No seriously, the talk of climate change was so omnipresent that I began to wonder if the temperate West Coast where I live would ever see snow again! Already our local mountain on Vancouver Island has experienced diminishing fortune. We went from having one of the deepest snow bases in the world (over 900 cm at one point!) to having very little snow for two years in a row.
In truth, I haven't been training a lot for Biathlon because of the cost, and because I wondered if I would even have a chance to get to the few races held in our province. The promise of yet another dismal winter cemented my decision to turn towards other sports: mountain biking and training in the gym.
It was like a bad breakup. I moped about the house, glared at the sun, and wondered if all of my past Nordic experiences were nothing but a dream.
The summer drifted by as a series of hot days and hot nights. Now it is November, and a time I traditionally get very excited for the winter, and this made my "bad breakup" even worse.
But now it seems there has been a minor miracle! Nature has heard the pleas of my ardent soul and powdered the not to distant slopes of Whistler with ample enough snow to enable Whistler Olympic Park to open weeks early!
Suddenly a rush of emotions and memories have returned to me. I am again reminded of everything I love about cross country skiing and the sport of Biathlon: the great people I've met, the close relationship I've developed with nature, unparalleled levels of fitness, and that wonderful feeling of gliding across the snow that haunts you long after the snow has melted.
Maybe I'm a bit pessimistic and too eager to jump to the worst conclusion. But now, nature shakes her head at me, smiles, and answers with pure beauty and possibility.
I'm not sure I'll make it for the opening weekend in Whistler, but I do know that I am once again motivated and excited to train!
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| The view of the range at Whistler Olympic Park - Monday 23 November |
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