With Whistler opening this weekend and Lake Louise opening earlier this month, ski season is officially underway. Even our little local hill in Edmonton opened it’s doors , which surprised me considering there is no snow in sight.
I’ve been an avid skier since my early youth. After my second year of college my instructor and I went on a ski trip to Sunshine Village in Banff , Alberta. I instantly fell in love with the mountains and at the end of the week , i quit a great job up north and moved to Lake Louise where I worked , skied , climbed mountains and studied Photography. Quite a change from the oil patch and I sure surprised a lot of people, but I was young and looking for adventure. It was a truly amazing experience that lasted five years and left me with many fantastic stories to tell my son and maybe grandkids in the future 🙂
One thing to remember when playing in the mountains is SAFETY ! Every year the winter is littered with stories of people loosing their lives or disabling themselves in horrible accidents. Many of these are caused by people attempting things completely out of their skill level or without proper training.  As an ex adrenaline junkie I know from experience how easy it is to make mistakes, but keep in mind that mother nature can be very unforgiving at times and downright deadly. Skiing within proper boundaries is a rule for a good reason as well as having trails marked with different skill levels. Don’t get me wrong , I am not trying to be preachy in any way , just a little advice from experience. I’ve done a fair bit of backcountry skiing and hiking and the rule of thumb is “be prepared” just like the old boy scout saying 🙂 There are great courses available which will give you the knowledge to travel into the abyss, it’s a matter of minimizing the risks with proper training just like the pros. With time and patience as well as a bit of style and grace , who knows, maybe you can make it into a Warren Miller film !
I’ve skied quite a number of places throughout British Columbia and Alberta , Canada and my top 3 without a doubt are :
The premier event this year is the Winter Olympics in Vancouver this year. I was blessed to be around for the Calgary Olympics in 1988 and even had the pleasure of having a bit of ski time with the Swiss team while they were training in Lake Louise. If you haven’t had a chance to go see a world class sporting event such as the Olympics I urge you to go , there is nothing else like it !
For information on the Canadian Alpine Ski team check out their site : Alpine Ski Team and don’t forget to cheer them on this February !
One of the best websites for Canadian skiers of all ages is Ski and Snowboard Canada. There is tons of info as well as some fantastic deals for the kids, be sure to take a look 🙂
That’s all for tonight, take care , be safe and have a blast this winter !
Namaste ~ william
Borrowed Thoughts and Digital Desires 