Check out Auclair’s Cross Country Ski Gloves and Mitts

By Keith and Heather Nicol

     Basically you want cross country ski gloves or mitts to fit well, keep you warm and easily fit into your ski pole straps.  Recently I have had a chance to test a variety of gloves and mitts from Auclair and am certainly impressed by their fit and warmth. Also they all seem to have a slim profile so they fit smoothly into your ski straps. I am especially taken with their cross country ski mitts which fit into my straps so easily compared with the struggles I would have with my old mitts. 

Note the slim fit of the Auclair mitt compared to the bulky size of my old mitt

   Some innovative products to check out from Auclair include their over mitts which fit over either their gloves or mitts for skiing on those really cold days. I have not tested them yet in those conditions but am sure they will provide some extra warmth. As well  their Honeycomb glove has a built in overmitt tucked into the wrist band. Granted these overmitts are not thick but since they are with the gloves already and can easily deployed they are a great innovation. I have used them and they certainly provide some extra protection especially on windy days. 

Here is the Honeycomb glove with built in overmitt seen on my left hand 

Their Lillehammer glove is the ‘standard’ glove worn by many skiers where temperatures are cooler. At the Cross Country Supercamps  held every fall at Sovereign Lake -Silver Star Resort , near Vernon , B.C. these gloves were the skier’s choice from my observations. They are warm and yet their slim fit means they can easily fit into ski straps. Another new product from Auclair are their new light racing gloves which Canadian Olympian Alex Harvey helped design. They fit very nicely and I find them great for spring skiing. So have a look at the variety of Auclair gloves and mitts out there and for more information see:  http://www.auclairgloves.com/

These light gloves had input from racer Alex Harvey

 

The 28th Annual World Community Film Fest is coming up soon in Courtenay

By Keith and Heather Nicol

    A couple of days ago we picked up a copy of the 28^th Annual World Community Film Festival  (WCFF) newspaper at the Sid Williams Theatre box office in Courtenay and began to have a look at what films we wanted to check out for this year. Since we moved to the Comox Valley 4.5 years ago we have taken in the WCFF every year and this year’s lineup looks impressive again.  The WCFF runs February 1 and 2 this year so it is right around the corner and will take place at the Sid Williams Theatre, the Native Sons Hall and the Florence Filberg Centre.  The committee has selected over 30 films dealing with various social justice and environmental issues. It seems like this year there is abit more of a focus on the local Comox Valley and we counted 6 films that deal with our immediate area. We are looking forward to seeing “Flying with Ravens” which takes place at Mount Washington and also “Save Space Nugget” about protecting the forest in around Cumberland. There is even a set of films for children which look interesting for kids of all ages. The Friday night feature film is “Gurrumul” about the music of indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul from Australia. The Saturday night feature film is “Soufra” about a group of women who have launched a catering company in a refugee camp near Beirut, Lebanon. Both sound intriguing! The organizing committee should be commended for searching out these films and organizing this Film Festival. 

The Native Sons Hall is one of the venues for the event

The World Community Film Fest attracts a large following

Since there are 4 venues showing films at the same time you can’t possibly see all the films but the good news is that if you join the World Community you can view the films you didn’t see by borrowing them from the film library at the Bayside Café opposite the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay. There will also be a Community Action Hive (formerly the bazaar) on Saturday from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm in the Upper Filberg Hall in Courtenay which is central to where the films are being shown. There is always interesting booths to check out at the bazaar and you can find out how to get more involved in various initiatives right here in the Comox Valley. You can also grab a bite to eat there as well from the Elevate Canteen.  Entry to the Community Action Hive is free and the film festival admission is either $40 for the weekend or you can buy a daily pass for the Friday night feature film ($15) or all day Saturday ($36). You can order tickets on line at: www.sidwilliamstheatre.com. There is even a closing banquet for just $22. This year the meal will be a vegetarian feast with dishes from the West Indies, North Africa, and India. All in all it looks to be a great weekend with films that will inspire as well as raise awareness of what we need to change in the world around us.  For more information on the World Community Film Fest see:http://www.worldcommunity.ca/film-festival/

The Bazaar is well worth attending and you can grab a bite to eat there as well

Cross Country skiers should check out Infinity Ski Poles

By Keith and Heather Nicol

The Infinity Vise Strap makes controlling your pole easy

    Infinity Ski Poles have a strapping system that I really like which makes poling in either classic or skate skiing that much easier. The key is the their so called “ vise strap” which snuggly wraps around your glove or mitt which makes controlling your pole very easy. Infinity makes several different shafts depending on if you want lightness or durability as well a couple of different basket options. My “go to” Infinity Ski Poles have been the eLite shaft which is compromise in lightness and durability. It comes in at just 46 gm/m of shaft length!  The vice strap allows lots of adjustment for when you are wearing mitts or gloves  and the poles comes with a variety of grip options from synthetic to cork. Most of their poles also come with a 1 year warranty against breakage.  This year I am testing the eXtreme ski pole shaft which is slightly heavier but stiffer.  This shaft comes in at 54 gm/m. If you are in the market for new poles check these out at: www.zre.com  or http://www.infinityskipoles.com/  

Infinity Ski Poles in action

For the outdoor person on your Christmas list check out these BRBM water proof maps.

