Training Log Archive: Bash

Another spectacular, sunny day of skiing around Kolapore with 'Bent, including a trip to the summit of Mt. Dhaulagiri. We only saw 3 other skiers today. I don't know who is making all the tracks!







There hasn't been any new snow in a few days. The most popular trails were slick and there were many more exposed rocks than we saw yesterday. It was great but if there were another day of the same weather, it would be time for us to head to Scenic Caves or Highlands.









We made another attempt to bushwhack along the planned new trail. This time we started at the north end and eventually made it to the thick cedar grove where we lost the flagging tape yesterday. After figuring out the planned route there, we added more flagging tape to guide us on future tours. It's going to be a fun alternative to the Wild Mouse hills but at the moment, there's a lot of skiing through slapping saplings. :)

The escarpment climb on Marc's Folly was hard work today.



It looks like new snow is on the way but we're home now with our fingers crossed that it hits Palgrave.

'Bent and I went on our first big Kolapore ski tour of the season in -20C weather. Yahooooo!!! This is our favourite kind of skiing. It's not fast but it sure is fun. I think we only met 5 other skiers. (Time deducted for a long chat with our neighbour Tom - although Strava said we were stopped for 20 additional minutes, which is probably true.) It's a bit early to ski at Kolapore; we had to watch for hidden rocks, especially on downhills. We took it slowly and avoided some of the steepest downhills.

We did a fairly long bushwhack where we tried to follow the route of a trail that will be built next summer. We found lots of flagging tape for a while, then it disappeared. We're not sure if they stopped flagging or if the tape was hidden under snow. The last part of the bushwhack was the thickest and most uncertain but we popped out exactly where we were aiming. Next time I might even bring a compass instead of just watching my shadow, lol.

Our back yard looked amazing as we set out.



The views along the trails were very wintry.





Most of the trails were in perfect shape for skiing.













My hair froze again.

The Gallys came over for a chatty snowshoe to Metcalfe Rock. We located the marked snowshoe trail we were looking for when we went out with the Doughtys last weekend. Nobody had used it yet and the flagging tape was a little sparse in places. We stomped out the 2km loop, which was our mission for this outing. It helped to have 4 people looking for pieces of tape. We never had a chance when we were looking for it in the dark last week!

First ski of the year in Kolapore on a spectacular, chilly, wintry afternoon! 'Bent and I took our neighbour Darcie, who was finding her ski legs again. She's a snowboard instructor who took up XC skiing last year when the downhill resorts were closed. We broke a lot of trail and had to be cautious because there isn't enough snow to bury all the rocks yet. But it was fantastic and we'll definitely go out again tomorrow.

Physio and Foothab. This week I'm supposed to avoid things that could cause muscle damage - training, shockwave treatment, etc. - to avoid skewing a blood test on Thursday. So I'm focusing on home tasks and a little chocolate.

Report from the Vaccine Clinic:

The past couple of clinics have been *busy*. (I usually go once a week.) More than 95% of our clients are getting 3rd shots. The rest are children. Almost all the adults and half the children arrive in good spirits. The atmosphere today was cheerful except for the tiny child who shrieked like a banshee for 10 minutes (while not being touched) but eventually consented to be immunized, then swaggered out the door with a huge, proud smile.

If anyone is looking, some clients were able to make same-day appointments on the provincial booking system due to cancellations and new appointment blocks. People can walk in for 1st shots or adult 2nd shots. That's probably true at most large Ontario clinics.

Most clinics in Ontario are currently giving Pfizer to people under 30 and Moderna to age 30+. Here's the rationale.



Because Canada had a large supply of Pfizer last spring, that's what most people are familiar with. Some clients have an irrational hatred of Moderna; they cancel their appointment or walk out in disgust. I'm the opposite. At the time I got my 3rd shot, I needed special permission to get Moderna after double Pfizer. In many studies, Moderna has shown a slight advantage over Pfizer. Mixing different vaccines is likely a good strategy too, as per Doc Tarno and some other physicians.

With schools opening in Ontario next week, it's troubling that under 40% of Peel Region children aged 5-12 have had their 1st shot. Looking at the postal code breakdown, I see that wealthier areas like Caledon are much higher. Hmm. :( Hopefully the upcoming school vaccine clinics will help with that.