November 18

We had some exciting news on Monday. Big White Ski Resort is opening up on Thursday, November 19, over a week earlier than planned. With excitement in our veins, we made our plan. Eight-fifteen on opening day we will be in line for the first chair of the year.

It will be a new and unusual season in the coronaverse. Masks are mandatory on the chair lifts and in the village. People are feeling nervous as the case numbers continue to increase. Our mountain paradise re-opens for the season almost ten months to the day since it closed ignominiously on March 16, 2020.

St, Patricks day 2020 was canceled and everyone was told to go home. The Blarney Stone Pub planned to have another St. Patty’s day party. Those plans were wiped out by a viral infection that spanned the globe in a few short months. All our plans changed in a few short days in the middle of March when they told us to stay apart. Now the Blarney Stone is no more and there will never be another green-clad bash on the deck overlooking the Monashee Mountains.

The experts are forecasting a viral storm the likes of which the world has never seen. And as bad as it is, it could be far worse. Case numbers continue to rise and there are threats of another lockdown. Governments issue warnings of further restrictions in BC and across Canada unless people can slow the spread.

I continue to hope that Big White can make it through the winter of 2020-21 without being told to close. The resort is doing its best to keep everyone safe. I am very excited to ski this year and will try to get 100 days on my boards this year. The hill has guaranteed to be open for at least 100, we get to start tomorrow.

We go to bed tonight filled with anxious excitement. We get to put on our skis in the morning and revisit our winter playground in the clouds. I will drift off with sweet powder dreams in my head, excited for what tomorrow will bring.