Graeme Killick and technician Joel Jacques test out some new skis in near perfect conditions on Moraine Lake Road. ©Drew Goldsack
The team gearing up for an interval session in Lake Louise. ©Drew Goldsack
The early start was also aided by a ‘test’ project to farm (or store) snow made the previous winter. A large pile of snow was blown at the Nordic Centre last winter and then covered with sawdust in the spring to help slow the melting through the summer. The crews were then able to clear the sawdust from the pile in the fall and spread it out for skiing. I think to the surprise of many, the snow farming worked very well and in my opinion, it was a resounding success! Farming snow is a common practice in Scandinavia but as far as I know this is the first time it has been attempted in North America. Hopefully this winter we’ll see a much larger scale operation that will rival the mountains of snow they make in northern Finland!
We’ve had some of the earliest skiing I can remember in the Canmore area and though it started out as an extremely short (<5min) loop in Canmore, it was great to get back on the boards again!! Not too long after we were on snow in Canmore, the Old Faithful of early skiingSMoraine Lake Rd. in Lake Louise opened for the season. The team spent two weeks at a mini training camp based between Lake Louise and Canmore and we had a great opportunity to get in some big hours of training, test new skis and even get in a few time trialsSall before the middle of November!
The start of the ski season is always loaded with excitement for me, new equipment arrives, the snow starts to fly and the racing season is just around the corner. Some of my most memorable and enjoyable ski workouts are the first long ski sessions of the year, flying over freshly fallen snow, many times guided only by the light of my head – see Drew Goldsack Blog – Getting ‘High’ in California.
A few years ago I came across this great letter from the editor of Axis Magazine in the first issue of the season. Axis is a freeride ski mag and the letter was written with alpine skiing in mind but I think it applies really well to cross-country skiing as well. I couldn’t have put my feelings for skiing and the ski lifestyle any better!
‘While the world awaited the court’s decision on who would be the next American president, I went skiing. While men and women continued to clean up ground zero, I went skiing. While soldiers fought and died in the Afghan desert, I went skiing. While “shock and awe” shook the ground of the Middle East, I went skiing.
A certain amount of guilt came over me this year, as I would turn off the 24-hour war coverage to go skiing. Why wasn’t I over there documenting this war, trying to make a difference in this crazy world? This question and doubt in my chosen path would often haunt me while I rode the lifts or sat in the backcountry on a picture-perfect powder morning.
I never found an answer to my troubling question. I still don’t know if I am doing the “the right thing.” I do know that skiing makes me happy – it helps me to forget about all the negative things waiting for me when I turn on the TV. Some people may say I’m just hiding from the world’s problems, soaring high above them on ski lifts of ignorance.
I say skiing is not an escape but a better way of life. Skiing is a worldwide community that celebrates life and nature, and is fueled by boundless creativity and positive energy. I don’t think that’s such a bad thing to contribute my time to. So I dedicate this issue to everyone else out there contributing what he or she can to making this world a little bit better.’
– Matt Levinthal, Editor Axis Magazine
Enjoy the start of a new season, hope to see you on the trails!
– Drew Goldsack
In the Tape Deck:
Artist: La Roux, Album: La Roux
Overheard:
“Who uses italics anyway?” – Sean Crooks on his disapproval of the use of italics
On the Tube:
Andy Newell of the USST throws down on cross-country skis! Watch here.
This article can also be found on drewgoldsack.ca, thanks for reading!