The morning of the 21st, started with crystal blue skies and 21 inches of powder. Thats right – 21 inches of fresh pow – in the third week of March!

This was not heavy snow either – we are talking about premium champagne powder!

With no lift lines, the skiing could not have been better.

The grooming was perfect because they did not hit too many runs, leaving lots of first tracks for all. The runs that were groomed left lots of powder on the sides so you could dip into the deep for a couple of turns, then back to the corduroy.

If there was one downside, it could be seen in the terrain park. There was so much snow that a lot of the features were literally buried, and needed to be dug out.

This last snow fall brought this week’s total to 154 cms!

If you can spare the time, then head out to Kimberley, there has never been a better time to enjoy some incredible spring skiing!

Can it get any better than that? Yes, it can! We have some great ski-in ski-out units available! Some have a private hot tub!

Once you have your accommodations sorted, here are a couple of checklists:

Ski travel checklist

• Skis – In case you are not going to rent ski gear remember to take your own skis.
• Poles – Same goes for the poles.
• Boots – If you travel with kids make sure the boots still fit.
• Helmet – As most skiers already know a helmet really is a necessary item.
• Hat – Sometimes you just want to take off your helmet, in which case you might want to wear a hat.
• Goggles – Skiing without goggles is really painful, so don’t forget them!
• Gloves – Make sure you have good gloves because nothing is more annoying than freezing fingertips.
• Jacket – You might want to wear other clothes while traveling but on the slopes a jacket is a must.
• Snow Pants – Check.
• Long underwear (non-cotton fabrics) – Long underwear rocks! Long underwear helps you to stay dry.
• Sweater/Fleece – Long underwear is not aleays enough so you also need a sweater or a fleece.
• Socks – Make sure you have good sport socks because wet socks can cause your feet damage.
• Backpack – Every now and then there will be a situation in which you’ll need a backpack
• Ski bag – Keep everything contained!
• Sunscreen – Raccoon eyes anyone?
• Lip balm – The same with lips. They can get burned.
• Avalanche beacon – An avalanche beacon is a safety device to avoid being killed in avalanche.
• Insurance – You don’t want to pay the costs if you get injured.
• Sunglasses – Skiing without sunglasses is really painful, so make sure you have good sunglasses
• iPod

Get you vehicle read for winter driving.

• Pack an emergency kit.
• Plan your trip, check road and weather conditions.
• Remove all snow from your vehicle before each trip.
• Give yourself extra travel time in bad weather.
• Avoid using cruise control on slippery roads.
• Travel with a fully charged cell phone.
• SLOW DOWN and WEAR your seatbelt.

More on winter driving.

Now, I can tell you that I have pulled a complete 180.

One of the great things about the glades is they are awesome for families. My wife and I can take a leisurely cruise on the corduroy, while our son can rip along side of us, dodging trees, weaving in and out taking jumps.

This is great for him, and it suits us just fine too, knowing that kids will be kids, and we are right there in case he takes a spill.

It is that kind of diversity that sets Kimberley apart from the competition. It just has something for everyone.

Skiing Glades Safety Tips

• Carry a cell phone or radio.
• Wear helmet and goggles. Trees are hard even if you are skiing slowly. Even little branches can be a threat to eyes.
• Look before exiting the woods. Skiers on groomed trails aren’t looking for someone to come flying out of the woods.
• A last word or two of advice and caution: Think of skiing in glades as skiing through moguls that you can’t catch an edge on and ski over. Ski good or eat wood.

Cell phones are awesome: you can do just about anything with them! And there is the rub, what would you do WITHOUT yours.

Every year countless skiers lose their cell phones in the snow. It can happen during a crash, fall out of your pocket or worse of all drop it off the chairlift.

You can grab some cheap radios, and outfit the whole family for a whole lot less than losing one phone! If someone loses one, it isn’t that big of a deal. They don’t have a contract!

Its all about the right tool for the job, and radios work great. There are lots of channels to choose from, and are super easy to operate. Two-way radios—rugged, lightweight, compact—are perfectly suited for skiing.

