BVCCSC January 2024 Newsletter
BV XC Ski Club
BVCCSC January 2024 Newsletter
In the heart of unceded Wet’suwet’en Territory, where we have gratitude for the abundance of this land
From the Admin:
Trail Passes:
You are receiving this newsletter because you are a proud member of the Bulkley Valley Cross-Country Ski Club, please show this pride by picking up your pass at McBike, AND WEARING IT when you ski! You could wear it on a lanyard, you could attach it to your ski boot, you could keep it in your pocket. We actively check passes and by doing this you make our jobs a lot easier.
The Tunnel Loves Snow:
If you are skiing through the tunnel and see a lonely snow scoop, give that scoop a bit of the attention it is craving, and drop a few scoops of snow into the tunnel. If a few skiers drop a few scoops of snow every day, the groomers will occasionally smooth it out and the skiing will be (more) lovely.
Drones & Media:
On Saturday, January 20th you might see a drone & film crew at the Nordic centre; a Snow Seekers Tourism film crew is filming a short segment of a tourism video about winter recreation opportunities in Smithers.
From the Grooming Team:
Who is Grooming and Plowing the Trails? The things that we take for granted are sometimes the things we should be the most thankful for: A GIANT THANK YOU to our crew that look after our trails and driveways. Long, cold, and late hours is not everyone’s thing, so tuques off to them.
Now that we have gotten past that long period of low-snow, most of the grooming is done with the PistenBully Edge (PB). Our senior PB groomers are Patrick Dumais and Kelsey Stasiuk; they know the machine and they know our trails. They watch the weather forecasts and the snow stump and discuss the strategies with each other and our general manager, Jan Wengelin. Ideally it is a simple decision: groom if more than a little snowfall, starting with the priority high use trails and eventually getting all the trails done. But unusual conditions seem to be the norm these days, often that means waiting a bit for warm, wet snow to cool and dry out (to avoid causing icy trails). Other times, the fresh snow might need repeated grooming to firm up the skate lane. And most times you won't even see the PistenBully because Patrick and Kelsey often groom late at night and very early in the morning.
In addition to senior groomers, we have other on call or in training. Sean Fraser has also contributed to the team's understanding of snow science & how to best work with snow conditions. Brant Dahlie continues to assist the team with his advice from his many years as a groomer & PB fixer.
At times, Jan may call on the Corduroy Crew (aka snowmobile groomers) to supplement the PB grooming but more often the snowmobile pulled G2 or Ginzu groomer will be used to freshen up the skate lanes, especially the dog trails. The Corduroy Crew includes Calder Graham, Cam Schley, Dick Harrison, Francois Depey, Geoff Recknell, James Cuell, Kevin Kriese, Sean Fraser, and Steve Osborn.
You would not be able to ski our great trails if you couldn't get into the parking lots. Michel Poulin, Zach Benard, Ian Tersago, Kelsey Stasiuk, and Adrian deGroot have been skillfully plowing our driveway and parking lots with the skid-steer. (If anyone is interested in plowing with Skiddy the Bobcat, please reach out to Jan Wengelin. The gates are opened daily by our caretakers Gen Perkins and Michel Poulin. They also keep the heat on at the lodge and monitor our facilities year-round.
Kudos for Pre-Season Trail work
We probably would be tripping up all over the place if it weren’t for the pre-season trail work to make the trails easier to attain adequate snow coverage; check out that work: https://bvnordic.ca/about-our-club/news/kudos-for-pre-season-trailwork
All these people are passionate about giving us all a great ski experience. Give them a tip of the toque and a thank you when you see them.
UPDATES
We have a new trail!
The "Adventure Trail" is a classic technique trail that winds through the woods for 2.3 km just east of the lodge. The main entrance to the trail is on Northern Lights, 300 meters past the lodge. There is also a short ungroomed "Kid Connector" just past the lodge at the beginning of Northern Lights.
The trail is made up of two connected loops and is an Intermediate trail. There is a short section that is Advanced that can be bypassed by exiting onto the Perimeter Trail. Most of the trail is one-way and winds through the woods with lots of exciting curves and dips to keep you on your toes. Please ski the two loops counter-clockwise. It will be groomed with small machines periodically; the best skiing will be on soft new snow and will be more challenging when the weather is wet as the trees overhead will drip a lot onto the trail. Give it a try for an "old school" classic ski experience.
Thanks to the CN Community Fund which provided funding for construction.
