New Bike Skills Park in Wolfville NS

A jump ramp under construction.

Now that the long, cold winter is finally receding into memory it's time to think about the exciting pastimes of summer. And, there's nothing like a little super-charged mountain biking to stoke your energy level and  burn off all those winter calories.

The Annapolis Valley has long been a 'go to' destination for the sport and now there's even more variety available for the mountain biking enthusiast. Thanks to TrailFlow Outdoor Adventures and the Town of Wolfville the Reservoir Park is the site of the area's newest skills park.

Ryan Lindh surveys his work.

Up and over, Oh Yeah!

More ramps and jumps.

I paid a short visit to the construction site last week where I met TrailFlow's founders, Ryan Lindh and Michelle Marcinkiewicz. The two were working hard to finish off the jumps, boardwalks, and other obstacles that will make up the skills park.


Trailflow has been building trails in Wolfville's Reservoir Park for the last couple of summers. The first 'Race the Reservoir' event will be held in the park this July. Anyone interested in taking part in any of the six TrailFlow hosted races in 2014 could work on their mountain biking skills at the park.

A little teeter-totter action.

The race season will include xc olympic, xc eliminator, downhill, xc team relay, four cross and enduro formats. The Kentville 'Spring Shredfest' (May 30th) and Woodville's 'Enduro at the Links' will also include free guided rides open to riders of all skill levels.

A bridge and drop-off.

For more about TrailFlow Outdoor Adventures, the race season, TrailFlow's Rider Improvement Program, or any of the other services they provide please visit their website at www.trailflow.ca.


In the meantime, tune-up your bike, don your helmet and armour, say goodbye to your Bobs or Bettys and hit the trails.

Biathlon Sprint takes place at Martock

Canada Games biathletes took part in the Sprint competition today at Martock. Alberta's men's team filled the podium after their 10k event took place in more winterlike weather. The women's 7.5k Sprint was also held during the off again, on again snowfall that dropped a couple of centimetres on Nova Scotia's Avon valley.

"The course was in great shape," said gold medal winner, Sarah Beaudry of BC, " the whole venue is just great."

Sarah's team mate, Julia Ransom, took the bronze medal and Quebec's Audrey Vaillancourt won silver.

Both the men's and women's event took place in sometimes heavy snow and high winds that gusted to 40km. Overnight rain that fell prior to the temperature falling left the course icy in some places but that didn't seem to bother Beaudry.

In the men's event the gold medal was won by Scott Gow. Aaron Gillmor won the silver medal and Stuart Harden took home the bronze.

Personally, I had a much more tiring day at the venue than yesterday. Elizabeth, Nancy and I made numerous trips down the hill to the Biathlon Arena with hot drinks for the volunteers and officials. Luckily for us our volunteer role allowed us the opportunity to be indoors on a regular basis. I don't envy the scores of volunteers who had to stay outside in the wind and driving snow for hours on end.

Once again let me remind you all - Martock is open for business and conditions are great. If you don't ski or snowboard come on out and enjoy the competition and the great atmosphere.

2011 Canada Games training day at Martock

I was the only volunteer on the bus. There was a grey sky hanging low over the Avon valley threatening rain. I learned the bus driver had worked for Metro Transit, geese sat in the pond by Oulton's Meats. The bus rattled down the road with Martock's runs looming to our left.

It was training day today at the site of the Halifax 2011 Canada Games biathlon venue. A relaxed atmosphere pervaded the place. I met my co-volunteers and had an easy day to learn the routine. We are the runners and we run hot drinks to the volunteers and officials at the venue.

Martock has done an amazing job getting the venue ready. The biathlon arena is impressive, dominated by the large snow-covered berm backing the targets. The venue is free for spectators and Martock is still selling lift passes for recreational skiers and snowboarders.

So, grab your toques, tie up your boots and come out for some fun.

Pictured above are, top, biathlete takes aim, centre, volunteers relax, bottom, members of the Nova Scotia Biathlon team.

In search of Canadian Maple

I'm scanning the display quickly, up, down, left, right. Now each row again, now columns. I know the answer, I realize the truth immediately. Anxiety grips my body like a cool electric shock. The airport donut shop isn't carrying my donut anymore.

Before I leave I thank the woman for hearing my complaint. How is it, I wonder, that a Canadian institution such as Tim Horton's could drop their only product with the word 'Canadian' in its name from any of their outlets. The Canadian Maple donut.

I always felt good stepping up to the counter and proudly saying 'Canadian' Maple. I saw it as Tim's nod to its roots and I imagined people around the world ordering Canadian Maple donuts at their local outlet.

