 3-6 p.m. on Thursday at Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park, 4711 Raymer Rd. in Kelowna.
Staff will answer questions and share information about a pilot project as the Regional District of Central Okanagan expands the horizons of one of its regional parks in partnership with the Clubhouse Child Care Centre. On weekdays, they will operate the Treehouse Forest Preschool with scheduled morning field trip sessions for kindergarten classes and child-care facilities, and an afternoon preschool for registered youngsters.
For more information, contact Nicole Kittmer at 250-469-6263 or email nicole.kittmer@cord.bc.ca.