Jackrabbits Go Wild!!!

Check out the
Jackrabbits

Hats off to the jackrabbits and their leaders this
year. John Deeley has set up a photo centre for the Jackrabbits so
check them out on the website ... lots of great action photos and even Don
Cormier made the action. Usually he's snoring on the couch in front of the
stove. Apparently they tried to lay him off as a leader and he insisted that he
couldn't be laid off because he was a volunteer ... so they kept him on ...
at least until the end of the season. So yes check out that
Jackrabbits and their leaders at www.whaleback.ca under the Jackrabbit
link. Thanks John and gang for all the great pictures! You've got
fans ...

Marathon Meal

Someone May be Phoning You For A Marathon
Meal

No not a marathon meal .... but a meal for the marathon
banquet! The banquet committee will be phoning members looking for
food for the marathon banquet. Please be gracious with these humble
volunteers. And if you feel overwhelmed with commitments ... just say "NO, my
cupboard is bare!" ... that being said, according to the phoners I've
talked to, they are having wonderful success with soliciting food. We might
have leftovers for a year. And yes ... drop by the chalet for the left
over banquet on Sunday March 2 because the leftovers often get dropped at the
chalet. Dinner anyone on the 2nd .... might be a plan!

"IIIIII'MMMMM BACK"""" and other cries from Graham....

Hi folks ... it's great to be back in snowland again and
rubbing shoulders with Whalebackers. By the end of the week, I
found that I was beginning to develop a southern Maine accent and although it
was very becoming to my image, I found it was a bit grand .. so back to the real
world. Lots of things going on at Whaleback so I will try to run
through what's happening and in that way you'll hopefully be
current.

Marathon and Festival of Skiers Just a Little
Over a Week Away

Do you know that the Coleman's marathon and Festival of
Skiers is just over a week away. Shockin' ... where has the time
flown? Whaleback needs as many skiers as possible to join up for the
marathon and festival of skiers. It is about participation and
celebrating fitness and fun and chatting and falling and getting up and having
stuff hanging form your ... sorry I can't get into that. suffice to
say that you should have a tissue in your pocket during the event.
Yes we want families and Jackrabbits and seniors and even people who wish to ski
the course for time. It takes all kinds to have a festival and each
and every member of our club has a place in the event. Details are
at www.whaleback.ca under Marathon
2008. I for one, am very concerned that we will have
the most prestigious trophy offered in the marathon stolen from us by
the crowd from St. John's or BMD, our Nefarious Neighbours to the North
(that's a joke guys ... no malice intended ... remmeber "we're the happy gang
and nefarious is a bad word ... means devilish or something like
that). The Ernie Langins Trophy is awarded to the club that can
recruit the largest number of participants and we NEED to win this
trophy. I'm a Fair Play ... non-competitive type of guy, but when it
comes to winning a trophy for participation I'm like a "mad dog on the beach"
... WE MUST WIN THIS TROPHY AND WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! It would be
embarrassing to lose it to visitors. So come on out ... sign up for the marathon
at the chalet ... forms will be available tomorrow in the afternoon. Take
one home and fill it out and come to the banquet and also the Wicked Good
Kitchen Party in the evening. Hope to see you there!
Please said young Oliver: "Can I have more skiers at
the starting line?" (this line is an interpretation from Charles
Dickens of course)

Silent Auction!!!!! SSHHHH!!!

President Fowlow Requests Donations for the
Silent Auction

Members are asked to donate suitable items for the
Silent Auction to be held in conjunction with the Greek dinner on February
23. The more novel the item the better: such as, Arts;
Crafts; curios you would like to be rid of but someone else might
treasure; exotic house plants, offers of services such as bridge lessons,
golf lessons, ski lessons, cooking lessons; ski equipment; your
prize "handmade" wine - you name it. Just contact Doug or
leave a note at the chalet by February 22 concerning the item. Thank you
for your support.

dougfowlow@persona.ca



Doug leadership is required here so I will step up to the
plate:

Graham's Group Skate Ski Lesson for up to 5
people

Beginner to Intermediate Level (2 hour duration) Great chance to
combine with three or four friends and pool your pesos to make
a bid.

This lesson is designed for skiers who have some ski experience and
who have made the investment in skate skis and would like to take their
skiing to the next level. You should have basic balance on your skis and
have at least some experience in classic, or skating technique. I will review
basic skating technique and work on points that will help you
improve your technique. It should be
fun!

Bridges Just Happen ... Not!!!

Earl says: "Don, any fish in that brook?"
Don replies: "Sure are...let's cover 'em up and keep 'em safe 'til the season opens."
A job well done.
Here comes that big machine again.
A job well done.
After reviewing 99 emails upon my return from Maine, I thought it worthy
to forward these photos taken by Dan Rumbolt. Often we ski the trails
at Whaleback and think that things like bridges "just happen" . Let me
tell ya, without bridges it would be impossible to get around the ski
park. Members of the Tool Box Gang pay their annual fees like everyone
elese and then when help is needed, they fire up their snowmobiles and
powersaws and head out to get the job done. These photos were taken at
the base of Deadly Descent early last week when they gathered together
to replace a bridge that had been swept away in a flood last fall. I
was not present for the work party, but from the photo it looks like the
devotees included Dave King, Earl Hunt, Don Cormier, Howard Skinner,
Dan Rumbolt, Carter Powers and Kenny Young. They also went into the
"cut and slash" mode near Hayes Hump where they widened the trail and
prepared it for the BR-250. Big thank you to the diligent gang for their
generous work on behalf of the membership. Where would we be without
volunteers?

Good to be back,
Graham

PS Apparently once Don Cormier got down in the brook it was hard to get
him out as he wanted to go trouting ... what are we going to do with
him?


Trail work a success...once we got chief Don out of the
> brook....bridge done
> and Hayes Hump route widened....Welcome back Graham!!!
>

A Heroes Welcome for the Tom Cods!!!

This came to me hot off the press anonymously........

A Heroes Welcome for the Tom Cods

During a recent press conference in Ottawa, Prime Minister Harper spoke sternly when he was responded “...when they arrive, we’ll be ready for them”. Was it an invasion of the body snatchers he was referring too? Was it fresh seal pelts from off the Labrador coast? No, it was those versatile Tom Cods who have made their way through unchartered waters, out of their spawning grounds on the way to Ottawa.