By Keith and Heather Nicol

Keith looking over one of the fold out maps for Vanc Island

      Since we like to explore on foot and sea kayak maps are indispensible tools for staying found.   They come into their own when planning a trip and of course while doing any backcountry trip. During our many years in Newfoundland we relied a great deal on topographic maps to help navigate in summer on hiking or canoe trips and in the winter on backcountry ski trips. We also often used them for sea kayaking although we often had marine charts as well for that activity. Since we have just arrived in the Comox Valley we have been keen to get out and see this area as well and we have logged many hours paddling, biking and hiking in this scenic part of Vancouver Island. But we also want to explore beyond the Comox Valley so we were very pleased to find the series of maps put out by Backroads Mapbooks (BRMB). 

 

The popular Helliwell Park trail on Hornby Island was identified on the maps

We had never come across these publications before although it looks like recently they have completed one for Newfoundland.  One of their products we were attracted to right away was their fold out waterproof maps of Vancouver island. They have 2 of these recently produced maps – one logically for the north part of the island and another for the southern part (the dividing line being roughly at Qualicum Beach/Parksville area). We feel these maps will be ideal for trip planning as we explore Vancouver Island since forestry backroads are shown as well as lots of camping, sea kayak and other information.  Their scale of 1:180.000 is ideal for broad planning and since the maps fold up nicely you can then use them along the way. At this scale they won’t replace detailed maps or marine charts but they certainly are big improvement over a provincial road map.

These maps are a good first step for identifying various trails - Hornby Island

   

    With our BRMB map of Vancouver Island (north) in hand we decided to do a fall trip to Hornby Island to check out the detail and accuracy of the maps. We had our car loaded with sea kayaks, hiking boots and mountain bikes and we were impressed with the information that it did show for Hornby Island. It identified most beaches and highlighted trailheads for some multi use trails. When we mountain biked on Hornby Island’s excellent trails we did use a detailed trail map produced by their mountain bike association since a map at a scale of 1:180,000 won’t show all the trails.  The BRMB map showed some campgrounds but didn’t identify any sea kayak routes perhaps since Hornby Island doesn’t have a well maintained boat launch. When we were there we simply launched off of sandy beaches. So what is our take away of these maps ...they are very useful for planning purposes since they show Vancouver Island at a perfect “big picture” scale and they are waterproof. And at just $14.95 each they would make a great stocking stuffer for the outdoor person on your Christmas list. They can be found at a variety of retail outlets or can be ordered at: https://www.backroadmapbooks.com/  BRMB has other map products as well and they now have produced maps for all provinces of Canada so be sure to check them out.  

Supercamps are a perfect way to start the cross country ski season.

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

Skiing on the grid at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre

    We in the middle of teaching in the early season Supercamps that are held every year at Silver Star and Sovereign Lake located near Vernon in B.C.’s Interior. The main Supercamps run from November 19 to December 9, 2018 and they include three 3 weekend camps and three 4.5 day mid week camps. This year this area has had early snow and conditions for the camps have been close to perfect. These camps have been running for many years but seem to be getting more popular and this year has been the largest with well over 360 participants. In fact all camps sold out quickly so next year if you want to get in on one of these camps be sure to sign up early.

Here is our group at the top of the mountain

     Classes involve instruction by some of Canada’s top cross country ski instructors and coaches and a chance to ski on the 105 km trail network which includes trails at Silver Star and Sovereign Lake Nordic ski areas.  The camps offer video analysis of your skiing plus afternoon lectures on nutrition, yoga, how to prepare for skiing a loppet and much more. There are a variety of specialized programmes including biathlon, a pro camp for aspiring masters racers and a popular   “Wild Women” programme which involves enjoying the nordic ski experience in a fun, friendly, female-focused environment. Spend your mornings and early afternoon on skis improving your technique, and then relax in the late afternoons with wine & yoga, a strength and conditioning session, and other exciting extras. Class size varies but is usually between 5-6 participants per instructor which makes for personalized instruction. 

 

A real bonus is that you can use the lifts at Silver Star Resort to access the upper trails

    These camps are geared to everyone from first timers to advanced skiers wanting to improve their technique and get in cross country skiing on a huge variety of trails. If you want a mid season tune up on your skiing you can still take in 2 more weekend camps which are scheduled for January 11-13, 2019 and February 1-3, 2019. For more information see: http://www.xcsupercamp.com/

 

The views from the trails are spectacular