~ byline: David “Lambo” Miura ~
Twenty-four intrepid skiers led by President Armand Gutierrez traveled to Sun Peaks Resort in eastern British Columbia, Canada for a
week of skiing. The flights to Kelowna were uneventful (other than Gary Yee’s flight that got cancelled, forcing him to arrive a day later) as was the slightly heated bus ride to the resort. When we first arrived, it was terribly cold but the weather warmed up during the week.
Sun Peaks is composed of three mountains, and many took advantage of the free Mountain Host Tours divided into ability levels and led by local volunteers. On our first day of skiing we took advantage of the Host Tour in the morning, and in the afternoon we had the opportunity to ski with the resort’s celebrity champion, Olympic gold & silver medal winner Nancy Greene. She is a sitting Senator representing British Columbia in the Canadian Parliament and travels weekly between Sun Peaks and Ottawa. But don’t be fooled by this enthusiastic little 70-year-old lady. She skis very, very fast!
Unlike the sunny conditions that greeted us the day before, Monday was cold and overcast with a steady snowfall. What was most unusual about that day was the new experience of having ice coat one’s goggles after a few seconds of skiing. Everybody had to stop frequently to scrape the ice off with their fingernails, or for our richer members, with their platinum credit cards.
In the evenings, several condo groups ventured out to try the local restaurants in the village. People gave positive reviews for Powder Hounds (German), Cahilty Creek Bar & Brill, Oya (Japanese), Mountain High Pizza, and Bottom’s Bar & Grill (a favorite watering-hole), but thumbs down to Bella Italia (Italian). The mid-mountain Sunburst Lodge and Bento’s Day Lodge at the bottom of the hill both served fresh and delicious cinnamon buns that were so big that four people could easily share one.
Can You Find Frank & Lansing?
This year, instead of a custom Marmot fleece pullover with the NSC logo, Karen Soo arranged for people to be able to choose between that and something else from the catalog. Frank Chang and Lansing Lee both chose a yellow daypack, and with their grey helmets, blue jackets, and black pants, they looked like brothers skiing down the mountain. Judy Hom and Winston Fong joined us for the first time in many years, and it was a welcome sight to see Winston’s bright trademark yellow jumpsuit on the slopes.
Before Treatment
After Re-Setting
Armand claims that there is always at least one injury on the trips that he leads, and unfortunately that was the case at Sun Peaks. A group of skiers made their way down the Agitator (a black diamond mogul run between Static Cling and Spin Cycle), and David Uyeda successfully negotiated the bumps but then at the bottom fell onto the cat track and dislocated his shoulder. After being examined at First Aid, he was transported to Kamloops to have everything put back into place. Thanks to Roland Lee, who accompanied David to the hospital and back.
Before we knew it, Friday had arrived and we were enjoying our farewell banquet at Cahilty Creek Bar & Grill. Armand announced that the club is considering going to Jackson Hole next year, which was well received. Thanks to Armand for leading a successful trip, to Karen Soo for securing the trip souvenirs, and to all of the NSC board members for their support.
For more pics – click this link : Sun Peaks Pictures
