Spring Wildflowers starting to show along the Tsolum River in Courtenay

by Keith and Heather Nicol 

A fawn lily on March 28

   On Saturday March 28 we decided to check the fawn lilies and other wildflowers along the Tsolum River in Courtenay. Usually we head down to this area in April but we thought this year we would explore this area abit earlier and we weren’t disappointed. The delicate fawn lilies and trilliums are starting to open up and the show will only get better over the next couple of weeks.

   The area we go to is the trail network located behind the Exhibition Grounds off of Headquarters Road in Courtenay and there is lots of parking. Take the main access trail (really a road) toward the river and we found many clusters of fawn lilies on the trails to the right. You don’t need to walk very far before you see the flowers in bloom along the trail and under the trees.

Trilliums are also coming out

  So if you want to see some colouful wildflowers in this strange time we are in of Covid 19 this area will brighten your day.  If you are into pictures you might want to bring a tripod for your camera and something to kneel on since the carpets of flowers are best photographed low to the ground and the ground can be wet. If readers know of other local spots to see flowers let us know in the comments section below and stay safe. 

A fawn lily with another about ready to open behind it

Cross Country skiing is superb at Mount Washington

Keith skiing past Lake Helen Mackenzie

by Keith and Heather Nicol

     The Cross Country skiing has been stellar for the last few weeks with perfect temperatures, lots of

sun and great snow conditions at Mount Washington in the Comox Valley of Vancouver Island. With close to 2 meters of snow on the ground it is a winter wonderland with lots of trails for all levels of skier.  The trails in Strathcona Provincial Park are ideal for beginners and intermediates where as Lake Trail and Far East are popular with skiers wanting more of a workout. And new for this year is the option to be able to ski both ways to Lake Helen Mackenzie on the Lake Trail. This lake is well worth seeing under a blanket of snow so this 2 way trail is a great new possibility.

The tracks have been great for classic skiing

    Advanced skiers and those looking for an aerobic test will certainly get a challenge from the Grind, Marmot Flats, and Lower West. And for those cross country skiers new to this area it is worth while knowing that you can ride the Hawk Chair lift and ski down the thrilling Upper West trail. But there is more to the Nordic Operations at Mount Washington than cross country skiing. Raven Lodge is a full service building with rentals for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking. You can also book lessons for cross country skiing and snowshoe tours as well as grab a coffee, lunch or a snack. And with the longer days and warmer temperatures the deck at Raven Lodge has a view that can’t be beat.  There is lots more skiing left in the season and some special events so check out the Mount Washington web site for more information: www.mountwashington.ca

Keith skating through open areas of Lake Trail

Use this ½ skate drill to improve your skate ski balance

by Keith and Heather Nicol

Note how I put down a flat right ski in this example

   A great way to start the cross country ski season is at Supercamp which is held at Sovereign Lake Nordic and Silver Star Nordic Resort located near Vernon B.C. Their early season ski camps bring together skiers from across Canada and the US who are taught by some of North America’s top ski instructors.  One of the topics that several of my groups wanted to work on at the most recent camps was how to improve their glide when skate skiing. I told my students that to glide well you have to put down a flat ski and then balance with your entire body weight over that ski as you can see in this photo to the right.  All too often skiers put down an edged ski which is very hard to balance on (see photo below).

      

Many skiers glide with an edged ski as you can see here - note the inside edge on my left ski

To give skiers a feeling of riding a flat ski I had my skiers try the following drill using the classic ski track. In this case I had students push off with the angled ski out of the track and to balance over the ski the track. Often when skiers tried this drill they tried to scooter along which means that they never get their body weight over the ski in the track.  Remember the idea is not to make several short glides but rather to glide as long as you can as you can.  In this case you want to have your hip and head over your ski in the track as I show below.  And be sure to try this drill by balancing on both your right and left skis. One reason why skiers may not want to try to get their entire body weight gliding on the ski in the track is that they are afraid of falling so often I would ask skiers to use their poles to push them up if they found themselves off balance. This allowed skiers to really develop a solid feeling of gliding with their hip and head over the ski in the track which is the hall mark of good skating in fast conditions such as 1 skate or free skate. 

