Hello HooDoos

Bob and I were treated to yet another hike, courtesy of Frank and Nan, one of our many good friends we have met on our adventure west.

What are HooDoos?  Time for a short geology lesson....

A hoodoo is a rock formation which is caused by differential resistance to erosion. This means that some parts of the hoodoo are harder than others and these hard parts last longer. In the hoodoos above, the tops are the hardest part and they protect the soft rock below from wearing away.

Most of a hoodoo is soft sandstone. In this soft sandstone, there may be layers (formed as sand was laid on an ancient beach and holes (formed as ironstones fell out). On the top of the hoodoo, there is usually a caprock. Caprocks are made up of many small layers and they are very hard. Caprocks protect the soft sandstone underneath from erosion. When there is no caprock, the soft sandstone erodes away very quickly.  Wind throws particles of sand at a hoodoo, knocking particles off that hoodoo.  When it rains, the water washes particles of sand off the surface off hoodoos.  Freeze-thaw cycles involve the expansion of water as it freezes. So when water gets into a little crack on the surface then freezes, it expands, causing the crack to get bigger.  This allows more erosion to take place.  Hoodoos are constantly changing shape, however, it happens so slowly that we usually do not notice it.  Ironstones are reddish-brown rocks that are very hard.  When the sand was being deposited on the ancient beach, living organisms became trapped in the sand.  This organic material slowly attracts molecules of iron mineral around it.  Slowly, over millions & millions of years, layer upon layer of iron, and ironstone concretion is formed.  Ironstones are so hard that when they are exposed on a hoodoo, the soft sandstone around them is eroded away & the ironstone fall out, leaving a hole.

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The holes in the hoodoos can result in very exotic and curious forms. These sandstone layers have been exposed for over 15 thousand years. During this time, they have been blasted, cracked, and washed away by erosion.

Now, back to hiking.  We drove to Fairmont, another small town in the Columbia Valley also, the home of Fairmont Hot Springs as well as a small, but very fun ski hill.

Are we there Yet?  Not like Ontario, the towns are separated by beauty and vastness surrounded by majestic snow capped mountains, cattle ranches.  Which brings another question.  Where are the barns?  I ask. Barns? There are no barns.  These four legged creatures stay outside day and night.  Not like home.  We put our cattle to bed in a barn nightly.  The difference?  Approximately a few thousand more cattle here in the west!  In Ontario, our pastures are usually under 100 acres.  In the west and Prairies they are ranches and can be the sized of small towns, if not cities.

We arrive at our destination without incidence and adjust our trekking poles as we begin to climb.  The environment is surprisingly Sub Arab, no ferns, no greenery despite the warm temperatures with a sandy soil beneath our hiking boots.  As we climb higher the sand become evident as if we were approaching the beach.  No water in store for us on this hike.  Only the river below us.
The Hoodoos ahead, majestic and Mid Evil almost prehistoric at times.  It's nothing we have ever seen before! A ground hog's view at that as we look down on the valley.  The sand is now thick and our toes want to clutch the grains from thousands of years of creation.

Spectacular, as we are humbled from the mystic views and formation of the rock and sand.  Incredible it is despite the lose sand and towers of sandcastle like turrets. 

Fran selects the perfect spot for a picnic.  A toast to the hosts!  The temperature has warmed to a summer's afternoon as we relax and enjoy Mother Nature at her finest.

We return that afternoon, back to winter, sunshine, more skiing as we approach the end of the season.

Not your everyday pic-i-nic Basket



Nice Day for a Picnic

Yogi, where's the Picnic Basket?

It was a Pot Luck Picnic Perfect day on the mountain!  We all decided, thanks to the warm air and sunshine that it was time for a picnic lunch.  We were told of a place above Outrider Run (a mountain bike hide a way) in secluded treed area overlooking the lower runs.  "Perrrfect"

Don't Shake the bottle!!!

