I’d Rather be…skiing

I stopped and did the math, and then the number made me do it again. It seems almost unfathomable.

We moved to Saskatoon in 1983, and during the discussion about the location, skiing was one of the key points. Was it too far from the mountains? Where would we go, and how long was the drive? My promise was that we would budget for a mountain trip every year and make it a priority. I’ve kept my promise for 40 years.

I missed the year I tore my MCL, but that was the first of the soccer mates ski trips, so he skied. Looking back, I suspect we missed the year our eldest was born as he’s a March baby. I do know that I skiied during my second pregnancy as I was just in my first trimester. We were so fortunate that gramma was not a skier and was happy to look after the wee ones. It was a sad day when my father in law (age 75 or so) quit skiing as that was the end of family trips.

1992, Silver Star. Kids had the chicken pox but it didn’t slow them down.

But by then, the kids had started skiing, and we never looked back. Then they started ski racing and we spent a lot of time at ski resorts, some local and some mountain. And then they grew up, and family trips were a thing of the past, but we kept skiing, and now family trips are back on again.

2023, Fernie. Top of bear chair, 3 generations

Over the years, our trips included family, local friends, and far away friends. As the years crept along, fewer friends kept at the sport, and we are down to one set that we share this passion with. Lucky for us that they retired to Fernie and enjoy having us visit. And we go often, always arriving with food and drink in hand and do our share in the kitchen. It’s from years of renting condos together that we developed this habit, and it has continued so as house guests go we are pretty low-key.

Ron & Bernie with Marian, together since 1979

Note the same ski jacket in the last two photos? I am hoping to be able to find a picture near the original year of purchase. I think it was 1983 or 1984 so I can’t find the receipt! He bought it at Sun Ice in Calgary, and that style is so old that it is now in again. This year, he had 3 compliments about it while standing in line. Sadly, very sadly indeed, it seems to be reaching the end of its limit. As Gord, who often changes jackets at lunch, says, “How the heck will we know it’s Ron if he’s not wearing it?” Unfortunately, they don’t do custom work (yes, I asked), but I will keep looking around as a friend suggested a local place he thought did that sort of thing. Yes, I sew, but I am not even sure where the heck one would find the material.

Anyway, back to skiing. It is definitely a sport for the affluent as it is not cheap. In looking around the ski hill, I would also say it is a young person’s sport to and that finding couples in their 60’s and beyond is getting harder to do. Having said that, we have no plans on quitting any time soon. In fact, next year, to celebrate big number birthdays, we are looking at going back country cat skiing again. It was as close to Out of this World as one can get and stay on earth! It was such an amazing day.

2004 onward, various hills & assorted family and friends

I didn’t go digging in the old old photo albums for pictures from prior to digital in 2004 and while we ski every year we don’t always take pictures. I also wanted to find the one of Ron at Sunshine going off the jump but an hour on the computer looking didn’t net it for me so you will just have to imagine it.

This post has taken me the better part of a week to create write this and pull the photos together. For something I have a passion for it seemed hard to articulate it into words plus looking for the perfect photo. That first one, the quality is so bad, but I had to include it with the cute kids smiling and my stellar looking long curly hair!

Bernie