Biathlon 2020 – Part 2

We were on the road for a good 45 minutes.  Edmonton’s International Airport is to the south of the city while the military base is to the north.  The captain drove from one end of town to the other.  Thankfully, there is a ring road that surrounds the city, enabling commuters to avoid travelling within the city centre when it’s not needed.  I quickly learned that Edmonton is a city that spreads out over a vast area.  The city has close to a million residents, but as we drove along the highway, I noticed many areas of open & unoccupied land.  The density (of people) appears to be minimal.  The downside to having everything spread out is that it takes longer to get somewhere.  I think it will be a very long time before the city runs out of space to house its residents. 

            

The captain drove cautiously because we saw several abandoned cars on the side of the road.  One car was lying on its side!  The drivers of these cars must have underestimated the conditions of the highway and spun out after hitting rough patches of ice & snow.  The cars would most likely be recovered in the morning.  The captain got us to the military base in one piece. 

            

One of many barracks buildings.

The other northern teams were already sleeping in the barracks.  They didn’t suffer any travel delays like we did.  The time was close to 2am.  The captain gave us our room keys and instructed us to be quiet when going inside.  Cadets, coaches, and officers sleep in separate quarters.  Reveille was at 7am.  We only had 5 hours to sleep.  I did my best to stay quiet but I think I woke up the officer in my room.  Sorry.  I did manage to get some sleep before 7am.  I still haven’t mastered the art of sleeping upright on a plane.

            

Breakfast line.

Everyone went to the mess hall for breakfast at 8am.  The menu contained: eggs, bacon, hash browns, beans, toast, sausages, ham, fruits, cereals, juice, milk, and water.  I didn’t eat all of that; I usually eat a small portion for breakfast.  We were instructed not to take too much time to eat because we had to be ready for the bus at 9am.  All the cadets would need were their skis, poles, boots, and anything else they needed for the day.

          

We weren’t driving to Canmore right away.  In fact, the military flew the northern teams down a day early so that they could practice & train for the upcoming races.  I was glad this was done because I was told the Canmore racetrack is different than the one in Whitehorse, and several cadets needed to learn how to shoot the .22 calibre rifles for the first time.  A public-transportation-looking bus with an attached trailer was chartered from Alberta North Transport to take everyone to Camrose Ski Club.  The club is located in Camrose, Alberta, a town 85km southeast of Edmonton.  The cadets loaded all the equipment into the trailer and then boarded the bus.  A head count was taken and then we were on our way.  The drive took about an hour & ten minutes.

            

According to its website, Camrose Ski Club was “[f]ounded in 1911 by Scandinavian settlers with the name of Fram Ski Club, [and] is one of the oldest [ski clubs] in Canada.”  This was my first time visiting their biathlon range.  (It probably was the same for most of the cadets but I didn’t ask).  On Google Maps, the facility is listed as the Camrose Gun Range and is operated by the Camrose Shooting Sports Association.  We would just be using the main shooting range, the skiing area around it, the main lodge, and the portable washrooms.  The outdoor facility has many more features that you can check out here. 

            

Main Lodge.

Map briefing.

The chartered bus slowly drove through the open gate and stopped at the main lodge.  Everyone got out, unloaded the trailer, and brought their equipment into the main lodge.  The cadets were briefed on how the day was to proceed.  An officer familiar with the facility explained where the ski trails were, how to access them, and in which directions to ski.  Laminated maps of the various trails were posted on a bulletin board.  The cadets had plenty of time to practice & perfect their cross-country skiing skills because the rifles & ammunition wouldn’t arrive until after lunch.

            

Arctic Bay cadets skiing.

I spent the morning photographing the range and keeping an eye on my cadets.  I wanted to take pictures from one of the wooden watchtowers but I was unable to gain permission.  I wish I had a drone.  Aside from skiing, the cadets could also wax their skis inside the lodge.  Bagged lunches arrived at 12pm and the rifles & ammunition were brought at 12:45pm. 

