Potluck for Jim and Liz; ski rental returns, etc.

Hi everyone!

Well, that was a season alright! Whoosh! and gone. There may still be a few die-hards who are alternating between skiing and hiking to get around the trails, but the recent rains this week have probably succeeded in totally finishing off the skiing for the season.

The big news, for those of you who don't know already, is that Jim and LIz Thorne are leaving Kitimat and the Onion Lake Ski Trails to reside in the less snowy climes of Vancouver Island. Their departure is soon (end of April) so we are going to honor them in a potluck supper on Saturday, April 9, at 5:30 p.m.

Bring food for the potluck, and all tributes to the Thornes will be welcome: stories, poems, skits, music, etc.

We will have a gift basket there for cards or gifts.

Also, if you have photos of Jim and/or Liz, please send them to me (digitally, preferably), and we'll figure out way to display them on a screen at the potluck.

Does anyone know how many times Liz has stood in as President of the club, or JackRabbits coordinator, or secretary or...? Or how many loads of wood Jim has hauled into the lodge? How many signs he's planted along the trails? How many photos Jim has taken of the club and its events? How many new trails they've flagged? How many races Liz has been handing out bibs? How many hours they put into the everyday running of the club? How many meetings in the community they've attended on our behalf? How much snow they've shovelled? How much wood they've split and stacked? How many hours of grooming Jim has done on "old Smokey"? How many school groups and guided tours they've volunteered for? We should all be shaking in our boots because from now on, someone else will have to do this work, and the untold jobs that will reveal themselves as we stagger out of the hole left by these two pillars of the club. And all these tasks and work aside, Jim and Liz have been inspirational and friendly, and nobody can replace their generosity, skills, fortitude, and legacy through several decades of dedicated service to the Club. Please help us give them our thanks on April 9th.

If you can't attend but would like to send greetings. leave your messages in the lodge (in an envelope, labeled "Jim and Liz" or something like that), and they will be gathered up for the potluck. Or leave a message with me (snowvalleynordic@gmail.com) and I'll compile all the messages for presentation on that evening.

This is a kid-friendly event, make sure the kids are dressed for the weather and the mud! Paper plates and one-use utensils will be available, but we encourage you to bring your own dishes and utensils and then take them home afterward.

And, the final note here is to ask for volunteers: we need some people to help set up the potluck, and then clean up after. Anyone? (Liz and Jim exempt.) Email Cathy.

Rental returns

Anyone who has the club's rental gear and has not yet returned it, the rental return dates are as follows:

Friday April 8: 6-8 p.m. Saturday April 9: 2-5 p.m. Sign up for one of these return dates here. It's a Google Doc and if you can't access it, email Carolyn and she'll get you on the list. We could also use a few volunteers on the Saturday to start waxing skis for summer storage, please let Carolyn know if you can help.

THANK YOU

To Josh Papke (ski club member and groomer) and Doug Gent (friend of the club and handy man who can fix or build anything) for installing the back up camera on the Snow Kitty. This was a tedious time-consuming effort, involving body contortions and threading cables through tight spaces. (It was impressive to watch.) And the whole project was made possible by Josh, and Finning Canada of Terrace, and donations from both the Rotary Club of Terrace and the Kinsmen. And a very sweet discount was given to us from Correct-AI Inc. from Edmonton. Thank you all!

Lost and found

There is a small basket of found articles hanging out in the lodge. The usual mitts, gloves, kids' outerwear, a pair of sunglasses, water bottles and a travel coffee thermos, etc.

Whatever is left behind after the potluck will be donated to a thrift store in Terrace.

Moose Marathon on February 26

Mass start, free technique. Check out the race notice here.

Also known as the Chocolate Marathon because all participants deserve chocolate at the end of the race

Outdoor food concession will be available.

Photos are from the Moose Marathon in 2015.

SVO results are in!

The Snow Valley Open was held on January 29, despite the rainy rainy day. Over 100 skiers participated, and we had a great contingent from the Bulkley Valley Ski Club (Smithers)!

The results are here.

Congratulations to all who took part!

And THANK YOU to Travis, who put the whole thing together, and Lisa who scrambled up some outside-serving food service for the racers and volunteers, and to Bill and his crew for setting up for the race and then dismantling it after it was over, and the grooming crew who made the most of the conditions and used the snowmobiles and quad to get the race tracks ready, and to all the timers and course volunteers, and the registration table volunteers and the bib collectors, and all those who were put to work on site for the little jobs that needed doing! It's a huge effort on the part of many, so thanks to all!