General

The 2020-21 ski and snowshoe season is now coming to an end at Telemark.  Its been a great season!  Telemark hit new records for membership and day use thanks to all the wonderful skiers and snowshoers in the Central Okanagan and beyond.  We had some of the best conditions ever, a nice long season and our programs ran succesfully. It was a challenging year due to COVID restrictions but it all worked in the end.  We hope to be back to normal operations next year.

We will be closing the Telemark day lodge for the season at the end of the day Thursday April 1st so rentals and day passes will no longer be available.  We will still groom the ski  trails for another few days on a modified schedule and skiing will still be possible.  There will be no staff on site so make sure you have a trip plan and someone knows where you are – Ski at your own risk!    There is still good snow coverage on most trails with very good conditions on the fresh grooming in the morning. There are some signs of spring on the trails with some dirt and debris and a couple of thin spots.  As the warmer weather takes hold and we groom less the conditions will deteriorate.  So get out skiing now while you still can and…. ski with care! Check our Trail Conditions webpage for the latest updates. Snowshoeing is still good up higher but some of the lower, treed, sun exposed trails have some bare or icy spots so snowshoeing is no longer recommended.

We are looking forward to seeing you all next year.

 

To entice you to come up to Telemark for some wonderful spring skiing and snowshoeing we are offering 1/2 price day passes and rentals for the rest of the season starting Monday March 22nd.  There is still snow on the trails and some great skiing and snowshoeing to be had but it won’t last long so come on up to Telemark this week.  We will be open and grooming regularly until April 1.  

Congratulations to all the winners of the Team Telemark raffle draw! The raffle is an annual fundraiser with all proceeds going to The Telemark Nordic Club youth cross-country and biathlon competitive programs.  With 20 prizes and 2400 tickets sold at $5 each this was our biggest raffle yet.  The raffle raised $12,000 to help our young athletes achieve their best and spread the word about what a great place Telemark is to ski for everybody.  Thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser and a special acknowledgement to all local businesses and organizations that donated prizes.

The draw was made at the Telemark day lodge on Saturday March 13th.  Draws were made in order from least to highest value.  Please see below for a list of donors, prizes and winners.

1)     Skin care products donated by Nature’s Aid value $75	Cayla Wolever
2)     Glerups Slippers donated by Robertson’s Clothing & Shoes on Pandosy in Kelowna $90	Aaron Harper
3)     Auto detail Package donated by Kelowna Toyota vale $99	Quinn Schneiderat
4)     Gift package from Orthoquest Pedorthics Inc. value $105	Steve Miles
5)     One hour massage courtesy of IFM Therapy value $110	Karen Braidwood
6)     The Very Good Butchers, gift card handmade trivet from Wooden Arms workshop West Kelowna vale $110	Breanna McDonald
7)     Fischer 30 litre Backpack $125 value	Brian Gilroy
8)     Made in BC Gift Basket $125 Donated by Rifugio Coffee Roaster’s, Ingram’s Honey, Knight’s Chocolate, Little Creek dressing, Kaslo Pasta & Nature’s Fare Markets	Cayla Wolever
9)     Made in BC Gift Basket $125 (Same contents)	Sarah Frohaug
10)  Hwy Emergency Kit, donated by Fortis BC  $180 value	Linda McEwen
11)  Vega Sport nutrition products value $200	Keiko Nittel
12)  Tubbs brand snowshoes, donated by Fresh Air Kelowna value $220	Betty Kruse
13)  Woven Panel, by local artist Annabel Stanley value $238	Dana Gray
14)  Dinner for two “Waterfront Wines” in Kelowna value $250	Kelly Doell
15)  Handmade Quilt, donated by Laurie Paynter, value $200	Jen Bird
16)  Silverstar Resort, trail passes & one night accommodation value $280	Marisa Davidson
17)  Salomon skin skis, donated by Fresh Air value $450	Gloria Charnell
18)  Swagman bike rack, value $460	Theresa Whitney
19)  The Cove Resort, one night stay and giftcard to Nineteen Grill value $509	Deren Sentesy
20)  Kelowna Paddle Centre Family membership value $1248	Kurt Zander

 

You can tell that spring is here by looking at our trusty Swix thermometer with the pointer in the ‘Red’.

Yes it is spring but our conditions continue to be amazing at Telemark.  We have lots of snow still and we’ve had some of the best skiing all year in this last week.  Cool nights and warm days mean that the skiing will last a while longer.  Skiing is best in the morning on the fresh grooming.  The snow softens later in the day but the skiing remains good. It can get a little icy in the evening but can still be good on some days. Snowshoeing is of course good all day. The really warm weather will be hitting us soon so come on out and take advantage of great skiing and snowshoeing while you still can.  What could be better than taking the kids for some spring skiing & snowshoeing at Telemark during Spring Break March 13-28.

SPRING HOURS and SEASON END

Starting Saturday March 13th our spring hours will be 8am to 6pm daily. The day lodge will no longer be open or staffed after 6pm (Tues-Fri).  However, the trail lights will remain on for the next couple of weeks and you are welcome to come up and ski in the evening (ski/snowshoe at your own risk).  The trail lights will be turned off on March 26th. With the change to daylight savings it will be light until almost 8pm by then anyway.