Try to glide in the track as long as you can

Be sure to glide on left and right skis

      So try this ½ skate drill as I call it if you want to improve your ability to glide while skate skiing. The key to doing this drill correctly is to feel tall over the glide ski with your hip and head balanced on the ski in the track.  Thanks to our sponsors: Madshus Skis and Boots- https://madshus.com/en-ca

 
Video of 1/2 skate drill 

Checking out the cross country skiing at Whistler Olympic Park

Heather in front of the Olympic Rings

By Keith and Heather Nicol

    We recently had a chance to check out some of the cross country ski trails at Whistler Olympic Park (WOP).  I had been asked to run a 4 day Level 2 CANSI ski instructor course and so it gave us a chance to see the area under a variety of ski and snow conditions. Unfortunately while we were there we had some wild weather including a forecasted 80 mm of rain on Friday, January 31 (not sure how much actually fell but it was alot). Then it cooled off so conditions for the next day were icy and on Sunday we had some sunny periods which gave way to snow in the afternoon so we had lots of variety. Overall we were impressed by the grooming which kept most trails skiable despite the changeable weather.  Although we didn`t see too much of the mountains when we were there when they did peak out they are impressive. 

Love those mountains

     Whistler Olympic Park hosts quite a few events and Manager Nadine Steenhoek told us that they had just held the Western Canadian Championships and the BC winter games trials in December. But since they were the site of the 2010 Olympic Biathlon and Ski Jumping events they also hold various activities and events associated with those sports as well.  Nadine also mentioned that they host a wide variety of youth and adult ski clinics and programmes as well as a popular women`s day which this year attracted close to 100 women! They also have 12 full time biathlon competitors who train at their facility which is a bonus for promoting that activity. Nadine also mentioned that they try to get on snow early with the `Callaghan Gold`which is basically stored snow from the previous winter which is covered by sawdust to keep it through the summer.  This allows them to lay down a 1.5 km track so that skiers can get on snow in early November which is impressive.  <

Our group trying some classic skiing in the stadium

     Currently they have approximately 55 to 60 km of xc ski trails and approximately 17 – 19 km of snowshoe trails. And this is just for Whistler Olympic Park. More ski and snowshoe trails can be accessed  at Callaghan Country Wilderness Adventures which is just across the road with intersecting trail networks.  So the bottom line is that there is lots happening here...way more than we realized.  We plan to get back up to this area to more fully explore it and for our readers who ski or snowshoe you have until April 5 this year to check it out.  See for more info: https://www.whistlersportlegacies.com/whistler-olympic-park/overview

Here is how to get your Madshus cross country ski boots to fit well

By Keith and Heather Nicol Tape some foam over the problem area     We spend alot of time in cross country ski boots through the winter and so you really want them to fit well. If they don`t fit can cause real problems producing blisters and painful feet. But if you have Madshus ski boots you can do some minor boot fitting alterations by using a hair drier, foam, and tape. I followed these steps as recommended by the Madshus Rep when I had a sore spot on my right ankle.       First look at the spot you’re having an issue with and cut a piece of foam to cover it. Next tape the foam directly onto the problem area and then put on your ski socks.  Then turn the hair dryer on heat up the inside of boot where you’re having an issue and be careful not to over heat the inside of the boot.  Heat the inside of the boot for 10-12 minutes. (I tried 5 minutes at first and that seemed to work.)  Then put your foot into the boot & lace them up. Not too tight.  Do not walk around but instead stand in an active stance for 15 minutes until the foam cools down. Then you can untie the boots, remove your foot, remove the foam pad you taped on. Finally put your socks back on & try the boot on.  This process worked for me and I now find these boots some of the most comfortable I have ever worn. Give it a try and let me know if this process works for you.   Use a hairdryer to heat up the boot so that the foam can be remolded Video of remolding your boots for better  fit