He continued and as he looked at the Commander In Chief of the Canadian Army, joked saying that “no longer do they have to fear trap or gill nets, Norwegian jiggers, skillets and deep frying fat”. We’ll welcome them with open arms. Both predicted their estimated time of arrival will be in Mid March, 2008.

How did they get so far without being scooped up by a deep sea trawler? To answer that CBC had to dig back in the early seventies and consult with retired Memorial University Professor, Dr. Kjell Nyborg. At that time Dr. Nyborg was a visiting Professor from Norway who taught Geography 3320, Land and Sea in The North, North Atlantic. He remembers Greg Noonan(Captain of The Tom Cods) who he describes as a very keen student who was fascinated with the ocean bottom. “He would spend hours analyzing the ocean floor graphing contours and the like...” He recalls one episode when he went missing for a 3 week period. His classmates thought he was at Big Bens, The Strand or Breeze way Bar. Dr. Nyborg replied that he was hid away in the bowels of the Temporary Buildings studying and analyzing the ocean bottom. Its no surprise to anyone how he’s leading his school of Tom Cods, against all odds, all the way to Ottawa.

Other students in his school deserve recognition. Noonan stated that its well known that Mike Benoit met Jill on the wharf in Burgeo...Mike was attracted to the fact that Jill, after catching her share of Connors and Sculpins, would release Tom Cods so that they would grow and develop. “Watching her release them would bring a tear in my eye”, he said.


General Rick Hillier guaranteed Naval Escort through the Great Lakes. He was quoted, “they made it so far, they’ll be protected the rest of the way”. Going back to his childhood, General Hillier vividly recalls catch and release programs introduced in Campbellton back in the late sixties. “We would spend each Saturday having fun along the sea shore. Barbless hooks would be used when hooking Tom Cods.

Through it all, Noonan shrugs off any credit for taking the Tom Cods so far. He says it simply team dynamics. “Our school consists of members spread over the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. We have members from Eastern , Central, Southern, Western Newfoundland and along the Labrador coast. All bases are covered. With such a diverse group, maneuvering to Ottawa should not present a concern.”


Anonymous

WILDCATS PREPARING FOR THE LOPPET!!!

Wildcats Preparing for the Loppet in
Corner Brook

There seems to be a crowd of wildcats preparing for
the fun loppet in Corner Brook at BMD of the 23 ... the same day
as the Greek Dinner. Last year we packed 40 people into cars and headed off for
a day skiing on the BMD trails and lost the BMD Cup by a layer of glide wax
(glide wax is thinner thatn grip wax). Now we know there is
NO more controversy over this deal with our Neighbours
to the North ... it has all been kiss and make up and we should go in there and
show them all the spirit of cooperation that we espouse (nice word). The
deal goes like this ... ski as many kms as you want and you get points for the
Wildcats for each km you ski ... I think that's how it works ... and if our
club skis a pile of kms we win the loppet ... so you can be slow, fast, in
between ... It's all about participation and healthy living. I did say
that it stared at 1:30 and I also said we had a Greekl dinner that evening, so
some skiers said to me ... why not sneak in and start at 12:30 and arrange
to be back at the start of the loppet for 1:30 so that we can hug all the BMD
members who are there at the start and then we can head off again. This is
a real sneak attack because we will already have hundreds of kms logged by the
time the start gun blasts "Allez!" at 1:30 .. all legal and withiin the
rules of Fair Play. We can then leave early so that we are back to
time to eat "Slouvakkkkkkiiiiieee" or how ever ya spell it. Check
Wildcat sign up sheet at chalet ... I think Carter Powers will put one up or
Howard or some other volunteer ... check it out and remember this is
non-competitive in nature and you get to ski another trail system.

I'm outta here ... cause I'm getti' too
foollish

Graahm (spell check ran only once but no
readover so what you get is what ya can decifcwer

Marathon WICKED GOOD KP!!! Unplugged

Marathon Wicked Good Kitchen Party to be
Unplugged

Due to the rave reviews of our last Kitchen Parrty,
the Wicked Good Ktichen Party after the maathon on March 1 will remain and
unplugged event. In chatting with Howard Larade and a number of other
members we decided not to take a crescent wrench to an already perfectly
running engine. The last KP was very spontaneous and it was generally
felt that the spontanaity would be lost if we had one that was amplified ... so
make sure you make the wicked good one after the marathon .. it will hopefull y
be a treat and we are asking all musicians and voices to rally for this event
... there are lots out there ... Brian Delaney, Dave Joseph, Karen,
Howie may be returning ...we hope .. and the Kippers have been hosue favourities
so we hope their melodic (nice word eh) voices will join in ... Sea Wind can
ceratinly take the roof off a KP ... well the list goes one ... we
have other musicians of note ... but as the saying goes No Pressure .... if
people are prsree you fail to have spontanity ... so it may be Graham and Dan
pounding on a pot ... now that would be deafening. More on this later ...
but wanted to relay the decision on format early. TIme to start
practising Barett's Privateers ... I found that I drifted off on the
chorus when Howie was belting 'er out last week .. "Oh the year was
1778, how I wish I were in Sherbrooke now ...." Maybe
Sandy Archibald will come .. he's from Boye ston, Guysborough Count or
somewheres on the St.Mary's River near Sherbrooke .. in fact I think he's a
privateer ... no it's a police man .. that's what he was ... Well same thing ..
they're all commisioned by the queen.

Chowder Wins the Day!!!!

Mary Pond's ... Sorry "Lake's" Chowder
Wins the Day .. Marjie's Chili takes the Blue Ribbon

Mary Lake made a wicked pot of chowder and her
donation was accompanied by a can of apricot biscuits so she
took first place in the chowder competition today. Of course, I was
partial to my dear wife's chilli and had two bowls of Marjie's fabrication
and she was awarded the blue ribbon in that category. But I had two
of Mary POnd's oh Lake yes larger body of water .. apricot
biscuits. Diane Hanratty took the gold medal in the turkey
soup category last week and the awards keep flying out the chalet door with
every pot that comes in over the threshold. Thanks to all for their
generous donations ... maybe we can have cooking listed under the
Hobby Courses that president Fowlow will be coordinating at the
chalet.

