With Environment Canada forecasting hot sunny days ahead, we wish you lots of outdoor summer fun! News below about run/hikes, stellar club members, and a reminder to smile.

Run/hikes

We are continuing our Sunday Run/Hike series throughout the summer. Each week, we’ll be posting the location on the club website home page and calendar.

It’s difficult to set the locations in advance for the month of July as we are monitoring trail conditions in the mountains, hoping they become accessible as the snow melts.

At any rate, join us every Sunday:

• for 2-3 hours
• starting at 10am
• in the running group or in the hiking group
• locations TBA on the club website
• all club members welcome!

Remember to dress for the weather and bring your own hydration and snack. Hope to see you there!

Talented SNSC racers Avalon Wasteneys and Tallon Noble in action!

Congratulations

Cross Country BC (CCBC) has named two of our young racers to the BC Talent Squad. Congratulations to Tallon Noble and to Avalon Wasteneys on an excellent racing season and on making the Squad!

Kusam Klimb

On Saturday, June 22, some of our club members trekked up to Sayward to take part in the annual Kusam Klimb, which is a 23k mountain “trail” run, starting at sea-level and gaining nearly a mile in elevation.

It starts as a well established trail but soon goes relentlessly up, with participants reaching for ropes, tree roots, and branches. At about a 1000m elevation, runners were back in the snow, finding their way to the saddle below Mount Kusam. Once the high point was reached, participants were slip sliding down to Stowe Creek, dodging tree wells, fording creeks, and balancing over “bridges.” Eventually, the runners reached an old decommissioned logging road that brought the climbers back to the Sayward Community Hall. After heavy rains the night before, race day brought cool cloudy skies. It was the perfect temperature for running, but there were no spectacular views this year.

Our small contingent did extremely well, and we showed that we can hold our own against the large trail running crowd.

• Michael Ravensbergen (age 18) placed 4th overall in a time of 2.42.48
• Peter Gledhill (age 13) placed 5th with 2.49.35
• Dominick Nadeau (age 17) claimed 15th overall and 3rd Junior in 3.14.01
• Berend Henckel (Devo Coach) held his own on the uphill section, but he saw quite a few racers flying by him on the descent and eventually finished in 3.55.12
• Louis Nadeau had the most fun of us all and even enjoyed some sunshine while crossing the  finish-line in 5.19.32

If you were there and we missed your name, write to us! info@StrathconaNordics.com!

This is a great event and worthwhile to put on you calendar for 2013!  www.kusamklimb.com/

Remember when you are out training, it doesn’t matter how good or how bad you feel, it is not going to last!  -Berend Henckel

Smile cards

If you are a Thrifty Foods shopper, you can use a Strathcona Nordics Smile Card, and every time you shop with it, Thrifty’s will donate a portion of their profits to our ski club! The money will go towards a new ski playground in our nordic area.

If you have a Strathcona Nordics card from last year, you can use it again.
If you would like a card or want to learn more, contact Berend at bhenckel@telus.net