A Celebration

A group of us gathered (not hard when there is good food at large) on Easter Monday.  It was Dico and Lindsay's last day of skiing before they return to P.E.I. and a great way to celebrate the beginning of their marriage together.....with Champagne!  And yes, don't shake the bottle.   Too late...........

Lindsay, Bobbi, Myself, Linda

 Bobbi had carved snow seats for us while she was waiting for us to arrive.  A custom fit seat at that!  A bit of shovelling and a bit of bum wiggling for extra comfort.  Plenty of food and a great afternoon with friends. There wasn't much skiing happening this afternoon.  The warm weather has created heavy snow, and the best skiing is early in the morning, so we ski hard in the a.m. and we are rewarded.

Ed, Hugh, Rod, Barry, Bob & Bob (the pusher)

Everyone is having a bit of fun in the sun.   Lets put together a Bob sled team!!!  We have the manpower.   Does anyone have a sled?  We have the snow....  Myself?....  I'll be the judge.  These guys are determined.  That bench will not move no matter how hard they try.  

With only a few days of skiing left you have to use your imagination and skill as we decend down the hill. 

Remember sliding down on shovels?  An the annual Slush Cup?  Water skiing at its best.

Signs you are definitely over the edge:

1. Seven strangers share your apartment from November till April.
2. To save money for lift tickets, you stop buying lunch at the ski hill. Instead, you surreptitiously brown bag in the cafeteria.
3. On road trips, you sleep in the car to save on lodging costs. When the weather gets cold, you move into a snow cave, dug in the distant reaches of the resort parking lot.
4. Your résumé has several unexplained gaps.
5. You choose your job solely based on its proximity to ski hills.
6. You check the snow forecast more often than your e-mail.
7. There are fences, gates and benches built from old skis outside your house.
8. You expedite marriage plans expressly to sneak under the deadline for a family pass.
9. You wrap Christmas presents with maps of the ski area.
10. And, for the Bride and Groom:
11. You wear ski pants to a wedding. They are the only black trousers you own.  And don't forget the rubber boots!



The Maritimers'  They think of everything!!!

Wings Over Panno

Is this the real thing?

What a weekend.  Easter Bunnies, Spring Festivial, a Fairytale Wedding, and of course, lots of sunshine for Para gliding.

It's Spring Festival time here at Panorama and what a great weekend is was.  The weather was perfect for all the outdoor activities.  An Easter Egg hunt on the mountain, live music on the "Porch" and plenty of skiing.

Congratulations!

Good friends of ours, Dico and Lindsay (P.E.I.) were married on the mountain.  And a trip up the mountain for celebration and photos.  Gotta luv those rubber boots!

and a few surprises from Fraggle Rock

Max with Erik & Katia

Erik all geared up to fly

Max and Penny organized the Para Gliding exhibition.  The weather & the wind were ideal for flying their wings.  A pair of skis, a wing and a warm breeze.  It was up, up and away An afternoon of floating and sailing above the mountains and through the clouds.  Erik and Katia (their beautiful children) flew tandem with both Mom and Dad.  This beats our traditional Good Friday Hikes back home.

In the Clouds

After a busy weekend it was time to sit on our balcony and enjoy...what else, but a cold beer and watch the gliders fly back down for the evening.

Glorious

What a show.  Four gliders landing in front of us.  Almost a perfect landing.  One caught the snow fence in the tube park.  Cheers!!! from the now growing audience as he landed.  Each one decented and landed safely....and a standing ovation was well deserved.

One week until closing, the days are getting warmer and we are now spring skiing.  Us powder pigs are still rooting around for powder.  Yes, there is still powder up top.

Can this be for real

We smile as we still ski winter conditions and dry snow at the Summit.  As we descent with our skiis the snow begins to feel heavy beneath our feet as we need more effort to make our turns under the warm sun.  The lower third of the mountain, it is pure "Butter" as it is now Spring conditions.   Carving and gliding through what some call "elephant snot"  We call it butter.  We love Spring Skiing!!!!!!!!!!

A perfect decent

Time for shorts and a bikini top.  Well, maybe... It's still cold on the chair.

