Beaver Tales
Georgian Nordic Ski and Canoe Club
Beaver Tales
Georgian Nordic Ski and Canoe Club
The Presidents
Corner
Hard
to believe that a few short weeks ago we were so concerned that we were not
going to have a ski season! February has
been an excellent month for everyone who skis and for everyone who loves and
supports a skier.
Women
on Skis, the Elementary Ski Race, the Special Olympics (Feb. 24) and our Annual
Sounder (Feb. 25) were outstanding events.
The
energy and enthusiasm evident on Saturday mornings during our Jackrabbit
program are positively contagious. The
achievements of our Parry Sound High School Cross Country Ski Team at the
Ontario Federation of Secondary Schools Association Provincial Championships in
It
is incredible to realize that skiers using our Club span an age range from 3 to
80 years. It is not uncommon to see
parents with even younger children perched on their backs or being pulled in
sleds, skiing on our trails. Future Jack Rabbits in training!
Our well
deserved reputation for warmth, hospitality and an authentic sense of community
have been clearly evident once again this season. None of this would be possible without the
generosity and good will of many volunteers and our outstanding staff.
Thanks
to one and all for maintaining and extending our collective reputation as a
great place to ski!
With any luck
we will see you on the trails in early April!
Ron Chase
President
2005-2006
GEORGIAN NORDIC SKI AND CANOE CLUB
Parry Sound, Ont.
P2A 2X2
746-5067 or 1-888-866-4447
e-mail: ski@vianet.ca For
news and snow updates
check our website at: www.georgiannordic.com
Jackrabbit
Well,
another great year of Jackrabbit programming has come to an end. We hope that everyone had a great time and
that you will be back next year to ski with us.
The Jackrabbit committee is always looking for ways to improve or just
change, so if you have any comments please pass them to one of us.
A
really big thanks goes out to all of the group leaders. We would be lost without you and hope that
you can join us next year. We would also
like to thank all the parents who came out skiing with their child and who help
the leaders along the trail. Another big
thanks goes out to the GNSCC board members, as they have been very supportive
of our different ideas.
March 3rd was the
last day for Jackrabbits. Snow
conditions were as good as you could have asked for. The morning was rounded out with a hot dog
and hamburger Barbeque. Yes!
Thanks to all and have a great spring and summer!
Ghislain, Graham, & Larry
Don’t
stop skiing, Jackrabbits, now that lessons are over. March skiing is the best time to practise
what you have learned.
April Beaver Tales
Please have submissions
e-mailed to me no later than Wednesday, March 28th
E-mail: masonj@vianet.ca
or phone John Mason 342-1315
In and
About the Burrow
March is here already – my, it’s
been a short season! What we lacked in the
number of ski days was more than made up for by the enthusiasm of our members,
visitors and our fabulous volunteers.
It’s been a pleasure to work and socialize.
There were times when sheer
volume of skiers became more than one attendant could handle. We had a group of 16 people from
One of the things that make Georgian Nordic so great is how
people will just step up to the plate and help out when needed. Events such as Women on Skis, the Sounder
& Special Olympics would not happen without volunteers. It’s not only important to the club, it’s fun
too. Please consider approaching one of
the directors if there is some way that you think that you would like to help,
whether it’s for a few minutes, hours or giving organizers a break and taking
charge of an event. New input freshens
up yearly events.
Please be sure to check out the
ever-expanding lost & found before the burrow closes on March 18. Not only are there clothing, we also have a
pair of Alpina waxless skis and poles left behind about 3 weeks ago.
Enjoy spring skiing, have a great
summer and we’ll see you next winter!
The
Burrow Babes
Pictures of
the Special Olympics and Sounder are on the web page. www.georgiannordic.com. You can also find daily updates on the trail
conditions on the web page. Results will
also be posted as soon as they are available to us.
Be sure to
check it out.
Dorothy Ehgoetz
Publicity Director
Sounder Ski Tour 2007
The 26th annual
Sounder Ski Tour was held Sunday, Feb.25, 2007 on a calm, overcast day. Temperature ranged –3 to -1 C. The event had been rescheduled from Feb. 3rd due to lack of snow. This was also the first time the Sounder was
held on Sunday instead of Saturday. We
are pleased with the overall results and the 175 participants for the event.
A big thank you to the many volunteers who helped with: parking 120 cars,
setting up the race courses, registration, starters and timers and
marshals, food and drink station
attendants, kitchen staff, and the co-ordinator of securing sponsors.