The officers-in-charge examined the rifles and carefully installed the metal bolts.  Staff cadets opened the large ammunition box and filled many plastic bowls with .22LR bullets.  The rifles were carried outside once they were cleared to be used.  The ammunition & bowls were also brought outside.  The cadets & coaches were assigned rifles & shooting lanes.  Officers trained to use the rifles would teach & review the proper loading & firing techniques with the cadets.  Coaches like me were tasked with refilling the bowls, resetting the plinker targets, and making sure the rifles were being properly used.  Spotting scopes were also available to review shots.  The cadets were free to ski & shoot once they finished rifle training.

Three of the four cadets I was escorting/coaching learned how to shoot the .22 rifles for the first time.  Two of them were the air cadets from Iqaluit and the other was from my corps.  I’m glad they received the training because the rifles don’t have safety buttons.  I’m not sure if that was a design choice.

           

Debriefing.

The cadets spent 90 minutes skiing & shooting.  I’m not sure how much ammunition was used but I think it was a lot.  I encouraged my cadets to practice as much as possible before time ran out.  The debriefing of the cadets included a brief review of the competition rules and the layout of the track in Canmore.  The cadets were dismissed to clean the range & main lodge, and pack up all their gear.  The bus arrived at 3pm to drive us back to Edmonton.           

We were treated to an evening of shopping at the West Edmonton Mall after dinner.  The mall opened in 1981 and was the largest mall in the world until 2004.  I only visited the shopping centre once in 1990 and all I can remember is that it felt really, really big.  Aside from retail stores, this mall boasts many theme-park like attractions.  I talked to my two cadets about the size of this mall before we left Arctic Bay.  I told them the floor space alone occupies somewhere between 60 – 70% of the area of their hometown.  I also added that their “best friends” would be the mall directory maps; they prevent you from getting lost.

           

The bus dropped us off at Entrance 50.  Cadets had to be in groups of five or more to explore the mall on their own.  Unfortunately, World Waterpark and Galaxyland were closed when we arrived.  Everyone only had 2 hours to explore, shop, & enjoy this commercial labyrinth.  Adult staff were allowed to be on their own. 

           

I walked around taking pictures and trying to remember anything from my previous visit 30 years ago.  The hockey rink happened to be near Entrance 50 so I went there first and photographed figure skaters in practice.  I would later photograph a hockey match.  I then went over to Galaxyland because I remember my parents taking me to a theme park.  The park was empty, quiet, and obviously different in appearance.  I would have been surprised if the place looked the same after 30 years.  The only area that really brought back memories was the Deep Sea Adventure Lake, an artificial lake that features an exact replica of the Santa Maria and remote controlled boats.  The only things that were missing were the submarine rides.  The submarines were scrapped in 2005.  I did shop at a few stores but didn’t buy much.  The cadets, on the other hand, bought a lot.  I have to admit, though, the mall felt a little smaller than before.  The trip to the mall was a great way to end the day.

           

World Waterpark.

January 24 was all about getting to Canmore, Alberta.  Once we got there, we could focus on the other activities planned for the day.  The drive to the southern mountain town would take a little over four hours.  We spent the early hours of the morning eating breakfast, packing our belongings, and cleaning our quarters.  We were on the road by 10am.  Unfortunately, the chartered bus did not have an onboard washroom so we stopped once to relieve ourselves . . . and buy snacks . . . and Tim Hortons.  The cadets kept themselves busy by listening to music, playing games on their phones, and/or sleeping.  We drove by the 1988 Olympic bobsled venue just outside Calgary.

           

The landscape began to change as we neared Canmore.  For most of the drive, the land was flat, but suddenly, our views were replaced by tall jagged mountains.  The mountains reminded me of Arctic Bay.  We finally reached our destination at 2:30pm: Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park.  The cadets were woken up and ordered to disembark.  The day was not over.

To Be Continued . . .