Letter to the Editor

Our generations have become accustom to conveniences.   We rely on things to make our routines and day to day easier.

A few weeks back, Kimberley Alpine Resort announced the closure of the North Star Quad Chair due to a mechanical failure.   It was speculated that the chair would be down for a week closing off access to the front side of the mountain.

For three weeks now, skiers and boarders have had to hike to the backside to access the serviceable lift areas.  While inconvenient for some, these past few weeks for me and my family have been some of our best skiing memories at Kimberley Alpine Resort.  We have seen a rekindling of our local connections and a “back to basics” approach that has been lost in our North American ski culture for many years.

Over the course of the last three weeks, I have been fortunate to participate in “local” powder days; I’ve seen the best in humanity of people helping people on that solemn trek to the backside; and, I have renewed my confidence that our ski community is alive and well in the South Purcells.

For a brief moment in time, these past few weeks have allowed skiing to become affordable again as ticket prices were slashed in half; our pandemic woes were forgotten as we knew just over the crest of that hill were short lift lines and fresh tracks; and, finally, we saw resiliency and dedication from the staff and patrollers who were determined in providing an exceptional experience during these challenging times.

As we boot pack towards our final 50 metres at the crest of the hill, I take one last glance down the cat track at my local comrades and think to myself; the heart and soul of skiing has not been lost – at least not in this community.

Darin Welch,
Kimberley

Editor’s note: Kimberley Alpine Resort reported at 9 a.m. this morning (Jan. 18) that the quad chair has been repaired and is operational again.

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