Camp Fortune - January 24, 2015 - Glades and Ski Cross

Another weekend upon us, another ski day arrived. Finally a reprieve from the cold frigid weather, it was time to load up the equipment into the good old four-wheel drive and head up to the ski mountain.
 
Conditions were amazing all over the mountain. With almost all trails open, the skiable terrain at Camp Fortune is big and vast. On this visit, I took the opportunity to do some exploring. Despite being the place at which I first learned ski at age 5 with my parents, I still had not yet experienced the glades that appear on the trail map. There are three official glades for you to choose from. One at the top of Skyline (following the start of Sparks), another between Skyline and Meech, and the third to the side of Marshall in the Valley. It was this trail, called Off-Piste that I chose to explore. Always fun, and a change if you want to leave the groomed slopes behind.  The first half is fairly straight forward and perhaps suitable for a wider skill level, as there is an easy way out before the lower half, which offers more challenges as there are some prominent natural obstacles. This trail takes you through the Camp Fortune Aerial Adventure course, which you can see suspended above in the trees.

Why did I wait this long to try out Camp Fortune’s glades? I do not know. But one thing is for sure, it won’t be long before I’m back in the thick of things.

After reading all of the above, you probably have glanced down and noticed that there is more text. Why is there more text you ask? He makes it sound like he spent his entire visit in the glades. But I didn’t, as Camp Fortune just opened their new Ski Cross trail, and I am hooked! This new track at Camp Fortune is in the Alexander trail, served by the T-Bar.

Ski Cross is an alpine sport that has become highly featured and shown in the X-Games. Typically 4 people take to the course at the same time, and navigate jumps and banked turns, all while aiming for the fastest time and avoiding the other competitors. Needless to say it is quite thrilling to watch, and even more so to experience yourself.

With its rapid rise, Ski Cross is breaking into ski mountains all over, to give the public a taste of this exciting sport. Going from the top to the bottom, you will find a fun filled experience that will quickly become a hit at the mountain. Everyone was definitely enjoying it. It is also set up in such a way that if riding it isn’t your thing, you can still ski on the sides of the trail to be able to see others navigating the course.

Ski Cross Tip : When riding the course, stay high in the banked turns and exit low, if you are a skier. For snowboarders, stay high and exit high. This tip will let you experience the most excitement and thrill.

This section of the mountain is only open on weekends and from 10am to 3:30pm so don’t miss out in trying this new course. You won’t regret it.