November 19, 2008 (Calgary, AB) – On October 31, most kids can be found trick-or-treating through their neighborhood streets. This year, a lucky group of Foothills Nordic skiers put a new spin on Halloween as they skied the trails at Sentry Lodge searching for loot stashed in thigh-deep powder. Needless to say, this was one Halloween they will never forget.

From October 31 to November 2, a group of Foothills athletes, parents and one lucky coach were treated to fantastic skiing and backcountry living by John Bell and Golden Alpine Holidays at Sentry Mountain Lodge. Located 50 km west of Golden, B.C., Sentry is tucked into the beautiful Esplanade mountain range. Known for its incredible variety of backcountry skiing options, GAH has launched a new Altitude Training Center this year which offers up to 10 kilometers of groomed and track-set Nordic skiing in the incomparable Secret Valley. To help get the season started, John Bell, a long-time Foothills member, invited the club up to test the tracks.

We left the Bow Valley on Friday morning and by noon we were enjoying breathtaking views on the 10-minute helicopter ride that delivered us to the lodge in time for lunch. After a quick briefing on lodge etiquette, we were outside and on our skis for the first official on-snow session of the year. As the skiers made their way down the first hill, there were plenty of joyous yelps as well as a few bail-outs into the knee-deep powder that lined the trail. Warm air and a light drizzle made for soft tracks, but all-in-all, it was a fantastic first ski. Later that night, parent volunteers Linda and Stan Prenioslo put together a fantastic meal, setting the culinary tone for the week. For the record, no one went hungry.

The next morning, we were treated to clear skies, brilliant sunshine, and a hard, fast track. Skating was once again the style of choice, and we spent the bulk of the session getting comfortable on skis and taking a good look at technique. In the afternoon, Troy Hudson, the head coach for Golden Nordic and groomer extraordinaire, set us a perfect classic track. After a long summer of running and rollerskiing, the luxury of gliding out over our classic skis was gratifying to say the least. Post- training, the kids got cleaned up and relaxed in the sauna while the adults enjoyed some peace and quiet while preparing dinner. Another great meal followed by fun and games in the lodge capped off our second day in paradise.

Sunday morning, we woke up, had a quick breakfast and sent the kids out to ski while we readied the lodge for the Alberta World Cup Academy team, who were flying in that afternoon for a three-day training camp of their own. It was tough packing up to leave for home and more dry-land training in Calgary and the Bow Valley. Three days of skiing at Sentry Mountain Lodge was a trip of a lifetime, and words can’t describe how grateful we are to John, the staff at GAH, Troy and the Prenioslos for making the trip a reality. Thank you all for the great experience!