How to avoid cabin fever in a small BC town - A Journal Day 3

How to avoid cabin fever in a small BC town - A Journal Day 3

Spending multiple days up north in small BC towns with extended family over the holidays can bring on conditions like cabin fever. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, bursts of random laughter, intense boredom, paranoia; excessive sleep….the list of mental instabilities just goes on and on. On the flipside, embracing small town life outdoors can make your time spent in remote towns all the more interesting.  Follow my journal style exploration on how to embrace a local’s way of life in Northern BC - a reminder to adventure-on when the cabin fever sets in and not go stir crazy.

Day 3: Trekkin’ it old school to the local pub

If I had to review the oldest piece of winter gear still going strong to date, it would be the XC ski, AKA the prehistoric ski. No matter how ancient they are or how much they’ve been used generation after generation, they get you from A to B even if they haven’t been used or waxed for over a decade. In small towns, everyone and their uncle own a pair and people leave them right outside the front door.
Sliding into an old suede boot feels a little odd at first, but once I got my stride going it was like riding a bike. The light, skinny stick like boards take a little getting used to, but overall it’s about the glide.  Once I was gaining momentum and feeling the clench of my buttocks, I knew I was getting into the swing of things.  After a few laps around the yard, it was time to venture out.  My options were good, but the most appealing destination of all took me back to my Euro roots. Europeans like my grandparents would hike, ski and trek every single day and make a tradition of landing at a pub or alpine bar just about half way through the day’s trek. Nothing really quite warms you up on a cold, chilly winter day than a shot of vodka or a hot toddy and the idea of XC skiing to a pub gets even more appealing after you’ve sat long and hard chilling with relatives and the need for a quick dodge is calling.
I could have chosen to ski the trails, the lake, the bush but why bother. Sometimes when I get a fire under my pants like I often do, the motivation is purely selfish entertainment. I picked the furthest pub in town and glided my way through the small town streets to the local watering hole. If alpine pubs did exist close to home, I think I could begin to make this a regular occurrence.
Après pub, my XC ski confidence began to soar. Next thing I knew I was working out some new XC ski tricks in the toddler parks on my way home. With this new confidence under my belt, I came to think that XC skiing may just become a new small town snow sport phenomenon.  While busting a few jibs and hitting a few park rails on my way home, I realized I had forgotten my GoPro! What this meant was that I would be forced to forfeit all personal credit when XC ski terrain parks become the next big small town thing. 

Enjoy this very special blog series geared for those who visit relatives in small BC towns.
 

Psssttt ! Envoie-ça à ton ami!

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