Sun peaks 2008
Sun peaks 2008
Feb 27 – Although we had a little new snow last night, it was only about ½ cm, so we went x-country from the top of Morrissey again. After Holy Cow, we skated up Moose to MacGillvray track, then up Blue Grouse and back to Morrissey via Black Bear and Vista. A biggish skate. We are getting much better at the uphill. Last year, our first year on the skates, we found much to practice going down Holy Cow (balance, moving from ski tomski). This year, we need steady uphill sections to give us something to work on. Neither of us is especially well today.
Feb 28 – A very late start. About 4cm of new snow fell overnight. We were intending to ski downhill for a little while, but did not make it. We had a pizza for lunch and then did some skating. Despite the late start, we were skaters 1 and 2 down Holy Cow. The snow was a little sticky and skating was quite hard work. We came back by skating up Moose Track (that was very hard work) and then down MacGillvray and Black Bear. We had not done that before. Today, we were trying out a new glide wax. The glide wax goes on the base of the skating skis to reduce friction as much as possible. The recommendation is to use the best you can afford. We have been using a new formulation of the Toko wax. It is ok. Today, we used NotWax, a product we have used before with success on downhill skis. It was developed years ago when people were playing around with Teflon. They had this very slippery stuff that would not stick to anything – and so was useless as a pan coating. It sat around for years until someone put it on skis. It does not stick to the skis but it takes a while to come off – and is very slippery. A great glide (not) wax.
Helen noticed that the heel locator on Geoff’s skating binding has fallen off. We headed down to have it repaired – no luck. No one carries that part. Geoff thinks they could carry more x-country accessories here – gloves, spares, etc. The traffic on the trails many days says there is probably a market.
Geoff finished reading Ken Follett’s, ‘World Without End’ – an excellent book.
Feb 29 – Downhill today – our second last day, so we put in a big morning skiing as much as we could. Sting was groomed (Geoff’s favoutite run) so we had to do a couple of those. Very nice. Then, up the Crystal Chair to the do Highway 22 – another groomed black that has been a favourite in past years. The Headwalls (a double black diamond) is being groomed almost every day in preparation for the Velocity Challenge in a few weeks. They should reach speeds of about 180kph point straight down the hill. We did not do that. We went to Morrissey for a few runs – very warn snow by this time and we dropped out at about noon.
We had Jeff Millar over for dinner. Jeff is first on the chair each day. He skis close to every day of the season. One of the best skiers on the hill. He is a yank from Washington State, a viet vet with a 100% disability pension. A very nice man with a passion for this ski hill and fly fishing. We like him.
Mar 1 – We went down to the lift bottom to say goodbye to the first lift people – Jeff Millar and Larissa. Then, put our x-country gear on and did a big tour – Holy Cow, Moose, up MacGillvray, up Blue Grouse, up nut Hatch, along Ravens Ramble, down MacGillvray, down Black Bear, up Cotton Tail hill, along Vista and back to the ice rink. Did I say buggered. It was just a touch beyond our fitness level. Very wobbly knees on return. We both had a short kip after lunch. Now we have the skating ability to skate up most of the track. We just need the fitness and stamina – and maybe lose a few years.
Mackers opens. Remember Mackers on the Mountain Bar & Bistro that had its ceiling collapse the first week we were here. It has opened again. They lost most of their season. We went down for a beer. It is our favourite eatery on the hill. Mackers is owned by the three McDonnell brothers and is at the west end of the Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge. Most years, we would call in there almost every day. In the early years, Mackers had a jug of beer and plate of chicken wing special before 4pm. We often did that. Good to see them open again.
A story. The Delta Hotel is now only a few metres away from Mackers and the end of the Cahilty. We watched the Delta being built. It is now a big luxurious hotel. When it was almost built, at lock up stage, it caught fire and burn down. The flames melted part of the outer walls of the Cahlity and Mackers. The story we like is that of the Mackers who live in Kamloops. Apparently, the police were racing up the mountain from Kamloops to see to the fire. Suddenly, a car went past them doing a huge speed. They nodded to each other and said ‘ah, that was Big Mac’. A few minutes later another car went past them. ‘Ah, that was Little Mac’. A few minutes later another car races past the police car ‘And that was Middle Mac’. The brothers are well liked. The Delta was rebuilt the next year. The Cahilty has a few scorch marks. The Macker brothers have photos of the fire on their wall.
Packing begins.
Sun Peaks trip 2008 - week 6
Saturday, 1 March 2008