Tickets for Greek Dinner Going Fast

Tickets for Greek Dinner Going Fast -
But More Left Bring Friends

I was chatting with Linda today and tickets are
pretty well gone at the chalet, however I emailed Shawn to try and get more out
to the chalet. Debbie at the Video Shop has sold 20 and has some on hand
so you can walk in and pick up tickets there. Hopefully there will also be
more on hand at the chalet. Yesterday, I asked people to try and get their
friends to come ... Well Ralph and Judy Payne took it literally and went out and
sold 6 more tickets to their friends. What members they are!
The more tickets sold, the more money we make ... so if you have friends, bring
'em along. Remember tickets on hand at Debbie's and hopefully
some at chalet tomorrow.

Masters Attracts Friendly Group

Masters Attracts Friendly
Group

Day one of the Masters went extremely
well. They are indeed a fine group to work with. Being an
official in a avriety of sports, I have had my days when officiating was a
less than rewarding experience. The times when parents would come up at
the Provincials and display their disgust because a moose crossed the trail in
front of their son and that resulted in Johnnie losing 3 seconds off his
precious time and he came in 17th instead of 16th. Well, that never
really happened in cross country, but in other sports crazy things have occurred
and officiating can be challenging. But with the masters, you just
throw the names on a sheet, get come great helpers like Guy Roy, Jim Gallant,
Bert Young, Earl Hunt, Jim , Dave, Georgina and some Duke students ... ask
everyone to more or less seed themselves ... yell "Allez!" and they
all head out and come back like a cow at milking time. And they say: "What
a great day to be alive ..beautiful trail ... what a great course ... it
was a great ski!" Yes, the masters was wonderful today and tomorrow will
attract more skiers and it will be even a better event, if that is
possible. After the races today I was chatting to Bruce who is the
originator of the Masters and is responsible for it as an annual event at
Whaleback and we discussed how the Masters is a big fundraiser for
the club and will put approximately $400. (minus some expenses) in the coffers
of Whaleback Nordic. Maybe we should be advertising it as
a

NL Cross Country Ski Masters Championships


and Whaleback Fundraiser

Not being a competitive racer myself, I must say it
was enjoyable to be on the course today and feel the blood pumping again ... and
when Carter Powers passed me I said to myself this is indeed a friendly
competition and off I went in hot pursuit .. and then Stephen Penney said
move over ... for a while I felt like a long wide load on the TCH .... But it
was indeed fun and when I crossed the finish line and saw all the smiling faces
complete with dripping noses and heard all the congratulatory salutations .. I
said yeah .. it's a nice day to be celebrating fitness. So tomorrow I'm in
the line-up again .. watch out Carter and Steve Penney and Jack White and Bruce
Le Grow ... Where is Alf Parson at a time like this when you get all fired
up? Paul Green will be but a distant memory in my review mirror tomorrow
... oh how trash talk is just so much fun when you don't really mean it in a
serious way. From the back of the pack ... GO

(Maybe I'll have Jackie Le Grow in my sights
tomorrow ... no she's much tooooooo fast ... Earl Hunt ?
Doug Fowlow? ..... We'll see. If there are any more would-be
participants out there you can drop me a note. I'll put you
in the line up .. even tomorrow morning. We're the Happy gand
remember. Start time is 11:00 tomorrow and we will be finished by 12:00
... members don't shy aeway come ski when you want the coourse is open as per
usual.

Moores Has Pen in Hand

Moores Has
Pen in Hand

Due to all the
kafuffle(hard word to spell) about the volunteers at the chalet and their
waywardness ... or lack of on-task diligence ... or turning their attention to
other joys .... or ... well lets say there is more going on at the chalet
with the volunteers that slinging wood and writing day passes and this has got
the membership in an uproar. Rumbolt is in hiding ... Roseann Ploughman
who moved to Stephenville to relax in her retirement has stopped the quilt
production line that she had commisioned to raise funds for the club along with
Anne-Marie ... and now Wallace Moore's threatens to pick up pen and assault
the lanky Rumbolt. Wallace said, "Dan's too big to
tackle physically, so I may use my pen instead." President
Fowlow came to me just after the Masters today and he said "he don't know
what to be doing". (excuse the insertion of "don't" for "doesn't" but like in
good country and western songs, it just don't fit) ... Yes, Fowlow is in a
quandary. You see Rumbolt is in the tool box gang so he has currency
in the volunteer department. Wallace and Roaseann and Anne Marie are
also dedicated givers of time to the ski club so who does Fowlow side
with. He's dam ... (opps can't say that word) ... yes he is in a pickle
which ever way he turns. The only thing Fowlow can think of is to move
back into his old position as college president and have the chalet offer
community education programs. Like the ones that use to be offered when
Ros Churchill was in that department. Howard Skinner could teach
rabbit skinning as his name notably illustrates the skills he possesses,
the quilters are shoo-ins, Bob Whalen Hheavy Equipment as Rumbolt indicated,
Pete Sutherland science for retirees, Jack Lamond Small Engine Repair
.... Dan could combine with Sarah White and do conversational French ... on
second thought we best leave Dan out of it as he's caused enough racket as
it is ..... the list of courses offered could be long and varied.
Hopefully Wallace will not be too hard on Dano ... he's a good man with a shovel
...

Graham ...hmmm and Rolland could do prospecting, Don
Cormier and Ralph Payne Powerlifting, Bert Young Bike repair, Doug Fowlow Motor
cycle maintenance, Georgina could do "Getting the most out of your hair" for
balding men like me ... oh I can't stop .. the courses just keep flowing in ..
after another ski dan and i might have a full roster

Ploughman Responds to Rumbolt's Criticism!!!!!

