Newsletter October 2021

We're getting ready for another great ski season! Who wants to help out? Who wants to ski? Who wants to do both? Membership forms will be ready soon. Work party on October 9th. AGM on October 29th. Get updated on everything about Onion Lake Ski Trails and the Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club by reading the newsletter that Liz penned with her usual wit. And we'll see you all on the trails--soon enough!

October 2021 Newsletter

March Newsletter, Online Auction, Skiathon Report

Hi everyone!

Our newest ski club member signed up on March 15. And he's going to get his money's worth with the time that is left! How about all the rest of you ski club members? If you haven't been skiing much this year, do not despair, just grab your skis and get out there! The snow pack at the trails is quite deep and we will be skiing happily for weeks to come. New plan: work, ski, and bike, all in one day! Next day: some gardening, go for a hike, then ski!

This news update has three purposes:

1. To bring you news of the club in the March Newsletter. (Liz writes the BEST newsletters of any ski club!)

2. To bring you the final report on the Skiathon from February 27-28. An amazing event. A few photos included.

3. To bring you news and links for the online auction that the club is holding to raise money towards the purchase of new rental gear.

Please fulfill our deepest desires and read ALL THREE news bites.

ALL THREE.

#1 NEWSLETTER

The newsletter starts with the weather and the exceptional ski conditions. Then it moves into the realm of fundraising, for our grooming machines and for ski gear for the rental shed. (Many thanks to so many generous donors and the skiers who sought out pledges for up to 60 km!) The online auction is mentioned and more details will be in #3 below. Rental shed hours are listed until its last day: March 28. Summer....decks....lost and found....need more JackRabbits coaches...think snow (did she really say that?)

Of course you want to read the whole thing: READ THE NEWSLETTER HERE

#2 SKIATHON February 27-28, 2021

All the details and the prize winners and donors and sponsors can be found on the skiathon document below. The pledges and donations brought in over $12,000 towards the purchase of the new tracked quad. These are the businesses who either donated prizes for the event or gave the club money for the quad. When you visit these businesses, give them a hi-five from the ski club! Sherwood Brewhouse

Wild Bike

All Star Shoes

Cafenara

McBike & Sport (Smithers)

Fountain Tire

Cedar Coast Dental

Johan Laing Medical

Dr. Olivier Drouin Inc.

A&J Roofing

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

#3 ONLINE AUCTION

The Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club is organizing an online auction through Facebook to raise money for the much needed new ski rental equipment and we would love your participation!!

This is an exciting opportunity to either donate artwork, services, or other goods to help support our club, and/or bid on your favourite auction items. If you’re wondering what you could donate -- let your imagination run wild! It could be creative work, a gift certificate, baking, garden work, a hair cut, that sweater you ordered that doesn’t fit and you haven’t sent back yet, you name it! New items only please.

The auction will run online April 10-23 Bids will be accepted until 11:59pm on April 23rd.

You can donate by sending a photo, brief description and value of the item through Messenger to Pat Lamb Mouland or through our auction email at svnsc.onlineauction@gmail.com

The link to the online Auction Facebook Group will be shared on the Onion Lake Ski Trails Facebook group and through this website on April 10th. https://www.facebook.com/groups/211064732666174/

Feb. 27 and 28 update: skiathon, ski waxing, stroopwafels, lessons, rental shed

Hi skiers!

To fill you in on what's in the works for this coming weekend, February 27 and 28, read on! You probably know by now that the club wants to purchase a new grooming machine, a Can-Am Outlander tracked quad, to replace the 30 year old Yamaha snowmobile, which is starting to falter after all these years of service to the club. Fundraising--that's where you skiers come in. This weekend has many opportunities to help with this project: Skiathon-Marathon, with a flavor of chocolate and prizes. Grab a pledge sheet (link below), coax some cash out of a family member's or co-worker's pocket, and challenge yourself to your longest ski this season! Because we can't gather at the start line as in years past in our annual Moose Marathon, you can do your ski anytime this weekend, Saturday and/or Sunday. And you can ski any trail you want. Keep track of your kilometers to submit with your pledge sheets. Club challenge: $2000 and 2000 km! (With over 700 members, that's only $3 and 3 km each.) If you want to claim your chocolate bar for participating, you have to return to the stadium between noon and 4:00 pm on either day, that's when the volunteers will have them available. And there will be prizes: Youngest skier Oldest skier Child/youth (18 and under) who raises the most money in pledges Adult (19+) who raises the most money in pledges Couple who raises the most money in pledges Kids (age 0-6) farthest distance in km Kids (age 7-12) farthest distance in km Youth (age 13-18) farthest distance in km Female (age 19+) farthest distance in km Male (age 19+) farthest distance in km 50+ (male or female) farthest distance in km The prizes have been donated by Wild Bike, Sherwood Brewhouse, All Star Shoes, and McBike & Sport (Smithers). Give those businesses a virtual high-five when you can! Pledge sheets and money can be turned in on your chosen skiathon day, to Liz or Cathy or the rental shed volunteers, OR the pledges sheets and money can be dropped in the day pass locked box, OR the pledge sheets can be mailed in (with a cheque), OR the pledge sheets can be scanned and sent to us with an accompanying e-transfer. You have one week to get everything back to us and prizes will be announced on Saturday, March 6. Another fundraising venture: ski waxing, $10/pair. Get some glide back on your skis, and help the fundraising efforts at the same time. Gabe will set up shop around 11 a.m. on Saturday. And last, 500 homemade Dutch stroopwafels! $10 for a bag of 10. A real treat for everyone! Again, all proceeds are directed to the new quad. There will be a table set up in the stadium (in front of the lodge) from noon til 4 p.m.

And as usual, the rental shed will be open Saturday 10-4, Sunday 11-4. The recent CCBC survey (that many of you have participated in) has indicated a request/need for adult lessons. This is somewhat baffling. Our instructors have been there every Saturday, but we aren't seeing the lesson-seekers in great numbers! The ski season is still strong: challenge yourself to a lesson before the instructors get tired of waiting for you! Saturdays at 1 p.m. Instruction fee is $20. Email snowvalleynordic@gmail.com to book a lesson, in both classic and skate technique.

That's about it for now. We do need a few volunteers to dispense chocolate bars to skiathon athletes on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Contact Liz (ejthorne@telus.net) or Cathy (snowvalleynordic@gmail.com) if you have any questions.