We again used the Jackrabbit, Lynx,
Partridge and Bunny trails to set out distances of 2k, 3k, 5k, and 11 k. The 22K. event repeated the 11K
distance. The finish line and 22K lap
area were co-ordinated so that spectators at the finish area were able to have
a good view of their favourite athlete completing the course.
Many thanks to Bialkowski
Trysport for providing numbered bibs.
Tour results are posted in the
Burrow and on the club’s web site.
Peter Daleman
Sounder
Co-ordinator 2007
After a slow start this season, we received good snowfalls
in February to finally allow us to open all the trails. The equipment,
especially the new roller and ginzu groomer along with the four stroke Skandic
have helped a great deal to maintain the trails in top condition.
We will try to keep the trails skiable until Sunday April 1st.
and will put all the grooming equipment away after that date. Meanwhile, go out
and ski as often as possible for all the many days in March.
Thank you for the many positive comments about the trail
conditions.
See you on the trails.
Peter Daleman
Women On Skis
The last beaver Tales got out without thanking the instructors. A change was sent out by e-mail but some get a mailed hard copy. So better late …
A big THANK YOU is sent to the instructors: Linda Chase, Wendy Grater, Katya Mathys, Catherine McNeice, Peggy Morel, Sharron Ranney and Gudrun Papesch for helping make Women on Skis a success.
Men
On Skis Too
As Women On Skis wound down, the annual
question was asked around the club, ‘Why don’t men have an activity like
this? No need for pity; some of us
do. This year, the week after Women On
Skis, six members of Black Sludge headed north of Sault Ste. Marie for a winter
camp.
After a beautiful moon lit night drive to the
Soo and a motel for the first night, we set camp under
The drive up should have warned us, ‘Moon
light – cold night.’ and cold mornings too as it turned out. Each morning Jack announced, ‘Minus 20.’ and
we had an impromptu fashion show around the breakfast fire of the latest attire
for keeping warm. You can imagine that we had no trouble planning warm-up
exercises. With no dance teacher to
lead, we waded into the bush to fetch then cut firewood for the day. Ah, the stretches felt sooo good!
Light entertainment was provided by
Trap. Last year Trap had roared to a
stop outside the tents at 2:00 A.M. shouted, “The English are coming!” and
drove on. This year a still embarrassed
trapper allowed that Paul had actually shouted, “The British…” By Friday, with more snow and closed
highways, Trap asked us to phone and warn him when we would be up next
year. For two years we have brought the
worst weather. We assured him that, yes,
that is what we have done for over a decade.
Prophecy more accurate than the Farmers Almanac when we go camping it
will be: snow, wind, or cold, the worst week of the winter. But there is a certain joy in that
knowledge.
This year, heavy, deep, snow and impossible
trail breaking caused us to shortened a trip up the mountain. But one day we did have a beautiful ski
through narrow trails where evergreens were fluffy and bending under over a
foot of snow. The trail led to a three
hundred-foot drop down an old logging trail.
In deep powder snow it was one of the best runs you could ask for. Four of the members liked it so much they
climbed up and went down again.
The last morning Jack announced minus 25. Actually we knew before being told. At minus 20 boots flex some; at minus 25,
they don’t. We packed and headed out.
And there you have it: fashion show,
exercise, entertainment, skiing, camaraderie.
Men on Skis: diverse but equal.
PSHS Nordic Skiing
Another year of high school skiing
has come to a close. The team would like
to thank all ski club members for their support and to thank the groomers for
the well prepared, trails they found each night after school.
This
year the following results occurred at OFSAA races held at North Bay Nordic
trails on February 22-23, 2007.
The Junior Girls earned the bronze medal. (Erin
Creasor 22nd, Laura Shaw 23rd, Danielle Rozon 25th,
Carly Chantler 29th and Lynsey Bialdowski 33rd).
The Junior Boys followed in 10th place ( Jessie Dyer
29th, Scott Hill 30th, Mike Holm 69th and Brandon Holm
98th).
The Senior Girls captured the silver ( Kaitlin
Chantler 7th, Meg Donevan 21st, Katie Maddon 35th,
Jody Chantler 68th and Meaghan Jones 70th).
The Senior Boys also won bronze (Konrad Wiltmann 8th,
Mickey Henry 15th, Warren Millar 24th, Adam Shaw 31st
and Tyler Johnson 39th).
In the sprint relays:
Junior Girls' were First. WOW!
Junior Boys' were ninth.
Senior Girls' were First. WOW!
Senior Boys' were Second. Incredible!
This was a very successful conclusion to a very frustrating season. If you know any of these students, stop them
and let them tell you of their achievements.
(A thanks,
too, to Jackrabbit coaches of winters past.
You teach kids and this is what you get.
Thanks to you. Ed.)