Ploughman Responds to Rumbolt's
Criticism - President Fowlow Upset That We Will Lose
Money

Roseanne & Anne-Marie's
Email

"Hi Graham,I'm
writing to ask you to pass my apologies on to Dan. You see Anne-Marie and I had
planned on doing 3 or 4 quilts in our spare time (when we're not on duty of
course) and raising around two or three thousand dollars for Whaleback (we had
already arranged for tickets to be sold province wide and the demand for our
handiwork was phenomenal) but since neither of us have the heart to upset Dan we
scrapped the whole idea and called off all the plans. Who knows, maybe the
Curling Club may use our donations....Happy skiing
Rosann & Anne-Marie"

MONDAY MORNING WORK PARTY!!!!

Work Party Monday Morning at 9:00
a.m.

You may have noticed that a big culvert has been
removed from the bottom of Deadly Descent. On Monday morning Earl
and Howard and the rest of the tool box gang will be heading in to build a
bridge over the brook where the culvert was located. They
will also look at widening the section of trail between the exit
of Oliver's Twist and up Hayes Hump to the taril joins Abbey
Road ... some widening has to be done on this section of trail to get the BR250
through, but most of it is good. I think it is a work party in the
morning and a ski party in the afternoon. While I cannot make the
gathering, I will be with them via satellite and making sure that Howard "two
features" Skinner files a full report. I find that if Earl and Don C and
Dan R are left alone they sometimes leasn on the shovels, so Howard has been
given leadhand responsibilities. And Howard will have his hands full
because they've hired on Dave King for Monday so he has given Howard added
responsibility. Dave is still classed as a novice even though he has
thirty years experience looking after the hydro lines in the
province. Equipment: .. shovels, axe, powersaws, pickaxe, and
a comedic attitude.

Graham

GROUP PHOTO!!!!!!

Group Photo of Whalebackers- Sunday at
1:33 p.m. - Spread the Word

On Sunday at 1:30 ish we would like to get a
group photo just prior to the start of Jackrabbit with all the kids and
families and retirees and actually all members
of Whaleback. We will put Whaleback bibs on and the kids
can hold the new Coleman's Marathon banner (presently hanging in the
chalet) up in front of the enthusiastic crowd. If you can make it ...
we would love to have you in the photo ... the Western Star loves to have
people in their photos and I would like to show them that we are excited about
hosting this year's Marathon and Festival of Skiers ... remember, it's a
festival so Whalebackers must be festive.

"DIRTY BLESSED ANTI-BLEEDIN!!" Volunteers

More Problem with Volunteers ... usually Daniel Rumbolt is soft spoken
and seldom gets upset, but apparently the volunteers at Whalebback have
gone tooooooooooo far. He is fed up with it and the opther day when we
were skiing the Barveheart, just before running free straight down
Sleepy Connock he broke the news to me. "Graham I would appreciate it
if you would bring up this issue about the volunteers at the executive
meeting on Monday evening.." And on he went on a rant like I've never
seen since a aldy put a head lock on him at the marble Mountain square
dance and tried to haul him into a square set. Rather than summarize is
reason ioof discontent, I thought I would forward Dan's distress in it's
original format (below) for all to enjoy. It's a hoot!

Graham


"Graham .....I don't use this expression unless things get desperate...
(I think the last time was when I got caught for 5 hrs in kayak with no
place to land but I gotta say it again...DIRTY BLESSED ANTI-BLEEDIN!!
Graham..it's hard to believe but again I got proof. Just look at this
pic. See these ladies and all those little pieces of cloth?Guess what?
Anne Marie White is giving QUILTING lessons while she's volunteering as
chalet attendant!! What's this...Whaleback Quilting Bee..Hookers Haven??
ALSO..Mr. Steve Penney has MacLean's Magazines,Independent and Globe and
Mail newspapers. all over the chalet...a proper Reading club. AND Shawn
o Keefe was on duty a couple days ago doing CROSSWORD PUZZLES and
soliciting answers from people. NOW..I hear Howard Skinner might be
giving French lessons and Lord only knows what Wallace Moores got up his
sleeve. OH Yes...yesterday I saw my fellow volunteer Robert Whalen
studying all the manuals for the big groomer....Probably thinkin' of
offering a heavy equipment maintenance course!! And I saw Rona and Ellen
speaking in hushed tones the other day...up ro something also, I bet.
Graham boy, what happened to sellin' day passes and stokin' the stove?
Just think of the pressure it puts on "normal" volunteers tryin to offer
these "extras'. I have this fear of sitting diligently behind the desk
with pen in hand and someone arriving and wondering why there's nothing
going on at the chalet. Graham...put out a call...we need more
volunteers. Normal,regular ones that follow the rules and only do
required tasks.Enought of this "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty"!!
The war is over sure!"

Distressed Dan

Lost Grip!!!! Pretty Scary Stuff!!!!!!

Missing Item: News Bulletin .... Brian Dunphy has
lost his grip. Brian Dunphy left his wax belt on the ski rack at
the chalet on Sat. at the Snowy Owl Classic. he only realized that
he was missing it a week later. The fanny pack has not turned up at
the chaet ... I f anyone picked it up by mistake or knows where it is
please let Brian know or drop me a note. The belt is black and
orange and has about $100. worth of wax in it. And Brian
is really scared that I will overtake him on the hills if he doesn't get it
back, so please rush to Brian's rescue.

Off to hockey, GO

Marathon Meeting :)

Marathon meeting went Very
Well

Lots of volunteers for the marathon ... but we are
still looking fro a few officials. If you know of a person who does not
ski and who would not mind recording skiers as they come across the finish line
... just let me know. Might also need a few souls working in the
kitchen .... another few here and there. One request that was made earlier
by potential entrants was a tour of the course for participants unfamiliar
with the course. We are also trying to get as many young people from
the club involved in this event as possible. It was also suggested that
our recreational skiers try to set an objective of skiing a course that is a
challenge for them. It could be a 5 km course or 11 km or even a 20
km. Do I hear 40 km? Earl Hunt (in charge of trails) said that we
will have signage for the Marathon and Festival of Skiers up early and
people will be able to ski the trails in advance. More later.
Oh yes ... calling committees have been put in place to call members and ask
them for food donations for the "marathon banquet" ... now that's not a three
day meal, it is a meal after a long ski.

