Fernie 11 Week Instructor Course 16/17 - Week 9

Spring has arrived, the sun’s been out and the good times continue to roll in Fernie. It’s getting closer to the CSIA and CASI Level 2 exams so training is getting amped up. Here’s what Heather got up to in week 9.

Spring has truly sprung in Fernie this week as conditions have warmed up and become quite slushy. Aside from the rain at the beginning of the week, it’s been quite forgiving and fun to try things on the softer snow.

The week started with a boarder cross event on the lower mountain. We took a few practice laps and then did timed runs through the course which featured berms, big and small rollers and a jump at the end. Afterwards we were put into heats and raced each other to the bottom. By the end of the day, the competition had really heated up and the final between the guys was an all out battle as we cheered from the finish line. It was hugs and high-five all round as usual!

On Tuesday we attended a captivating talk from adventurer Jon Turk. It was fascinating and at times very amusing as he told us about his many journeys and experiences in jungles, on crocodile infested islands and the challenge of circumnavigating Ellesmere Island in the Canadian high Arctic. He spoke about ‘intentional vulnerability’, which at first struck me as slightly reckless, but as he presented his reasoning it made sense, to want to test the limits of human tenacity and allowing yourself to experience what it’s like to be at the mercy of nature.

I had a private lesson with instructor Ash on Wednesday morning, which was challenging in the conditions, but we worked through some things that had been affecting my riding flow and he gave me great advice and tactics to try. After a long lunch with friends by the fire in the Slopeside restaurant we plucked up the courage to go out for a few more runs. My friend Nevin, who was working towards her Level 1 Park certification, offered to teach me how to pop off jumps and do 180s, so we made our way up the Deer Chair to lap the Meadow a few times and improve my freestyle skills and give her an opportunity for some teaching practice. It was super fun and I managed to get a fair amount of air off the natural jumps at the side of the run. I was also surprised that I managed to successfully get a few 180 around — Nevin is obviously a great teacher!

The rest of this week was spent working on our Level 2 material, doing practice teaches, working through the different scenarios we may be asked to address during the exam. I’m taking my exam next weekend, so it’s full study mode for me next week. 

Just when we thought the rain was here to stay, blue skies broke on Sunday, it was a beautiful day and myself and a group of buddies decided to explore the trails on the south end of the town. We made our way along a narrow trail that led to an old barn and a paddock of miniature horses. The mountains all around looked stunning in the sunshine. Afterwards we went for drinks, snacks and a game of dominoes at a local coffee shop, it was an all round very pleasant afternoon, and a nice end to a challenging, mostly wet week.

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