Snowflake Festival, a House of Rocks & The Enchanted Forest

What a better weekend to enjoy the "Panorama Snowflake Festival" as well as "Taste of the Valley" and "Bonspeil on  the Lake". 

Hugs

Mother Nature is at her best these days, with lots of snowflakes, sunny and almost tropical (-8 - 10 c) winter weather for us to enjoy the activities both on the mountain and in Invermere.  

House of rocks on Lake Inevermere

Friday evening the Bonspeil on Lake Invermere had begun. 
Sixty Four teams, 12 rinks, and a house full of rocks.    Hurry....Hurry....Hard!  Releasing the rock from the hack, Sweeping and sliding.....on the button, well almost.  It all began at 4pm, Friday....continuous sweeping, hurry, hurry, day and night until Sunday afternoon and if this is not enough, you can skate around the lake on one of the longest ice skating tracks around.

Betty the sweeper

A chili good nite

L-8

And the Food!
Seven assorted food establishments kept our bellies content with exceptional treats on the ice,
along with a

Frank & Bob (bandaged nose)

fabulous band,"L8" to entertain us.  With our Taste of the Valley pass, we enjoyed an assortment of delectible appetizers, chili, mexican meatballs, to mouth watering apple pie with vanilla cream; and of course, Cabot Trail maple cream liquer.  If the food did not completely warm the soul, the wood fire stove dotted along the lake shore did the trick.  Great food, company with all of our new friends, aquaintances, entertainment and the grand finale: fireworks completed the atmoshere of the night.
Now, back on the mountain.  Panorama was busy with activities throughout the weekend, including a camera crew filming Panorama's new upcoming promotional video.



Fort Panorama

The weekend began with movie night featuring "The Fine Line".  Saturday Bob demo'ed Solomon skiis in the morning (a new pair is in the forecast).

The kids are creating the biggest and best snow fort I have ever seen!

 Frank took us on a tour of "The Extreme Dream Zone" on the mountain.  We began by dropping into "Elmo" and hopped and turned our way into the "Enchanted Forest"  

The Enchanted Forest

The Extreme Dream Zone

A few years ago, the Enchanted Forest had characters on the dead trees resembling Fraggle Rock creatures.  Today, they are now gone, but you can only imagine these creatures peaking behind the smooth wood, tree trunks and snow covered branches stretching out towards the blue sky.  After that enchanting experience we travelled back up only to drop into Pi and played towards First Chance, Last Chance and done for the day.

We finished skiing just in time to catch the "Swillbillies" at the Great Hall (our rec room) downstairs. 

The Swillbillies

Vern at the Great Hall

Excellent music and entertainment for everyone.  Of course, a jug of cold to share.   Frank: thanks for the great tour.  A new playground awaits us in the following days to come.
It was perfect timing for my "addiction"; knitting of course.  A completed snowflake sweater.  How appropriate.  Yes, it was a Cat walk in the village on Sunday afternoon to show off my new creation.

My new knit snowflake sweater

The weekend finished off with a fly by, courtesy of RK Heli skiing with a chopper above Showoff and a dip and hover over the village.  (an no camera) it figures!

And today we were skiing Last Chance glades and as I was dodging the trees...out jumps a Snowshow Rabbit!!
FEED YOUR HEAD..... Over the top of my skis as I was turning.  Who frightened who? "And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know your going to fall....

  I screeched, he jumped, I giggled and he ran all over the forest in leaps and jumps.  Frank, you see everything!

Snow Bunny

Think Young,  Play Young,      and you will alway be Young.

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving slow
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said;
"Feed YOUR HEAD_______________