CCNL TICKETS!!! Get them! Great Prizes

Noonan Advise that CCNL Fundraiser
Tickets Are all Out

Greg Noonan is coordinating our CCNL
draw. The tickets are all out in the hands of the members so as the
saying goes, the success of the fundraiser is in your hands. Mine are
sitting on the my desk immersed in molasses in hopes that when I do submit
them for the draw, that the tacky tickets will stick to the fingers of the
person draawing the ticket. These tickets have to be
turned in before the Marathon ... so don't loose them .. what a
condescending lecture .. asif I was your Mom.

SKI WITH THE MASTERS!!!!!!!

Masters On Sat. and Sun ... Don't Worry
... Come Skiing ... The races Over at 11:50 a.m each
Morning

Do not alter your ski plans because of the Masters
being on this weekend. Sometimes people get scared away when they hear
that events are going on at Whaleback. Don't worry about the Masters ...
come ski your favourite course. The Masters races start at 11:00 a.m. on
Sat and Sun. It is a mass start so once the skiers leave the chalet,
they will proceed around their course and be back in at the chalet within 50
minutes, most within 34 minutes. And the it's over. Because we are
grooming for a classic event on Saturday, we ask members not to skate in
the classic tracks that will be set for the start of the race. Six or
eight classic tracks will be set in the stadium area by the chalet and then we
will have three set out as far as the Fox Trot/Raven';s Ridge intersection ...
after that it is regular grooming. If you still want to join in the races
there's still time, just drop Bruce a note. Cost is $20. to join
Masters Assoc. and $10. per race.

Greek Dinner

Greek Dinner at College ... Tickets are
Flying Out the Chalet Door

If you're are interested in the Greek Dinner at the
college, then you should act soon as the tickets are flying out of the envelope
faster that Arctic Hare that scrambled off
down the North Rim when we rolled a boulder at him on a 1992 Hiking trip in Gros
Morne ... man you wanted to se that animal scamper. Ya see ... oops back
to the subject. Yes tickets are going fast. Drop me a note with the
number you need ... I'll forward your ticket request to Shawn Tilley ... Shawn
will put your name on a spread sheet .... you will pick them up at the chalet
... and that's "EAT". The cost is $30. a couple. Members have been
given advance notice, but the public will soon come in and grab 'em up because
this is a deal. There is also a silent auction at 6:30
and meal is at 7:00. If you have a donation ofr the auction please make it
known. A few Ken Danby originals would be a fine donation .... maybe
a Chris Pratt, or Blackwood orignial would be a fine donation.
Whatever you can spare.

Trail Conditions Wed Feb 6th.......

Conditions: Weds. Feb 6th,
2008

All the trails are in excellent condition with the
exception of Chickadee Hollow which has base prep done to it and therefore
needs 5 -10 cm of snow (which has been ordered and is being delivered
today) to give it a fresh coat of paint. I skied Hayes Hump and the Roller
Coast section of Chickadee yesterday and it has turned out very
well. More work on widening this trail will be done on Monday and
work will also be done at the base of Deadly Descent in preparation fro the
Festival of Skiers/Marathon. Brave Heart has a great base and
is a Must Ski. Rona O'Gorman skied it yesterday and she told me it was
"wonnnnnnnddddderffulll". Kenny did a great job of flattening
it down and overnight it would have set up like a pan of curdled cheese in
Hughie R.s basement. Sorry folks just went back to my haymaking days
down in Judique and Braveheart has nothing to do with Judique, but then again
the movie Braveheart is about the Scots and Hughie R Graham was a fine Gaelic
speaker and of Braveheart ilk so.... oops. I'm digressing again! Yes the
trails are fine ... get out and ski them ... tell Kenny he's doing a great
job when you see him.

Tribute to a Good Friend and a Great Fiddler!

Ivan playing the fiddle at a Folk Night in Black Duck Brook in October 2007.

When I first moved to Stephenville in 1975, Ivan White was already a renown
fiddler. His music was regularly featured on CFSX and he could often be heard
playing at concerts, festivals and gatherings. Although I became familiar with
Ivan�s music, I never really got to meet the man behind the bow until one day I
came across him in the woods near the Whaleback. I was hunting ski trail and he
was hunting firewood. It took us little time to get introduced and as soon as he
found out that I was from Cape Breton, needless to say, the conversation became
focussed on Scottish fiddling. Gerry Holland, Buddy Mac Master, Angus Chisholm,
Dan R. MacDonald, Bill Lamey, Winston Scotty Fitzgerald, Natalie Mac Master,
were all his favourites and we were soon trading stories about the great Cape
Breton fiddlers who he held in such high esteem.
But I didn�t really get to know Ivan until Marg encouraged him to take up
skiing. Marg had been a dedicated member of Whaleback Nordic for years and one
day Ivan decided to join her on the trails. Ivan certainly gave cross country
skiing more that try! Before long he was a regular at Whaleback. I would often
meet him coming in off the trails. He would have just finished a 10 or 15 km
tour and with cheeks all flushed and a spring in his step, he looked the picture
of health. One day in particular sticks in my mind when I met Ivan on the narrow
path that leads from the chalet to the parking lot.
I was dodging along slowly with head down and I heard this enthusiastic
greeting as we approached, "Graham, when�s the next Kitchen party? You make sure
you give me a call and I�ll come up and play for you! Now don�t forget, let me
know!" Well as it turned out, he never got to play for the next kitchen party
because Ivan and Marg had to go to Port aux Basques to look after their
grandchildren. While he did miss last year�s kitchen party, I have fond memories
of Ivan and Tommy playing long medley�s of toe-tapping tunes at the chalet. In
fact, one night we had the privilege of having him play for an old fashioned
square set. It was indeed a treat and the energetic dancers were worn out long
before the accomplished left-handed fiddler surrendered his bow.
In September, Dan Rumbolt and I were kayaking along the south coast and we
paddled into Grand Bruit to spend the night. After setting up camp we drifted up
to Cram-A lot-Inn, a little plywood shed where the men in the community gathered
to chat and discuss the topics of the day. As soon as we entered the narrow door
a friendly voice called out, "Have a seat boys! Where ya from?" When they found
out that we were from Stephenville, this fellow asked, "Do you know Ivan White?"
And so the conversation continued, about Ivan White the fiddler, the sailor who
he had travelled the world, the skier, the family man who loved his
grandchildren, the story teller and the good friend.
Several days after returning from our south coast paddle, I met Ivan and Marg
at the Co-op and I told him that we had met his good friend Gerry Billiard when
we were in Grand Bruit. He was so excited that we had met his sailing buddy he
could hardly contain himself. "So you met my old sailing buddy Gerry! I must
give him a call as soon as I get home," said Ivan as we parted.
Family and friends were extremely important to Ivan and he was blessed with
many. Tonight we�ll be having a Kitchen Party at the chalet. Ivan will not be
there ... his friends at Whaleback will dearly miss him.