You can choose from 2 configurations:

1. FRS (Family Radio Service) models—lower-power units that operate with a half-watt of power. They can transmit on 7 FRS channels and 7 shared FRS/GMRS channels (channels 1-7)—a total of 14 channels.

2. GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)—higher-power radios that, for models used in outdoor recreation, typically offer 1 or 2 watts of power. GMRS signals can travel on any GMRS or FRS bands—a total of 22 channels.

There are lots of features available on modern radios as well:

Calling and Paging Features: Pre-set “calling” tones can let you grab the attention of other members of your party before you start talking. You can also set some models to vibrate instead of making an audible tone.

Scanning: This allows you to cruise through channels in order to find the one that your group is using. You can also use this feature to quickly locate an “empty” channel for your group to use.

Keypad Lock: This allows you to lock your settings in order to prevent them from accidentally getting changed as you go about your outdoor activities.

VOX: The voice-activated (or “VOX”) feature begins broadcasting automatically when you speak in the direction of the radio, thus letting you operate it hands-free. Mountain bikers and skiers find this to be a useful function.

Noise Filter: This allows clearer signals and enhanced range.

Headset Jacks: Jacks for microphones, headphones and microphone/headphone combos allow for hands-free operation. This is ideal for skiing where you might not be able to stop and answer the call.

Radio/GPS Combo Units: Though more pricey, Garmin RINO (Radios Integrated with Navigation for the Outdoors) units offer all-in-one nav/comm capability. A key advantage is peer-to-peer positioning, which allows you to broadcast your location coordinates so they appear on your fellow RINO users’ screens.

If you have a big family and you are driving down in separate cars, you can use the radios to stay in contact. This works in ‘Dead Zones’ that leave cell phones quiet.

The best feature of all – they allow you to be in the moment. Enjoy your family – uninterrupted, by emails that you were cc’ed in on for no reason.

GOLD MEDAL “Best Weather – if you like sun on your powder”

Best new training centre – Newly completed Kimberley Conference& Athletic Training Centre is a $6-million, 24,000-sq-ft conference centre—and the only Canadian digs with a fully accessible training facility for both able-bodied and Paralympic athletes.

Best pagan holiday

The secret ski burning offering to Ullr the snow god is a long-running tradition in Kimberley. Only those who have shown their dedication to snow and the sport of skiing are privy to the whereabouts of this celebration. Follow the smoke.

Best place to be a virgin

Kimberley’s Newbie Pack lets you introduce a new skier to the sport, and provides a lift ticket for you and a Learn to Ski package for your newbie.

Best place to meet a lumberjack

Enhancements to what it considers North America’s largest gladed ski terrain continue at Kimberley. The largest glading project in Canada has created yet further new glades in the Black Forest between Windfall and Tramway, as well as between Twist and Geneva.

Come and see what all the fuss is about
We are offering some spectacular deals for ski in – ski out accommodations: Ski Kimberley Vacation Rentals

The fun begins at 5:30 p.m. with glow stick night skiing. There will be an organized run at 8:30 just before the fireworks go off and we will all ski down together with our glow sticks.

At 7 p.m. come up to the plaza and enjoy the McKim DJ club featuring DJ Peter Parker and The Reece Master. There is no cost so come on up and enjoy!

Enjoy the fireworks from the base, the show begins at 9 p.m.

The Stemwinder is hosting a New Years Eve Party with the music of New Moon. They will be having a pizza buffet at midnight along with bubbly and party favors for more information or to book tickets call 250-432-0304.

The skating rink will be open until 10 p.m. with the fire lit.

Enjoy the Nordic Club’s  3 km Torch and Candle-lit Cross Country Ski Run at the nordic trails from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Kimberley Snowmobile Adventures are now operating out of the Kimberley Underground Mining Railway building on the right hand side as you ascend up to to the Alpine Resort.  Make sure you drop in and book one of their tours or rent a sled and trailer to go out on your own if you like.  It will really make your winter vacation even better!!

http://www.snowmobilekimberley.com/KSA_HOME.html

If you haven’t booked yet check out our First Tracks Special.You can save 60%!

Special thank you to the Oakley Family, Ray’s Music and The Kimberley Chamber of Commerce.