On the CBC radio morning show Daybreak South from Kelowna on Wednesday morning, hosts Chris Walker and Aliya Ramadan had a segment on “Are you done with winter?”
It may have had something to do with the dump of snow the interior got overnight. Aliya went to the street to ask folks the question and the vast majority of responses was “Yes! Done!” Most were dismayed by this snowfall in March, and needed it to be gone for good. You can imagine my response! Yahoo! for the snow.
What an amazing year it has been to ski and skate on the foreshore this winter. We can put our skis on just below us at the Raven end and ski to Sandy Point and beyond. As well, we can scrape off a patch and play hockey, as we have been since Christmas. In the Larch Hills, the track setters have done a marvelous job of giving us tracks that criss-cross all over the hill and this recent snowfall with give even more life to the trails. The backcountry is, and has been, terrific and this snowfall will give another layer to make the experience even more magical - and the run down Greenway even more spectacular!
For the fourth consecutive year, and the sixth time in the past seven years, the Larch Hills Nordics Junior Race Team brought home the overall points trophy from the BC Championships at Stake Lake, Kamloops, on the Feb. 19th weekend. With over 100 LHNS skiers competing in the event, there was a good chance we would get the trophy but it took stellar results from the competitors to secure it. Points are awarded for finish placement first to fifth and we had many skiers bringing home the points in their races. It was enough to garner a good 80 points more than their closest competitor the Revelstoke Nordics.
On top of that, a number of LHN Race Team skiers brought home the BC Aggregate age class plaques for their performance in many races throughout the province over the ski racing season. Congrats to the whole team for their showing. Now on to the Nationals - for the skiers Juvenile age and up. (born in 2002 and before.) Larch Hills will have a team in Canmore March 18-25 competing for National honours. For some this will be their first foray into national competition. Good luck to this gang. Jim and I will be there cheering the LH team on with our trusty bell from the Lillehammer Olympics, just for good luck!
Speaking of the Nationals, a new event in the week-long racing will make its world debut on the first day of competition - the Relay Cross. The Relay Cross will include teams of two athletes from the same club compete on two different courses. Each leg skied will include rollers, uphills, downhill slalom courses, banks and turns along with one low barrier. The two courses will each be approximately two kilometres in length and will include a single “escargot” where the course will spiral in the pattern of a snail shell.
The LHN Race team also brought home the overall trophy from the BC Midget Championships last weekend. A great year for the team. Congrats to all racers, coaches, parents!
Even though it’s March - think snow!