Graham

Mish Mash of Info!!!!

Check out slideshows of Kitchen party and
Snowy Owl Classic in the photo albums at www.whaleback.ca ... What a job Jacko has done!
- Blow-Me-Down Loppet is Feb. 23 and we
will try to get the Whaleback Wildcats on the go so get
ready to sign up .... we may be victorious this time.
- Introduce a friend to skiing at
Whaleback ... great way to increase our numbers while at the same time
encourageing Healthy Active Living.
- Whaleback couple of the week goes to John Felix and
Alice Critchley ... these folks never stop ... Great to see folks ...
you are a wonderful addition to WB
- Winner of the 50/50 Draw was Susan Green. This
was drawn at the ktichen party. Carter has more tickets for the next one
to be drawn at the next KP Mar 1
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Trail Conditions Tuesday, Feb. 5th,
2008

I did not get to chat to Kenny before he went to bed ... he is
an early to bed sort of guy, but I assume he will groom all the trails with the
BR250. Hopefully we will have sufficient fuel to complete a round of
grooming. It is a good day forecast for tomorrow, but it looks like we
might get a dump on Weds. Thurs. We will try to get Barveheart
back in business soon, but we may have to wait until after the big snow
fall.


View from the Whaleback Febraury 5/2008
by
Graham Oliver

Launch of Sea to Sea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whaleback has launch of Sea to Sea to Sea on
the Natinal site .. check out the officiial launch of Whaleback Sea to Sea
to Sea at www.whaleback.ca under Sea-to-Sea tab. The
link will take you into the national site. We're not only famous in Noel's
Pond you know? Even in Ottawa they recognkize Whaleback. I
have been assisting Bruce Le Grow, our club coordinator, in trying to get
teams formed ... still room for more ... chat with Bruce about getting your team
formed ... contact him bruce.legrow@nf.sympatico.ca

Want an exquisite meal prepared by a chef at CONA?

You want a rest from cooking and be able to sit down
to an exquisite meal prepared by a chef at CONA? Just read what
President Dougie has laid out for ya!

From the President's
Desk: Co-sponsored Fundraising Dinner at CNA


Whaleback Nordic and the College of the North
Atlantic's cooking students' association have teamed up to offer Whaleback
members and the general public an opportunity to sample some Greek cusine at a
dinner on Saturday evening, February 23, 2008 at 6:00
pm.

The meal will be at the College Dining Hall and
will be a buffet with a range of food and deserts with a Greek theme - even if
we are in the midst of enjoying a Newfoundland winter and skiing our heart's
out, there's no reason we should not enjoy a taste of Greece, the warm sun on
the Mediterrean sands, the perfume of the olive groves and the lively
dancing. (some imagination required!).

Seriously folks. A great opportunity for
a different food experience, a dinner out and an opportunity to replentish our
groomer maintenance funds so we can continue to keep our trails in the great
shape to which we are acustomed. There will also be an assortment of
items of interest for sale by silent auction during the
dinner.

Tickets are $15.00 each and are
limited in number. They will be available
to the general public at Debbie's Video from Friday, the 8th to Friday
15th, BUT as a Whaleback member you can reserve yours in advance by return email
to : g.oliver@nf.sympatico.ca; or shawn.tilley@cna.nl.ca. Reserved tickets will have to be
picked up by February 15.

Note: From your scribe ... I have not contacted fDebbie yet,
so please delay from going to Debbie's looking fro tickets until I (GO) checks
with her. Just a little note though about this dinner ... we believe
that tickets will go as fast as Danny Gallant going down racer's Edge after
a sleet storm, so reserve your tickets ASAP by dropping Shawn, or me a
note. Tickets will definitely be at the chalet ... correct
Shawn?

Marathon Meeting Tues. at 7:30 - 8:30 HELP!!!!!!!

Imagine you could be making something like this and people could enjoy it!
Marathon Meeting Tues. at 7:30 - 8:30
(tonight) and Masters Meeting to Follow .... HELP! HELP! HELP!
HELP!

Woooooh! Do I need members help, or what, at
getting the Coleman's Marathon and Festival of Skiers off the
ground! March 1st is not far away and there is lots to be done!
I have just moved into high gear in the organizational department and
when that happens I surround myself with paper and post-its and I feel a
throbbing adrenalin rush. The gears are shifting! There are banquets to
arrange, food to organize, timers to assign, people to pass out drinks
required,as are bib passer-outers and picker-uppers, finish line
recorders , people to help inthe ktichen, controllers to stand by at
the pentagon, helpers to get the trails prepared, helpers to set up the stadium
area, helpers with registration, etc. etc. etc. Will it all be
done? Of course! This is Whaleback we're talking about and with
great confidence, I can say that people will jump right in to help.
Please rest assured that no one will be assigned more than they can
manage. But many hands can make light work. If you see any job
you would like to help out with, please let me know or show up at the meeting at
the chalet tomorrow (Tues.) night at 7:30. All Masters interested in
helping out with the masters event on this coming weekend, or registering for
the event, are encouraged to come to the masters meeting at 8:30
p.m.

One other note on the marathon ... Marjie and I are going to
start the list for main dish donations for the marathon and the
dish is going to be:

1. Graham and Marjie - Chicken
Dish
Anyone wishing to make a donation drop me a note and I will
add it on to the list ... nothing like being the first kid on the block to
donate .... if I can catch a few rabbits or a partridge, I may change ours
to a wild game dish. For the new people who don't know what I'm
talking about, members are encouraged to donate a main dish to the banquet after
the marathon and Whaleback makes the money from the banquet. So
members usually help out by making a donation ... and I can only catch so many
rabbits and partridge, so we need help!
GO

Extreme Makeover????? on the trails????

