April 21, 2001

Perfect PPP Day

Despite a less than optimistic forecast from Environment Canada, it turned out to be a beautiful day for the annual Powder, Peddle, Paddle race. For those unfamiliar with it, this Fernie tradition consists of a simultaneous start down hill (somewhat tempered by the need to race up the hill about a 100 m to get your skis) through Cedar Bowl and out Cedar Trail to the base area. There the skiers hand off to bikers who peddle through our subdivision and then into town. At this point paddlers take over and canoe or kayak down the Elk River to the base of the Ski Hill road. The final leg, unacclaimed in the race name, consists of runners who run back up the road, through the subdivision and finally back to the base of the ski area. The top teams do it in about an hour.

Only about half as many teams entered this year as have been seen in the past, perhaps as a result of how unlikely it looked a month ago that there would even be enough snow to make it happen. As it turned out though, the conditions were some of the best I have seen for a PPP, although the river didn't seem up to providing those crowd pleasing dips. I have posted most of the Race Results, but unfortunately the third page did not survive the ride home on its floppy disk. The Over All results did survive.

I headed up the hill after the race and found about as excellent spring skiing as it gets. You did have to watch the shady spots, but everything in the sun was great and even for a jaded resident the scenery was drop dead gorgeous. All in all a wonderful finish to a troubled season.

At twenty past five it is 16 C and sunny at the house.