Easter Brunch in the Hay

18cm and I can't see my own feet in front of me

The snowflakes are the size of loonie coins and it is coming down so hard you can't even see your own feet on the snow.  Never mind the edge of the trail or skier in front of you.  Your goggles are covered, your helmet is so heavy with snow and you have your very own avalanche off you head!

You think you are in the middle of winter, then, you decent down the mountain...As the snow begins to accumulate moisture as the warmer air (snow flakes included) turn the fallen flakes into soggy cornflakes. (always thinking about food!)  Butter! as your skis glide through springlike conditions we arrive to the base.

Lets do that again.  We're soaked with melted snow, perspiration and smiles. 
Up, Up, Up we go, back to the top.



Yes, it's me...and I fell...ha ha

Instantly, it's winter again. But, the snow is even deeper the second time round.  The storm is a gift this time of year, it could be rain.  And....there is no one here. First tracks at the end of the day, and they are mine for the taking.  They don't know what they are missing.  All the new snow is ours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yeah HA.  HAPPY EASTER.   That little egg dropping bunny will be loosing his eggs unless, of course he colours them purple.  I will be looking for that White Rabbit this weekend as the Easter festivities will begin here at the village.

A broken tree buried in a new avalanche

We finally are kicked off the hill at the end of the day.  The lifts begin to close despite our bribes to keep them open for one more run.  Our legs are tired we both have snow down our necks which have now melted and dripping down our backs.  My bum is wet and cold from the melting snow on the chairs.  Bob looks like some early explorer who has been out in the back country with all the frozen snow on his now furry face.  My hair also has grown as I chip the icicles off my locks.

A new slide.

Spring also brings avalanche risks.           Today we saw one up close.  As we skied down a great mogul run we came across a slide.  Two ski patrolers were at the bottom clearing the broken branches and rubble from the hard boulders of snow. 



Stephanie, Ski Patrol

Angus, Ski Patrol

   








 As I write this, entry, peering out the snow through our window, I ask myself.   What will tomorrow bring?  more snow.
Either way, it will be a powder day, a spring day, and a great ski day.


Don and Donna

A good day of skiing deserves one good beer.

A great day of skiing deserves two good beers.

A fantastic powder day of skiing deserves two beers a single malt.

(quoted by a good friend, with lots of experience in skiing and beer)
Thanks, Don!

NO FRIENDS ON A POWDER DAY, SO DON'T BE LATE FOR FIRST TRACKS



Kevin

There's this skier standing on one side of a mogul slope. "Yoo-hoo!" she shouts to a snowboarder on the other side, "I can't ski moguls; how can I get to the other side?" The snowboarder looks up the slope and then down the slope and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side."

This is Spring Skiing?

Bob, Emma, Peter, Cathy..it's beer o'clock in the village.

April Fools Day...and yes, it is spring skiing at the base of the mountain, but it is still a wintery wonderland at the Summit.  The past few days it has been -8c at the top and up to +15c in the village.

Ski bums in shorts and bikinis are among us.  All tanned (face only) and having a great day.

He's down.....



I found fresh snow!!!!!



Golden Rule # 1... Don't Follow Peter!!

We are still having new snow fall almost daily and there are lots of fresh tracks to play in.

As you can see, our friend, Peter has found
all the fresh tracks he could.  Except, he found them with his face and goggles.  Fortunately, the trees survived his attempt at hogging all the snow.

After a great morning in winter wonderland, it is time for food.  A hearty lunch and time to ski in sunshine and spring time fun.

We ski through snow as smooth a butter.  Our faces are darkening.  The sunscreen is shared amongst us and despite our attempts to prevent burning, we have hot and red faces by sunset.

We will have authentic ski faces by closing day.  Acceptable tans for a ski bum.  Who will have the best face, the longest ponytail, the furriest beard?

Birch Forest

Celebrate, Celebrate.......Dancin' to the Music

ONE HUNDRED SKI DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friends of the Mountain & Mountain Friends (On the slopes gang)....

