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Let's go out of Sneck


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Is that an old J Arthur Dixon postcard with the Volvo 131 heading south at the Slocht?  It was a common sight in the 60's to see cars with a bunch of the purple heather tied on to the grill of the cars, where did that old custom come from?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks IBM. Thought so because Aldourie Castle was always in my mind as a very romantic view as you travel down the Loch on the West side.

Now all I have to do to make my day is wait for IHE to respond about the hiking--maybe these mountains are in the lake District, or Coolins of Skye or maybe even In Western Canada where I have done my share of hiking and that makes sense as  to why he is asking. Smile.

Even the very local ski mountains are so high that we have to be transported up to the top of he slopes in a Gondola which is quite a breathtaking ride. I will see if I can find a photo of the one on Grouse Mountain which overlooks Vancouver City. Night skiing there was F-A-N-tastic. Only a few people on the mountain, the crackle and hiss of the icy snow under the skis, then a stop to view the city lights stretching out for miles way below you.  Strangely enough, when the snow freezes at night it doesn't make it more unsafe to ski because the skis, if the edges are sharpened as they should be, carve through the snow rather than slipping and sliding. The sensation of speed for me was always enhanced at night due to the darkened slopes. Them were the days.

Whistler /Blackcomb mountain complex, about 90 Kilometers up the coast road from Vancouver, is the largest ski resort in North America. On opening day recently they had about 20,000 - 30,000 skiers on the mountain. At night they use under lights on the front of the grooming machines that have a candle power so bright that it is about half the power of the light on the sun. This power is needed to ensure that the driver does not go over the edge of  some of the runs which would mean instant death over the cliff. The complex uses 30 machines with their own maintenance yard right there on site.They can do incredible things using highly tensioned,stressed cables manufactured to incredible tolerances and, needless to say, very strong indeed attached to the rear of the snow sweepers and then to a machine at the top of the mountain to ensure that the groomer does not get out of control and plunge downwards on the steep grades. To traverse back up the mountain sides they just reverse the ride and the cable pulls them back up. These 35-foot long huge groomers also use bombs and detonators to get rid of dangerous cornices that, if they were to break loose, could trigger an avalanche below possibly killing patrons! So, an inspection is made every skiing work day during the Winter to identify possible dangerous cornices and embankments that need  close attention. Ulp. Cost of these massive grooming machines which are used to make the Olympic runs as smooth as a  baby's bottom? - don't ask.

And that's part of the reason why a day out on the mountain costs quite a dollar including the cost of gas to get up there and back from the city. If you are a keen skier then the best thing is to buy a season ticket, I suppose, which will give you best value for money. But--check this out chums..wow!  http://www.lastfrontierheli.com/

 

Standard skiing is usually on groomed runs so that so long as you can keep your balance and remain in control there is little to fear. In powder, however, instead of leaning forward  you lean back and let the skiis float in the powder which can be metres deep and it's a blast. But you can check this out too.. http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/ --for the nutcases you can seek out the VIDEOS and the thrills.

 

 

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