Ski-a-thon 2006

Good Skiing conditions

There is a price to pay for good skiing conditions: road closures, cold weather and snow. It was all worth it on Feb. 7! Twenty – five of us went to Collingwood to take a chance on some of those extreme conditions. Klaus drove some in his van but the rest of us were in the hands of Marlene and her school bus. With some fancy shifting and a sixth sense of where to go, Marlene led us to Blue Mountain Ski Resort. Six people enjoyed snowshoeing and cross country skiing while the rest ventured into the thirty-five downhill runs at Blue. The previous days’ power outages were no longer a threat; our little bit of ski heaven included some sunny skies, fresh falling snow and ideal surface conditions.
After a tough day of skiing, the local Pizza Hut was a great place to satisfy our appetites and share some of the prizes donated to our charity event. If you feel like you missed out on some of the clothing, household items, or a $200.00 gift certificate given away, perhaps you should join the team next year.
Thanks to Paul Eckmeir and those who helped him organize another successful Ski-a-thon in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation.

Big Thanks To So Many!!

By Paul Eckmier

Our recent “Skiing for Dreams” Charity Ski-a-thon, held on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Blue Mountain and Scenic Caves Nordic Center in Collingwood, was a big success thanks to many people who pitched in and helped.
First, I want to thank all the drivers and other Transit staff who signed up, raised and collected all their sponsors’ donations. Then, they eagerly accepted the challenge and excitement of skiing down steep slopes; or glided over beautiful x-c ski trails; or plodded over powdery snow trails and Ontario’s longest foot suspension bridge high above a breath-taking ravine on snowshoes!
Secondly, I want to thank Lori Miller and Deb Biemann who collected door prizes, looked after all the off-hill duties, and organized the distribution of door prizes at the après-ski party at Collingwood Pizza Hut. We also want to thank Jacky Eng for helping to get door prizes and doing all the after-event follow-up duties. Others who helped get door prizes were Bernie Schubert,
Klaus Biemann, and myself.
Thirdly, I want to express sincere thanks to Marlene McCracken who drove our bus, very capably and professionally, up to Collingwood and back, sometimes on very snowy roads. And her bag-piping skills were an added flair as she led us all into the restaurant. Joe Fleck and Mike Hogue also provided great navigational knowledge to Marlene as we needed to take some detours going up due to some snow-drifted road closures! And many thanks to Klaus Biemann who shuttled x-c skiers and snowshoers to and from Blue to Scenic Caves Nordic Center in his van!
Fourthly, a very huge “thanks” to Stock Transportation who provided us with a free bus ride to the hills! And Blue Mountain Resorts Limited again helped us with greatly reduced rates on lifts and rentals! Many thanks also to our own CAW4304 who provided funds for non-alcoholic refreshments at the lodge and for purchasing a major door prize for the top fundraisers’ draw event!
Fifthly, I want to thank Steve Huebner for arranging the group photo by the bus. We will send an enlargement copy of this in a frame to Stock Transportation!
Finally, a big “thank you” to everyone who sponsored us with a donation. We raised $6,550.00 for our charity, THE CHILDREN’S WISH FOUNDATION.
WELL DONE, EVERYONE!!

A Slice of Paradise

By Klaus Biemann

This year Mother Nature provided an abundance of freshly fallen powdered snow one day before our ski-a-thon from heavy snow squalls off Georgian Bay. On the day of our trip to Blue Mountain, the squalls finally ended leaving behind a foot of fresh snow that shone brilliantly on the cross-country ski and snowshoe trails and encrusted trees, under an intensely blue sky and calm winds.
The 18 km of groomed trails wind their way through dense stands of maple and oak, and in a few places follow the contours of the rock faces that comprise the upper portion of the Niagara Escarpment.
Continuing on, another vista opens up in front of us. One of the trails leads us to a scenic look-out where, at a glance, you can see the escarpment meander off towards the distant southeast horizon. Towards the northern horizon the majestic beauty of Georgian Bay unfolds far below us.
The quiet serenity of the snow covered forest surrounding the aerial-like view of Georgian Bay was spectacular, providing endless opportunities for photo enthusiasts.
After 2 to 3 hours of gliding over some of the best powder anywhere, it was time to leave our slice of paradise and return to the Scenic Caves Nordic Centre, the lodge high atop Blue Mountain where we first began our tour. At the lodge, with a large fireplace and the pungent smell of burning logs, we replenished ourselves with free liquid refreshments.
At the end of the day of plentiful cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, we took the shuttle back to our bus at the base of the escarpment, where we continued on to Collingwood and Pizza Hut for several hours of door prizes and food.
Looking back to a carefree day that was packed with fun, under perfect snow conditions, we knew that we’d be back again next year.
This wonderful package is available to everyone. All you have to do is raise a minimum of $50 in pledges for The Children’s Wish Foundation, and with a determination to leave the working world behind you for one day for a day of fun, and with a little help from Mother Nature, a slice of paradise can be yours. So come on out next year and ENJOY!