Torch light parade, Fireworks, tube sliding celebrate New Year's Eve at Silver Star Mountain
Todd at Tube Town @ Silver Star Mountain….
Every Christmas season I travel to Vernon BC with my girlfriend to visit her parents. We usually arrive on Boxing Day, or Christmas Day, or whenever is convenient. This year I drove up on Dec 29, in time to enjoy the snow covered hills for dog walks in Kalamalka Park. We are right beside the park, and sometimes we never go into the town of Vernon. The air is colder and drier than in Vancouver. There is a light snowfall covering the ground. But I am glad I haven't had to shovel snow like I did 2 years ago during the big dump. Unfortunately
For the past few years we have been attending the fireworks display at Silver Star Mountain. Last year the mountain was socked in by fog and the fireworks were muted by veils of cloudy fog. Not so this year! Torch bearing skiers could be easily viewed coming down the mountains. Over 200 skiers took part, led by ski school instructors and ski patrollers. It costs $5 for public skiers to participate. Even children participate too! They come down the mountain first.
Torch light parade on the mountain – click for video
Click for Video of torch light ski parade
Deb watches the fireworks dressed up very warmly in the -12 C weather.
Fireworks display – click for Video
After the skiers have finished their torch light run and are all assembled together, and find their family and friends, the fireworks start up.
After the fireworks is a mass exodus to the parking lots, restaurants, bars, cabins and hotel suites. Last year we had dinner reservations at The Den. As usual all the bars and pubs and most of the restaurants are all sold out for private parties.
Owner of Bugaboos Cafe takes our order for hot chocolate with Bailey's, cream puff, snowy tree waffe sticks, bear claw caramel, cashew nut & chocolate treats.
But we walked into Bugaboos restaurant and tried out some of their Christmas treats.
waffle snowy trees
Bear Claws: cashew nuts for claws, white chocholate for Polar Bears, Dark chocolate for Black Bears, Milk chocolate for Grizzly Bears.
Our original plan was to go ice skating, as the rink was open until 10pm. But it was soooo cooooold this New Year's Eve night. -13 degrees Celsius said the thermometer. We had earlier talked to the head of the ski school, who said the evening had warmed up nicely for the Torch Light Ski to about -10 degrees, after starting in the morning with -14 on the mountain.
We looked at the outdoor ice rink, with people playing ice hockey and skating around the large outdoor rink.
People warm themselves up by the outdoor fire, outside the Snow Hut cafeteria for the ice rink and Tube Town.
Deb had an inspirational moment and asked me if I wanted to try out the tube rides. We had never ever done this at Silver Star before. I plunked down my money, and we attached out tickets. We walked over to the harness tow, and we each grabbed a tube along the way. Green for Deb and red for Todd.
Deb gets pulled up the lift while riding backwards on the tube.
Tube riders hold hands or each other's feet to stay together for the ride down, and the attendant gives the riders a good spin, as they push them down the slope! Yippee!!!
See all my Dec 31st 2010 Silver Star Torchlight & Fireworks pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53803790@N00/sets/72157625597023427/