Makeover on the Trails
Look at that Machine Go!!!
Git outta da way bys!!!!
So that's what they do when we're not around.

Chickadee Hollow gets a makeover! The rollercoaster gets a new snow
ramp! If you skied towards Oliver's Twist or Abbey Road today you
probably saw the remnants of the BR250 in action. Here are a few
photos of the base preparation and actually building a snow ramp to
connect the roller coaster to Abbey Road. Unfortunately Kenny did not
have sufficient time to regroom after preparing the base on Chickadee,
however we hope to look after that tomorrow. We look forward to opening
Hayes Hump and Roller Coaster soon and this trail will be widened to
hopefully take the BR250. Big thanks to Don, Earl and Howard for the
use of their own machines, gas, and powersaws and while Dan and I did
not offer any expensive equipment we were there to make sure the boys
didn't slack off. Someone has to pull rank with this guys. GO

"Tappie the Ptarmigan"

Well, I never knew that we had our own offical Groundhog kinda animal on the trails but according to Graham we do. So after reading this interesting comment on the blog I will share with everyone......

Mr. Oliver was quoted as saying.......

"......well he has nothing on Whaleback's own "Tappie the Ptarmigan" in predicitng the timing of spring. According to Tappie, who resides on the bog atop Raven's Ridge, we're going to be grooming the trails 'till June. So no spring in the forecast! Shockin' ... I want to be kayaking then. If that bird doesn't change his predicition, he'll be in a stew in the Pentagon!"

So I guess that's it folks we can keep our skiis out for a long time yet. Like I said til twigs scrapes me skiis.
JB

Commenting on a Post

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The Groundhog Report and Skiing.

Does the Goundhog not seeing his shadow today mean that we will ski no more. I think not. Here is a press release on the Canadian Famous Rodent.

WIARTON, Ont. - Severe weather across the country that plunged the Prairies in the deep freeze, Prince Edward Island in the dark and Ontario and Quebec under a massive dump of snow will soon come to an end, according to Canada's furry weather forecasters.
Wiarton Willie, Canada's most famous weather prognosticating rodent, heralded an early spring when he failed to see his shadow after being roused from his slumber early Saturday in this small southern Ontario community.
Folklore has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, he'll flee to his burrow, heralding six more weeks of winter - if he doesn't, it means early spring.
"Dignitaries, me lads and ladies," the town crier Bruce Kruger proclaimed while ringing his bell, "get your shorts and T-shirts too, Wiarton Willie's annual task is through. Now the town crier proudly rings, Willie predicts it's an early spring."
Mac McKenzie, who founded the Wiarton Willie event 52 years ago, said that's music to his ears.
"Sounds good to me," he said. "You think I like this kind of weather? Not really. I'd rather be in Jamaica."
But don't put away parkas and tuques just yet, said Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson. Early springs are actually pretty rare.
"Whether Wiarton Willie sees the shadow or not, I think the way things normally shape up in an average winter in the province, we're probably still looking at winter-like weather right through into that mid-March and late March period," he said.
"I would hope people aren't using bets on stock commodities or futures or whatever based on a groundhog coming out and seeing his shadow or not."
The origins of the tradition aren't clear, but it's likely related to the fact that Groundhog Day falls midway between the start of winter and the beginning of spring.
Though the event is more about fun and promoting the community of Wiarton than hard meteorological data, McKenzie said Willie is never wrong - well, almost.
"Bang on. (He) never misses," he said. "Well, we had one about 40 years ago, I think, where, well, he'd been into the sauce."

Canada's other famous groundhog, Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam, and stuffed mascot Balzac Billy in Alberta, also predicted an early spring. Two of their southern brethren - Woody from Howell, Michigan, and Gen. Beauregard Lee in Georgia - concurred.
Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil was the lone voice of dissent, spotting his shadow on Saturday after being awakened by his handlers.
Balzac Billy, who represents the plentiful gopher population in the area north of Calgary, has been prognosticating for two decades and has been more than 80 per cent accurate, said organizer Bob Stuart.
But he concedes that real gophers are rarely seen in Balzac when the weather is frigid in February, so the stuffed mascot represents the gophers who are still hibernating........

So more skiing for us I think,,,,,if you want the entire post go to this link:
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrY77mRE_Bxw8C3nEQcuZW1cLG7g

Snowshoe/ Kitchen Party & Conditions for Sat Feb 2nd (Incidentally Groundhog Day)

What a wicked Snowshoe/ Kitchen Party we had last evening. Big crowd
out for the snowshoe which took the participants on a meander through
the forest and away from the domesticity of the lighted groomed trails.
Afterwards, the snowshoers joined with a gaggle of members and friends
who had already congregated in the chalet and we kicked off a wicked
Kitchen Party, the likes of which has never been seen before; or at
least not since the Marathon Kitchen Party of 2006. Now that wasn't a
"marathon" party it was a Kitchen Party celebrating the "marathon" in
2006. But I digress! Yes, the party was filled with laughter and chat
and music and dancing. And what dancing there was ! I guarantee you by
2:47 a.m., there wasn't one nail in the newly painted plywood floor
that hadn't been buried. The ladies, as the photos indicate,
certainly needed no prompting to get up on the floor and much to the
delight of the audience and musicians, their spark gave a delightful
energy to the congregation. Their performance would even have turned
the heads of the "Duffy-A-Go-Gos" who are regular performers at Bill and
Linda Alexander's Christmas party. Yes, it was some time. Dave Joseph,
Howie Larade and Brian Delaney hit their first musical note at 10:24
p.m. and at 2:47 a.m. we closed her down with Austin's Lane's old
favourite "Sara"! If you missed the KP don't worry, just be sure not to
miss the next one on March 1st after the marathon. Big thank you to the
musicians and Karen Joseph for bringing her rhythm band instruments and
to Terry Styles who made sure that a few beverages were available for
the performers.


