2016 Learn to Ski with WA School of the Blind
We had another great day on the mountain at Teacup Nordic Center teaching and guiding visually impaired students in how to Nordic ski, snow sled, and throw snowballs. Two wonderful days of smiles and soft falling Snow! Perfect conditions! Timing was also perfect! Wednesday we were 2 hours ahead of Mother Nature’s Snow-to-Snain-to-Rain.
Most all 48 Volunteers (originally had 58) in the group photo taken Tuesday. Missing 6 of Wednesdays volunteers. We did the Tuesday photo-op due to a dodgy Wednesday weather forecast which proved to be delayed in our favor. WSSB students scheduled to be 30 (originally 34 to 30 to 22) + 4 faculty. Unfortunately 8 students missed due to illness and academics. Total WSSB guided was 26. Volunteer and student numbers a fluid count.
The secret to the success of this WSSB XC ski program is The Wonderful Volunteers ! Hope to see everyone Volunteer next years. Also huge Thank You’s to:
- Mt. Hood Nordic Ski Patrollers for covering our event: Rod Legg; Matt Hickok; Jeff Hepler; and the late injured missing Mark Merkens. Fortunately no event injuries again. Appreciate your assistance in doing the “sweeps”.
- Adrienne Fernandez and the WSSB staff
- Teacup Lake Nordic Board for use of the Day Lodge and upper trails
- Ron Kikel and the USFS for supporting us
- Mountain Tracks for once again supplying the skis, boots, poles to the WSSB
- Skip Tschantz for working with Joe Powell of The Dalles who built Ella’s sled
- Shelly Hakanson for securing all the skis from Mountain Tracks, general help and “ roving”
- Leif Hovin for all the help with the set up, race management, “roving” and take down
- Harold Fischer, Teacup Groomer Extraordinaire!
- Wake and Baked located in the Community of Mount Hood who made over 40 box lunches that I’m told were absolutely delicious.
In the final words of the training program:
We volunteers feel we learn more from the WSSB students about determination, perseverance, confidence, friendships, communication, happiness and life in general, than they do from us.