Yes, one hundred glorious (injury free) days skiing.  Bob, despite his injuries, celebrates day # 61.
Everyone gathered at the base to celebrate my goal.

It wasn't official until my pass was scanned, jumped on the lift and skied down, "Show Off" back to the base.  This is just the beginning.  Have we set the new standard for next season? 

Renee' with the keys to my new car...

We think so....We will both be well seasoned ski bums by the end of our adventure.  We'll need to graduate with our "ski bum" degree.  There is still work to be done.  Practise, Practise and more Practise.  The hair is growing.  Bob is almost ready for a pony tail! The skier's tan is darkening despite all the sunscreen. 
The grocery bill is rising as each day passes by.  We have skied so much, it is easier to slide down the mountain than it is to walk on a flat surface these days. 

It is now spring with record snowfall.  Each day we ski we awake to new conditions, cool mornings, warm afternoons and every changing snow.  We have winter conditions at the summit.  As we traverse down the mountain, it become spring and we feel the warmth as the temperature quickly rises as we decent.  The patio is crowded with smiles and jugs of beer and music.

 I was presented the keys to my new "Snowy White Porche" by Renee' & Sharna, who designed this limited edition of the winter car to my specifications.

How do you like my new Porche?

And, it is a convertible!  New skis and now a new Snow White Car.  Or is it a Snow Car?
Thanks Everyone.

the Bat and the Cat

It will be Bob's turn next year.  He will also see 100 days of skiing. 
 

Sharna out for a test drive

After our morning celebration, we skied until our bellies growled for lunch.  Another celebration with our good friends Frank, Nan and their family at the T Bar for a great lunch.

Back to skiing.....

Tomorrow, we will have a day off.  These legs are tired.  (and we need more food....beer too!)



Celebrate, Celebrate,  Dancin' to the Music

Slippin' away, skiing on a pillow
Waitin' for snow to fall
A girl and a dream, skiing on a pillow
This is the night to go to the celebrity ball

Satin and lace, isn't it a pity
Didn't find time to call
Ready or not, gonna make it to the city
This is the night to go to the celebrity ball

Dress up tonight, why be lonely?
You'll stay at home and you'll be alone
So why be lonely?
Skiing' alone, skiing' on a pillow
Waitin' to climb the walls
Maybe tonight, depending how your dream goes
She'll open her eyes when she goes to the celebrity ball

Dress up tonight, why be lonely?
You'll stay at home and you'll be alone
So why be lonely?
Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music
Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music

Ride E'm Cowboy



Volunteers from The Calgary Stampede

It's Stampede Days at Panorama. 

The volunteers from the Calgary Stampede are here to promote the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede, held in July (of course) Calgary.

Harry the Horse

We met "Harry the Horse" wandering through the village.  He is the official mascot of the Stampede.

Ride 'em Cowboy!!!!

Outdoor activities include: lasso the pig.....

Rope that pig!

L8

,

A Rifle shoot and live entertainment by L8, a local group here in Invermere.
Yes, we actually took the afternoon of from skiing. 
All the festivities were too much to resist.

With all the new snow, our legs needed a break. Bob and I both have powder skis.  Yes, another pair... How the story goes, Bob purchased a new pair and was so impressed how they handled in the deep powder, he suggested I try them out.  "I don't think so...If I like them, you know what will happen!"  Well, I am the proud owner (again) of a new pair of skis.  They are fabulous!  Skiing a big mountain in various conditions, it is recommended to have 2 pair of skis.  Ski bums habitually collect skis..... WE are adjusting to the ski bum society.  Long hair.....Long underwear......Long, Fat skis. 

Barry, up to his knees

The fun begins in the powder with our new sticks.  I have the ladies version of Bob's S7 Rossignol.  Both pairs are 168cm in length.  They float on the snow as we glide down the hill.

Bob & Mike looking for new tracks...and found them!!!

 Now, we look even harder for the deep white fluffy snow.  Any excuse to try out the fat skis.

Lots of snow to be found

A new avalanche .......more to come as the snow falls

And again, it is still snowing......