Just two weeks of cross country skiing left!! Where did the winter go?

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

Well  the countdown is starting. ..just 2 more weeks of skiing at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. The cross country skiing has been great this season with new snow being added regularly through March to keep the trails in good shape. Many people don’t like icy conditions and so far those have been kept to a minimum by nightly snow falls. But if you are afraid of the downhills on those icy days check out this video to help keep you under control- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8_IOJu9aa4     . But later this week we are forecast to have double digit temperatures in the valley and sunny skies which will be appreciated since March temperatures have been chilly than normal. But that will also mean early morning icy conditions so plan your day accordingly. You want hit the trails after the ice has melted abit but has not become too slushy.

But there is lots of cross country skiing left and the mountain is sitting on nearly a 2 meter snow pack so when Raven Lodge closes for the season it won’t be for lack of snow. And it is still not too late to get a lesson and learn some new skills.  So get out there and enjoy the last couple of weeks of skiing and for more information see:  https://www.mountwashington.ca/

 

 

 

“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022” exhibit at the Royal BC Museum is awesome!

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

The latest exhibit at the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) is well worth taking in and you have about 1 more month to view it. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 exhibit  is now in its 58^th year and closes at the RBCM on April 16, 2023. We have seen past “Wildlife Photographer” shows at the Royal BC Museum and it is put together by London England’s Natural History Museum.  The jury for this exhibit shifts through close to 50,000 images submitted from over 100 countries around the globe so this really is the best of the best!  Pictured below are some of the images we enjoyed. Admission to the exhibit also includes access to the Natural History of BC Gallery which features BC’s amazingly diverse ecosystems and how they formed.  Also coming up at the RBCM is an exhibit of Dinosaurs of BC, SUE:The T rex Experience, and Angkor – The Lost Expire of Cambodia. For more information contact the Royal BC Museum at: https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/

                                      A brown bear stalks sockeye salmon in Alaska

                                      Breeding frenzy Tree Frogs in Costa Rica

                                     The backlit photographs make for amazing viewing

                                  A dying gorilla comforted by caregiver Andre Bauma

Cross country skiers with knee issues should check out these tights by Stoko

By Keith and Heather Nicol
Cross country skiing is a sport known for being easy on the joints but sometimes general wear and tear creates knee problems for many people. And for active people the last thing we want to  have are knee issues that may prevent us from doing the sports we love. Often cross country skiers will wear bulky knee braces which are hard to fit under over ski pants or on top of tights but STOKO has revolutionized managing knee support by making tights that are also act as a brace. Amazing!! 

                        You would never knnow Mike Akey had knee issues the way he skis wearing the Stoko tights

The tights have over 30 meters of cables woven into the fabric in a crisscross fashion from the waistband to the ankle. By tightening the control knobs at the back of the tights you can create the amount of compression and support you need for your knee. If you only have problems with 1 knee you can dial up the right amount of support for that knee and leave the other side with less support. The tights seem to help a number of knee issues like ligament problems (ie ACL etc) as well as meniscus tears as this video (below) shows with Masters Biathlete and avid cross country skier Mike Akey.  The tights will also help you recover from knee injuries as well as possibly prevent them in the first place  

 

The STOKO tights do cost much more than drug store knee braces but they are registered as a CLASS 1  Medical Device and FDA approved. The brace will likely be reimbursable through Health Spending Accounts by Canadian insurers.As for general benefits plans, reimbursement will depend on your exact medical coverage. 

                                                      Mike skating to the Biathlon Range

STOKO makes 3 different tights including warmer tights for alpine skiers to lighter ones for summer activities. They are machine washable (just put them in the bag they come in) and be sure to watch the training videos about putting them on and wearing them for the first time. They need to be worn a few times to get the cables to stretch out. So check them out to see if they might help your any knee issues you might have. And remember they aren’t just for skiers- they will help hikers, bikers, runners or anyone looking for abit more knee support. Click STOKO for details.

 Also be sure to put in K2NICOL to save yourself 10% at the checkout.