Conditions Saturday, Feb.2, 2008

The big machine has been out on the trails and when I phoned the chalet
Linda said people were coming in and saying the skiing was good. I
haven't been out today so I cannot provide a personal experience report.

Humor from Jacko !!!!

After working all week, I figure you guys could use a little laughter. Make sure your sound is on. Enjoy.
Jacko

(copy and paste into your address bar until I can figure the links function out) JB

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x45gjo_benny-hill-wishing-well_fun

Update on Trails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday at 1:00 pm

Just back off the trails and the BR250 has won the battle of the
washouts on the upper 5 km part of Raven's Ridge. The Foxtrot and
Ravem's Ridge are the only trails that have been groomed for skating and
classic. The crust has been tilled and it is fast, with ground up
loose snow on top that gives skaters an edge. The set track will be
fast and waxless skis should work fine. Hills will be fast with the
crust on top broken up and tilled snow to give you some edge. As I type
the snowmobile is being reapired and should be in action within the hour
so we hope to be able to use it on BTF tomorrow. Graham

Kitchen Party Friday night @9/Snowshoe @8 -Condtions-Blogging-Free Skiing at BMD

Kitchen Party Friday
Night Snowshoe 8:00 and KP at 9:00
I chatted with Dave Joseph this
evening and he says he's keen on belting out a few tunes at tomorrow night's
Kitchen Party. Now there is no doubt that Dave likes to sing, but he also likes
to have fellow musicians to share the bench with and the odd person to
scuff 'er whenever the urge arises. The 2.5 km Snowshoe tour starts at
8:00 and we will do the Snowshoe trail in a clockwise direction and arrive back
for the gathering at 9:00ish. Now you don't have to be stylish for this as
it is a very casual event ... bring your own whatever ... if you want to
roast a pig ... do it! But chips, veggie trays, crackers, low alcohol
beer, Gatorade, tea, high alcohol beer, water, or any other refreshments
that you wish may be thrown in a Coleman's bag and brought along. We
would really like to have people bring friends as this is not an exclusive
event .... it's about friendship, chatter, refreshments, snowshoeing and
song. The more the merrier! Spread the word ... I put it
on CBC and CFSX today and invited everyone!


Conditions Feb. 1st,,
2008 .... What's Up?
Tomorrow morning Kenny will be
grooming (using the blade and tiller) the Foxtrot and Raven's Ridge for classic
and skating. He will begin in the morning by doing the Foxtrot and he will
then proceed to Raven's Ridge (5.4) km. The changeover from mild to
cold temperatures did not leave the trails in very good shape as ruts were
formed in the trails after the freeze up. There are also sections of
trail washed out on the upper Raven's Ridge trail. After finishing
Foxtrot he will work on levelling and filling in holes on Raven's Ridge
with the BR250. It may have been possible to start that work earlier
today, however there was still a lot of open water running up until late
afternoon. Until the water table goes down and the overflow runs out the
brook in the valley, it is hard to do anything with the trails. By
the time Kenny finishes Raven's Ridge tomorrow, it should be in good shape and
ready for a good freeze up. The good news about all the other trails
is that they have faired off very well. Oliver's Twist has no water
problems, Snowy Owl will have some but they are fixable with the BR250,
Braveheart is in excellent condition. I was not on Beaver Tail Flat,
however it was reported late yesterday afternoon that trail was in great
shape. With a little levelling and some help from the BR250,
everything should be fine. Skiers should note that until Bernie comes
out and fixes the "float function" on the BR250, we will be concentrating
our grooming on the main, wider trails. Hopefully we will have a
snowmobile up and runnign tomorrow.
New Gang on the Block -
Watch Out!
Hi Graham,
You better tell the
Tool Box Gang to move over, there�s a new gang on the road these days. Maybe not
as busy as the Toolbox Gang but working in the background just the same. I
have just been corresponding with Jill Benoit the last couple of days and
she has devoted her time into making a blog for the website (now you really have
to watch what you say) . And what a super job she is doing !. I have it under a
new heading � Stories, Lies and Oliver�s emails� (name subject to change ,
of course) . Jill will have to be known as Chief Blogger, with Dan Rumbolt as
photographer and script writer, Brian Alexander as Head Technical Supervisor,
Graham Oliver as Managing Editor, Clarence Pelley as Technical Supervisor from
up-a-long, Diane Lamond as Chief Editor in Hiding , Bruce Legrow as
Submissions Editor, Jack
Lamond as the On Site Technician along with Doug Fowlow as
Chief Controller . With a gang like that , the Downhomer had better watch out,
it could lose it circulation in no time. Hope I didn�t forget anybody. Just a
note as well, anybody who has something to contribute to the website is more
than welcome to let the � Website Gang� know. We�ll find a place for it. Just
wanted to let everybody know that the website is a Team
sorry Gang effort!
Jacko
Machines!
Machines! Machines!
Don't get me start ... will
abbreviate this and say that our 3 snowmobiles are in various states of
disrepair and the workorders on all three may be completed simultaneously.
We are still trying to solve the float problem on the BR250 and when we do that,
our mobility on the trails will be greatly improved as the groomer drag will be
articulating and following smoothly behind the BR250. Bernie will be
out from Marble any day and he is confident that he can solve the problem
He is a man of his word and we have great confidence in him. We are also
keeping our fingers crossed that the u-joints on each end of the tiller section
of the BR250 hold out until later in March or otherwise we will have to go to
plan "B' and as of yet ... we haven't figured Plan "B"
out.
Masters Only a Week
Away
The masters will be held next
weekend so get ready to go ... Howard Skinner is our new poster boy for the
Masters so stay tuned for some great posters. Of course the posters will
only be released to potential Masters participants. Howard
epitomizes a Master's racer as he will be participating in the event with the
objective of establishing his personal best and that is indeed a
noble objective. The cost to join the masters association is
$20. and $10 per race. Check out details on
the webpage.
Free Skiing at Blow-Me-Down in
Effect
I was chatting online with Ian Hutchinson of BMD a few times
over the past few days and the agreement to ski for free on each other's trails
is in effect. Show your membership card and that should be
fine. Proof of being a resident of Bay St. George may also
required. A driver's license or other id card should look after
this. 'Nough said.