November 16, 2005 – For the rest of the team and I the ski season is well under way. I have just returned from Fairbanks, Alaska and was in Canmore just long enough to unpack, do laundry, re-pack and jump in the van to head off to the ski mecca of Silver Star, B.C.

Having been to Fairbanks a handful of times during my senior ski career I have begun to question the ‘Great White North’ image that most of us have in our heads. When I think of the far north, I picture snow as far as the eye can see. However, this seems to be the wrong idea. In fact it seems that Fairbanks gets the least snow of anywhere we travel to ski. Why go you ask? Well, their snow comes quite early, even if it is only a couple of inches, and at the Birch Hills Ski Club they can make only a few inches of snow into some great skiing. So what’s the catch? It snows so early in Fairbanks because it’s so friggin’ cold! We’re talking highs of -20 degrees in October! None of this snow storm one day, +15 degrees the next, weather that we get in Canmore. I would think that in a place that’s so cold it’d snow a lot. This is another misconception I’ve had. There seems to be no actual snow storms just a hefty accumulation of frost from countless days of twenty below weather that is passed off as snow. Here’s what I propose, changing the term: Great White North to the Great Frosty North, that is, as long as you think of ‘Great’ in terms of size and don’t confuse it with ‘Great’ snow or ‘Great’ weather. In which case we should stick with just ‘North’ which in my mind is the most accurate description plain, simple, north. Despite the adverse conditions, Birch Hills does a great job of making the best of things. Without the hard work of the staff and volunteers the racing and training would not be possible. It seems like they have to work twice as hard to put on a race than any other place I’ve been and that’s what keeps us coming back. I’d like to give a big thank you to them from the whole team for all the hard work!

My whining aside, I am grateful to have a chance to train all over the world and have the opportunity to get on snow so early in the season. This year I was reminded of this as we passed Mt. McKinely on our flight home from Fairbanks. (When I say passed, I mean we flew beside it, you literally have to look up out of the plane window to see the summit of this giant. At the same time you have to press your forehead against the window to see the other mountain peaks thousands of feet below.) Gazing at this famous mountain buried in snow, floating by the plane window, on a bluebird day, made me feel so grateful to be where I was and have the opportunity to see so many incredible things that others may never have the chance to. It’s moments like this that make me really appreciate the life that I have as a skier.

Our trip to Fairbanks is not only to train, but to blow out the carbon in the first races of the year. I was pretty happy with my start to the season with a 5th in the 20km pursuit and 3rd in the sprint. The Americans are always strong at the start of the season and it was a good test to see where I’m at. Early season racing is always a bit nerve racking because you never really know what to expect. All the intervals and time trials in the world can only tell you so much about your shape. It’s the racing that is the true and sometimes harsh judge. With just under two weeks until the first Canadian races of the year, I have time to get in one last week of high volume and intensity. I’ll be doing around 25 hours this week with three intensity sessions, one of which will be a time trial next weekend. After that the hours will be backed off a bit leading into the races at Sovereign Lakes to ensure the body is sharp and ready to go.