Holiday Hustle Recap:
What an incredible turn out! 80+ skiers = 145 laps of this year’s Holiday Hustle! Sam Dyxhoorn and her brother Greg skied the course 8 & 9 times respectively, and Sam was just visiting for the holidays!
The fastest skate times were David Doogan-Smith (23:16) and the Ski Boosters’ Amy Klepetar (33:13), while the fastest classic times were laid down by Rabbits coordinator, Sue Pearce (38:32) and coach Ryan Chapman (34:43). These times are just for bragging rights – it was participation that counted as prizes were awarded in a draw and the winners have been contacted. Thank you, Sarah Sacharoff, Ben Forsyth, Shannon Irvine, and Kira Hoffman for making the event happen this year.
If you enjoyed this year’s Hustle and would like to organize another virtual race to take place in February, please email eve...@bvnordic.ca with your ideas. Virtual races are a very low time commitment way to get involved with the Club & help create fun for fellow members.
Masters Biathlon:
BV Nordic Club Members and Masters Performance Athletes Léa-Marie Bowes-Lyon and Callie Lancaster are competing in Biathlon at the World Masters Winter Games in Vermiglio, Italy from January 11-21, 2024. Breaking news: Lea 1st, Callie 2nd in the sprint race! More updates soon!
Dec 30/31 Teck Northern Cup Recap:
We love our race Volunteers, so we made you a video: https://youtu.be/B1e7_uXAQAU
An abundance of snow and incredible volunteers brought almost 100 racers from Northern BC to Smithers on December 30th and 31st for the Teck Northern Cup 1 & 2 and BC Winter Games Trials (Zone 7, Northwest).
Saturday was a day of klister skis for the 92 racers and wax techs participating in the interval start classic race. Athletes from 5 – 65 years, from Terrace to Prince George, lined up at the start gate waiting for the chance to chase down the racer in front of them. Saturday’s race was also a qualifier for young athletes hoping to make the Zone 7 cross-country ski team for the BC Winter Games in Quesnel from February 22-25. While healthy competition was apparent on the course, the camaraderie at the finish line, the amazing meal shared together in the day lodge, and the cheers at the awards ceremony were a true sign of a successful race day.
Sunday morning’s cold temperatures and masterful waxing brought on a speedy free technique mass start race. A highlight was when the lead pack of male skiers happened to be passing through the stadium lap lane at the moment the female skiers were setting off from the start. It was like salmon in a river all meeting at a convergence, crossing paths & racing for the home stretch. As well, a dramatic finish occurred when a pack of U16 racers battled for the lead while coach and racer Ryan Chapman nipped at their heels.
An enormous thank you to our sponsors, coaches, waxing techs, race committee and volunteers for making this Teck Northern cup #1 & #2 happen. Our gratitude to Teck Resources Limited for sponsoring this event.
Full race results are posted on Zone 4: https://zone4.ca/event/2023/1ZwxRr/
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Pardon the Interruption: almost everything in this newsletter is thanks to volunteers, but we are short-handed; for example, we need a few more helpers at the delicious Tour De Treat… We know you are probably busy or feeling burned out, but there’s loads of science pointing to the fact you’ll feel better by volunteering!!
The popular Tour de Treat:
Coming up, Sunday, Jan 28, 2024, 1 - 3 pm. This self-guided tour takes in some of our best trails as skiers visit four treat stations. If you love making people smile, please consider contributing to the day’s success by signing up to volunteer at: https://volunteersignup.org/7Y8K3 WE NEED YOU!
Masters Drop In:
Sessions are for adults of any skill level and include coaching sessions for classic and skate technique. First time skiers can learn the basics while intermediate and advanced participants receive technique tips to keep improving. Attend one session or all!
Lessons are Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, from January 17th to February 21st, 2024.
Cost is $10 per session. A valid trail pass is required for participation.
To sign up, email your technique (skate or classic) and your level (beginner or intermediate) to mas...@bvnordic.ca by Monday night on the week you want to attend.
Solstice Celebration 2024:
Next season winter solstice falls on a Saturday; we have an opportunity to hold an amazing celebration of winter. We’re thinking fun activities for kids, night sky gazing & learning opportunities, (beer) relays, musicians, saunas, a bonfire...there are many potential ways to make this a memorable event, our events director needs help. Let’s assemble an energetic organizing team to start planning the event now. If this is something that sparks an interest, please contact eve...@bvnordic.ca
Check out our sponsors and give them your business:
For more information on anything BVCCSC, and to see our full list of terrific sponsors who would appreciate your business, visit: https://bvnordic.ca/