Village Squire, 1978-01, Page 23Tips on where to ski in Ontario
BY STUART MORRISON
The winter of 1976-77 will go down in
North American history as one of the most
%.eird of all time.
And for skiers it was more than
mind-bogglin4. In the United States and
Canadian West. it was financial disaster
for many resorts. In the east. there was
snow (ask any resident of Buffalo about
that!) and there was cold. (Ask anyone,
anywhere. east of the Great Lakes!) The
Weird Winter led to some very strange
sightings.
1 was at Calabogie Peaks. a pleasant
resort. 96 km (60 miles) west of Ottawa in
January. and as I walked from the parking
lot to the base chalet 1 spotted a well -used
sports car. bearing Colorado licence plates.
1 looked twice. yup, no doubt about it. I
v.on't even hazard a guess about the
mileage from Colorado to Calabogie. but
that has to be one of the longest rides ever
for skiing. (In retrospect. the Colorado
driver could have been in the area for any
reason. but the coincidence --poor snow in
the Rockies. lots of it in the east --was like
the %.rather, v.eird.)
Now Calabogie Peaks isn't a name resort
like Sunshine at Banff, or Aspen, Colorado.
Owner Bill Hodgins is pleased with his
mountain though.
There are 225 vertical metres (750 feet)
of mixed -bag skiing, wide open trails for
cruising intermediates, steep narrow
pitches on the fall -line and the very gentle
slopes for the beginners.
Getting up the mountain this coming
season will be a little easier, with the
addition of a new double chair to the three
T -bars and one rope tow already there.
And snowmaking equipment will be
extended considerably. Ah yes, ski resort
operators rarely depend 100 per cent on
Mom Nature, even in snow -belt regions.
(Watch for snowmaking equipment instal-
lation at some Rocky Mountain resorts for.
the '77-'78 season.)
Calabogie Peaks, the only known eastern
resort which is home to a pair of golden
eagles, serves communities in the Ottawa
Valley area and many American skiers,
who commute from the upper New York
state centres of Ogdensburg, Watertown,
Malone and Potsdam. The base chalet
�-IoCdng
Ring out the old
...ring in the new.
May the New Year
ring out with love,
peace, prosperity.
MANAGEMENT & STAFF
AT
e �n�
Jeweliers
IISIOWEL. WINGHAM. SHELBURNE
J
features a licensed lounge, cafeteria, pro
shop, with rentals, and there is a fully
staffed ski school, teaching the Canadian
Ski instructors Alliance method and the
Canadian Ski Patrol.
The Calabogie Lodge, Jocko's Motel and
Madawaska Inn are all within 10 minutes
drive. Incidentally, Jocko's units feature
fully equipped kitchens, a blessing at
breakfast time. Information: (613) 752-
2720. The unique Whiffletree Shanty in
nearby Calabogie is noted for fine wines
and good fare.
The city of Thunder Bay, on the north
shores of Lake Superior was on the
snow--no-snow border last season, and
wound up on the short side of normal
winter accumulations. All five resorts
around Thunder Bay survived quite well,
thank you, because of man-made snow.
But there were other effects from the
Weird Winter of '76-'77; cold. The storms
that usually trek across the Rockies and the
plains were much further north, so the
Arctic temperatures were more southerly.
Fortunately, Thunder Country skiers
know all about cold weather. Canadians
Holiday wishes.
We'd like to express our Yuletime Wishes and
Love to one and all...Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year.
HARRIS
STATIONERY
WINGHAM
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JANUARY 1978, 21.