We will continue to groom regularly and  will remain open until at least Sunday March 28th.  After that we  hope to be open until early in April on modified grooming and hours TBD.  Final closure for the season will be determined based upon conditions. Stay updated by checking our  “Hours of Operation”  and /or “Trail Conditions” Webpages

Come experience springtime skiing / snowshoeing at its best on Saturday, March 20 by skiing and/or snowshoeing the entire Telemark Nordic Centre trail footprint.  Sunshine, great snow conditions.  Experience two of the best views in the Okanagan at the summits of our Panorama and Crystal Rim trails.

For the Skiers:

• 15 km “south perimeter” (Rabbit + Telemark + Panorama + Memory Lane trails), or
• 35 km “full perimeter” (all the “south” trails + Fern + Easy Street + Connector + Carol + Crystal Rim trails)

For the Snowshoers:

• 5 km “half-course” (Panorama trail to the first shortcut), or
• 8 km “full-course” (Complete Panorama trail)

For the Nordic Nuts:

• “Total Nordic Experience”  — 5 km “half course” snowshoe plus 35 km “full perimeter” ski.  Our Club President Brent Hobbs has put down the challenge to see how many other Nuts like him we have in our Telemark community.

The Details

• Click here to register.  $10, proceeds going to our Junior Racing team.
• ½ price day pass and ½ price rentals for registered participants – purchase at the lodge when you arrive.
• It is an experience, not a race.  Go at your own pace.
• The course will be well marked.
• Ski classic or skate, or switch it up at the half way point.
• Start whenever you wish after 8:00 AM.  The lodge closes at 6:00 PM and sunset is just after 7 PM.  Give yourself about 5 hours for the 35 km ski, 2.5 hours for the 8 km snowshoe.  If you start late, pick up a complimentary headlamp loaner at the lodge.
• We will time your ski for you with Chip timing.
• Ski with your friends or family as long as they are in your COVID bubble.
• Bring a camera!  Email us your best photos so we can post.
• If you don’t feel well, don’t come.  If you are worried you might have been exposed to COVID, don’t come.  We will refund 100% of your payments, no questions asked!

Telemark Nordic Club was the proud winner of the 20/21 Cross Country BC membership contest.  We reached 135%  of the previous year’s total membership as of  Nov 1st.  BTW… we are now at 160% with record membership. Way to go Telemark!  Thanks to all the members/season pass holders.

The prize awarded to Telemark was a set of Fischer Twin Skin classic Race skis, Turnamic race classic bindings and Fischer RCS classic boots. In the spirit of further competition, the Telemark board of directors generously offered the prizes to the Youth Race Team for an auction. Along with the gear there are some cool toques, buffs and t-shirts from the contest sponsors.

Click on the link for photos, specs and auction bidding details. Let’s have a little fun with the auction! Good luck and may the most determined skiers win the auction!

Thank you to the contest sponsors and partners for their ongoing support of Cross Country skiing in BC.

 

We would love to learn from our members and day-pass visitors.  Please complete the survey below so we can provide better services.  It will take you less than 10 minutes and there are great draw prizes up for grabs.   Click here to take the survey by Feb 28

This is a province-wide survey for all Nordic enthusiasts, but by selecting Telemark in the survey we will get your feedback sent directly (and anonymously) to us.

Thank you for taking the time! Check our web page in March to see the results.

The Prizes: 

• One $500 gift certificate to your favourite cross-country ski store.
• Five $100 gift certificates to your favourite cross-country ski store.
• Ten Swix Gunde toques, the classic design from 1974 ($40 value each).

It may be cold and wintery now but spring is coming soon.  Now is a good time to be thinking of spring projects like a Grid Tie Solar System from IPS!

The folks at IPS are going to donate 2% of material sales to Team Telemark for every solar system a season pass holder/member installs!

We love our sponsors!  Give Mike Edwards a call at the lodge if you want more information or call IPS (250) 769-2843 and tell them Mike from Telemark sent you! We received this letter from one of our members regarding an installed system last fall.

My Mini Power Plant
“Curiosity finally got the better of me.  After seeing that IPS logo on the Trail Conditions page every day all winter, I decided to click the link and see what this Telemark sponsor was all about.  My wife and I have been interested in solar power for many years, but it was too expensive and we did not know how to get it done.  Last fall we turned on our new mini power plant and we are thrilled.

This new solar technology rocks. When it is producing at peak (5 kW), it powers our entire house including air conditioning.  What we have is a “grid tie” system, which means there are no batteries or complex control modules, and we get to sell our excess power to BC Hydro. 

For us, it is “the right thing to do” because nearly 40% of greenhouse gas arises from electricity generation.  Solar generation on the roof is something that every homeowner can do to help solve the climate change problem.  At current prices for solar panels plus the BC Hydro Grid Tie deal, it also turns out to be a pretty good investment.  Plus, people are saying that the market value of our house has probably increased more than the cost of the system.

IPS did a great job.  The system went in quickly and the panels look fantastic on the roof. It makes me smile every time I walk past the power monitor and see that $negative number telling me I am selling power to BC Hydro!”