January sea kayaking at Pt Holmes, Comox Valley

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

     We don’t normally make New Year’s Resolutions but this year decided to try and get in a sea kayaking outing in every month of the year in the Comox area of Vancouver Island.  We normally have our ski box on our car during the winter so putting 2 sea kayaks on is awkward but this year we knew we wouldn’t be travelling outside the region to ski given the Covid 19 outbreak. Since we store our skis in our locker at Mount Washington we decided to leave the kayak racks on and try to get out through the winter when the weather cooperated which would be a first for us. 

                                               Heather enjoying the sun for a January sea kayak outing

    Much of the early part of January was stormy and windy which was great for piling up snow at Mount Washington but it wasn’t great for sea kayaking. With a forecast of snow for the last week of January we decided that we better take advantage of the sunny weather on January 21. With light NW winds forecast we knew that the boat launch at Pt Holmes would be a good place to launch since it faces to the south.  Temperatures were around 5-6 C so we decided to mainly paddle in the sun and first headed to Cape Lazo to see what birds and other wildlife we could see. The snow capped mountains of the BC Mainland loomed in the distance and we paddled past numerous small flocks of Harlequin ducks. Once we had paddled to Cape Lazo we decided to turn around and paddle into the sun to warm up. We proceeded past the boat launch to for another kilometer or so before heading  back to the  boat launch. Overall we paddled about 4 km and we were out for an hour enjoying the sun and being back on the ocean. So if you like to sea kayak think about heading out this winter when the weather and sea conditions permit. 

                                                                Paddling along the shoreline at Pt Holmes

Developing a solid skating action in cross country skiing

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

  Often beginning skaters have trouble developing a solid push off when they skate. They may push the ski to the side off a flat ski which results in a skidding action and little power. Or they  may push too far back like they are striding and end up with the ski sliding back with little forward momentum.  Remember to flex slightly at the ankles, knees and hips and push through the centre of your foot—not off your toes or off your heels-- to develop power .

 

     Note how I am pushing off an edged ski                                Track left by an edged ski in the snow
    Also when conditions are right I tell my students to examine the tracks left in the snow to help them figure out how well they are skiing. When you free skate on freshly groomed trails you should see a section where the ski leaves a flat imprint on the snow followed by an edged mark. This is because as you skate you want to initially place your ski down flat on the snow to maximize glide and then when you push off this creates an edged pattern in the snow.   Skiers who don’t edge their skis enough when they push off may find the skis slides away from them. Skiers who ski like this will leave this sort of skidded track in freshly groomed snow (see photo below). So to improve your skating try to bring your feet underneath your body and land first on an flat ski to maximize glide and then push off an edged ski . So next time you are out check your tracks in the snow to see how well you are skating.  The following video looks at what your tracks say about your skiing-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-3VxuarJrc&feature=youtu.be.  Thanks to Auclair gloves and Infinity ski poles for their help.

 

Cross Country ski trails in Strathcona Park are now open at Mount Washington Ski Resort

By Keith and Heather Nicol

    With all the recent storms that have hammered Vancouver Island, this has meant that the snow has been piling up at Mt Washington Ski Resort in the Comox Valley. This has meant that the cross country ski trails in Strathcona Provincial Park are now open. This opens up lots of very popular beginner and intermediate ski trails which wind through Paradise Meadows and adjacent terrain. The open forest means that there is lots of sun on these trails and since it is early January here is my suggestion for those wanting to stay in the sun. (Although many of these trails are loops the south side of the loop is often in the shade at this time of year.)  After entering the Ponds trail take the north side of Paradise Meadows and the north side of Jackrabbit trail. 

                                                            The north loop of the trails get the sun

     The junction of Far East and Jackrabbit makes a convenient turn around for your return ski tour. This will keep you mostly in the sun give you a good workout at the same time. Another bonus of skiing the trails in this direction is that it avoids a hill on the Paradise Meadows trail that might intimidate weaker skiers. We have found that with all the fresh snow classic skiing has been the technique of choice since skating is more challenging in softer, fresh snow. So if you are looking for a great covid 19 activity, then have a look at cross country skiing. It exercises all muscle groups and it is easy to stay socially distanced on the ski trails. Here is a link to one of my cross country ski instructional videos that reviews some basic skills for classic skiing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZnCX92c9I&feature=youtu.be     See you on the trails. 

                                                         Classic skiing has been great