The commercial begins to take shape in my mind's eye.

A deserted dusty Kandahar street at dawn, a jeep rumbles right to left through the scene. Cut immediately to a close up of a bleary-eyed Afghani, next scene he enters a non-descript doorway. Cut to the interior of a brightly lit Tim's. Close up of a smiling employee's face, "how may I help you, sir." Close up of our Afghani proudly saying "Canadian Maple" as the strains of O Canada rise in the background.

Alas, the 'Canadian' was in trouble out here at the airport a couple of months ago. It suddenly disappeared for good after only ever being unavailable on the odd occasion. I'm not sure how many years I have enjoyed the maple icing and cream filling of my favourite donut on the hour-long drive home from work. Since it's disappearance the drive home has never been the same.

Adding injury to insult, My 'Canadian Maple' has fallen from the roster out here at the airport while it's American relative the Boston Cream has maintained its vaunted shelf status. (I write, feigning indignation. Had to get that Canadian-American comparison in there, too. Boston Cream is my fall back donut, after all.)

I was somewhat ameliorated by the brief presence of the Maple Crunch donut (a Canadian Maple by any other name) but that too has fallen into the dark abyss. I guess my sweet tooth, and my patriot urges, will have to be satisfied closer to home. The 'Valley' outlet still carries 'my' donut.

Hug the Right

Another collision on Nova Scotia's highways has claimed the lives of three people. I have yet to hear the details but I suspect that other than the names, ages and gender of the victims the story will be the same. A car crossed the centre line and struck an oncoming vehicle.

Nova Scotia's 100 series highways claim lives on an alarmingly regular basis. And even though Nova Scotia has less deaths and collisions than other provinces it doesn't mean that more can't be done to prevent collisions on our undivided highways.

The pictures of the collision indicate that it occurred on a curve in the highway. Chapter two of the Nova Scotia driver's handbook clearly explains the proper way to handle curves in the roadway.

"Stay on your side of the road and drive as far to the right as you can for curves to the right, and in the middle of your lane for curves to the left."

(2001) Nova Scotia Driver's Handbook, p.52. Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

As a driving instructor I emphasize this point to all my students. Failure to follow this rule can result in tragedy. It only takes one moment of inattention to fall victim to a driver coming over the yellow line.

There is no shortage of bad examples when I take my students out on the roads. Every curve we come to there are drivers with poor lane position. Those curving left hugging or over the centre line and those curving to the right allowing their car to swing out from the right side of the road close to the yellow line.

When these two types of drivers arrive at the same curve at the same time the potential for a collision is great. One moment of inattention on either drivers part can result in a collision.

Contrary to popular belief collision avoidance does not refer to the act of swerving suddenly or braking hard to avoid an imminent collision. Collision avoidance means driving in a manner that reduces the likelihood of a collision.

Maintaining proper lane position is one thing we can do to reduce our chance of being involved in a fatal collision.

PS The rules at crosswalks have changed in Nova Scotia as of June 1st 2008. Follow the links below for the new rules.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/CrosswalkFactSheet.pdf

http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/CrosswalkFlyer.pdf

http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/menu.htm

http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highwayops/roadsafety.asp

http://www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highwayops/stats.asp

The Swing of Things

So this is it. Finally, putting pen to paper (sort of.) It's been a long time since I tried to put my thoughts into written words. I know that to be successful at most anything you must practice, practice, practice. Some bloggers commit to posting daily, others weekly. For now I think that I will forego such a committment and plan only to blog when the mood strikes me. I suppose it is telling that I set up this blog over a year ago and am only blogging for the first time ever today. Getting back into the swing of things as they say. I have often wondered what it is that everyday people blog about. My life seems fairly mundane but I suppose recognizing the special moments, recognizing what I can learn from everyday events and passing that on to whoever wants to listen is the purpose of this exercise. I'm hoping that putting my thoughts out to the world will help me see more of the world in which I live. One might say, forcing me to stop and smell the daisies.

I remember reading Joyce's "The Dead" in high school, maybe it was college, and I've been thinking lately that I'm one of them. Time to be reborn in some fashion perhaps. Time to get back into the swing of things. It's funny the thoughts that middle-age brings. A re-examination of goals and desires, a revisitation of goals long forgotten. The kids are grown and now I feel I need to reinvent myself. Not the father anymore, certainly not the young man I was before parenthood, someone else. Still the husband, the airline worker, the wanna-be writer, the artist, the musician. Not changed really, just re-invented.

I know that to accomplish this I have to take my son's advice. Just do it. Stop thinking about the things I didn't do and write a new page. Begin a new post. Get back into the swing of things. Wish me luck.