AUGUST 2005

 

 

Welcome to the first Black Jack Ski Club e-newsletter.  Summer is still with us and hopefully, everyone is enjoying the hot, sunny weather.  Perhaps we are meeting all of our skiing friends at the beaches, on the rivers and in the mountains and we are dreaming of the FIRST SNOWFALL….and getting out our long skinny skis for another great season of fun on the snow.  Although snow is still a long way away, preparations are already underway for the next ski season.  Read on for exciting updates at Black Jack Ski Club this year…

 

Don’t forget to check out our website at www.skiblackjack.ca

 

If you have any information you would like to have posted into this monthly newsletter, please contact Susan van Asselt at svanasselt@telus.net

 

 

 

Trail Development

 

There’s lots of trail development happening out at Black Jack this year.  Jeldness Trail has been doubled in width up to the Aqueduct junction.  All the trails have been culverted and all the trails have been widened in order to accommodate the grooming machines. 

 

Lighting

 

19 poles have been set in place on Black Jack property for the creation of our first lighted loop.  A further 20 poles are hoping to be placed by the time the snow flies.  This means that Black Jack will have a total of 2.5 km of lighted trails, or two loops ready for your night skiing pleasure in the winter.  Tell us what times of the day you would use the lighted trails most. At the moment, we are planning them to be lit from dark until 9 PM.  Would anyone use them at 6 AM?

 

Biathlon

 

George Apel has been working very hard to get the biathlon area of Black Jack ready for when the snow flies.  We are incredibly excited to announce that it is a go and he is mapping out and preparing the trails as we speak.  With the completion of this terrain, Black Jack will have been expanded by 1/3.  The area will be complete with a beautiful shelter being installed.  The money for this shelter has been generously donated by Cominco and others.  Look in future newsletters for a complete list of our great donors. 

 

Volunteers

 

Black Jack has a number of exciting events planned for the upcoming ski season.  One of these is the BC Winter Games.  We are looking for volunteers for this event as well as for trail maintenance, firewood runs, biathlon, ski swap, Junior Racers, Jack Rabbits, etc.  If you would like to volunteer with Black Jack, please email Kathy Williams at dkw@uniserve.com

 

 

Logging

 

If you go out to Black Jack right now, you will notice big changes out there.  The City is logging and clearing the Ophir Reservoir site in order to build a dam.  Black Jack Ski Club has given the City of Rossland permission to use our parking lot and the stadium to marshal the contractors work.  Once the City is done with this, the area will be restored as much as possible back to the way it was.  After this, Black Jack has plans to re-landscape the stadium area with some donated hydro seed. 

 

 

 

Junior Racers

After a successful season last year, Junior Racers will continue this year with 6 volunteer coaches headed by Fred Bushell. The program is focused on Fun, Fitness and if desired, skiers can take it to the next level and race.  The team had 5 skiers chosen for provincial teams this year.  Clare Peacock and Darrin Markvardsen were selected for the BC Ski Team.  Andrew Cullen, Rebecca Reid and Monica Markvardsen were selected for the BC Talent Squad.  The team has met a few times throughout the summer for group hikes.  Darrin and Clare have had the opportunity to ski on snow at glacier ski camps.  Others have been training diligently throughout the summer to maintain their fitness.  Black Jack will be hosting a fall dry land camp to be held in our area in September with neighboring clubs.  Following the camp, the group will begin dry land training.  If you would like more information, please contact Fred Bushell at 362-7134.

Black Jack Rabbits - This program is for skiers aged 5 to 12 starting as beginners, progressing though the different skill levels focusing on technique and cross county skills, with the important element of having fun.  This year the Rabbits will have a new coordinator, Nellie Fisher.  Volunteers will be needed to keep this program alive and keep our rabbits from becoming extinct.  Nellie would like to change the format and begin when there is snow and ski 2 days a week.  Contact Nellie at 362-5807 if you would like to volunteer or if you would like more information.

Program Grant - Again, this year the program received a grant from the BC Gaming Commission.  Thanks goes out to the Skier Development Program Coordinator Al Fisher for all his hard work in making this happen.

 

George Grey update

George has been selected to be on the Canada Olympic Team and will be competing in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.   Go, George!

 

Rubberhead Bike Race

 

Come out and support Junior Racers as they take part in the Rubberhead bike race at Golden City Days.  Bring your bikes out for some fun racing, or try out the Ironman and do both the running and mountain bike races which will be held back to back.

 

Ski Swap

 

Our annual ski swap is slated to be held in November.  We need volunteers, equipment and you to make this event successful.  Socialize with ski friends and find some great deals on equipment just before the snow flies.  If you would like to volunteer for this event, once again, please contact Kathy Williams at dkw@uniserve.com   Check our newsletter next month for dates.

 

BC Winter Games

 

We are still looking for volunteers for this exciting event.  The dates are Feb. 23-Feb. 26.  Come out and support winter sport with youth in our area.  Black Jack will be hosting all the cross country ski events as well as the biathlon event in our brand new biathlon area.  If you would like to volunteer for this event (we need lots of volunteers), phone or email  Kathy Moore at 362-3319, km@2cats.net  and/ or go directly on to the BC Winter Games site at www.bcgames.org and click on register to register as a volunteer.