15 minute read
Visit McCall | Winter 2022-2023
Get Schooled
Learn a new sport and fall in love with winter again
There is a restlessness that sets in somewhere between late March and early April each year. Even the most die-hard snow lovers start to get antsy. People get a little more irritable and start to take a few more quick trips to lower elevations, seeking a glimpse of spring. There is no escaping the fact that winters are long here in the mountains.
And whether you are a long-time local or just visiting for a few days, being confined indoors is a sure-fire way to bring on those cabin fever feelings. But there is an easy solution…learn a new outdoor activity! There is something about learning a new sport as an adult that feels far more intimidating than it did when we were kids. So, we talked to some of our favorite instructors and guides about how to get started alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ice fishing, and curling. Your school days may be long gone, but it is never too late to learn something new and rediscover your love of those long winter months.
Alpine Skiing
The big kahuna. For those who didn’t grow up around snowsports, the idea of learning to ski as an adult can be daunting. Watching little kids fly down the hill with no fear certainly doesn’t help lessen the intimidation factor; a 5-year-old definitely isn’t thinking about insurance premiums as they bomb through the trees. But getting the nerve to step into a pair of skis pays dividends in the winter fun department.
Colleen Morishita is the Assistant Snowsports Director at Brundage Mountain Resort and while instructing is now her full-time job, she didn’t learn to ski until she was 30. “I wanted to learn just to keep up with my kids, but because of taking that chance and learning to ski, I completely changed my life,” she says. After one lesson she was hooked, and it was all downhill from there (pun intended). The next year she joined the ski school and traded in her office job and high heels for instructing and ski boots.
So how did she take that initial leap and face the bunny hill at 30 years old? “First of all,” Morishita says, “there is no shame in the bunny hill!” It is where everyone learns. And after years of instructing, she has found that the key to overcoming first-time skier nerves is all about falling. “You have to know that you are going to fall and be okay with that,” says Morishita. Which is hard. “As adults we tend to avoid falling at all costs, but with something like skiing, falling is unavoidable and that can be hard to adjust to,” she says. Just know that you won’t be alone. Between 30 and 40 percent of lessons given at Brundage are for adults, and lessons really are the best way to learn.
“I had a great instructor once tell me that there really is no wrong way to ski,” says Morishita, “but there are techniques we teach that help people ski more efficiently and that usually means they can ski longer and have a lot of fun doing it.” Private lessons are a great way to get introduced to alpine skiing. Instructors start with the basics – from getting your equipment on and off to pro tips like not tucking your pants into ski boots – then progress at the pace of the student. “One of the very first skills we work on is stopping,” says Morishita. “Being able to stop gives you so much confidence!” From there it is building one skill after another until what was once intimidating feels easy.
After you have booked that lesson and taken a first run down the bunny hill, the next challenge is equipment. Like a lot of other winter sports, skiing comes with some specific, and sometimes expensive, equipment requirements. “My best advice for anyone starting out is to either rent equipment or do a seasonal equipment lease,” says Morishita. This gives you an opportunity to “try before you buy” and test out different options before you commit to any equipment investment. But if you want to buy something, start with ski boots. “Boots are the best investment you can make,” says Morishita. “Everything else is interchangeable, but if your boots are uncomfortable, you won’t have a good time.” Even better, you can get your boots professionally fitted at Home Town Sports, McCall Sports, or Gravity Sports for a customized, perfect fit.
Nordic Skiing
A lone skier gracefully glides down a trail, lost in thought and surrounded by the quiet of a snow-covered day. They soak in the solitude and stillness of the forest as they skate through the crisp winter air. Then, around the next turn, that idyllic serenity kicks over to exhilaration and speed as the trail takes a dive downhill. And that, says Lisa and DanOstermiller, is why they never get tired of Nordic skiing. “I love being in nature and it is so quiet,” says Lisa. “But it is also amazing exercise.” Dan agrees. “I really love being out in nature,” he says. “It is a really peaceful place to be…but I also love the downhill. It’s a challenge to stand on those skinny skis and go as fast as you want.”
And that, it seems, makes Nordic skiing the perfect sport for anyone. Whether you are after a leisurely ski to enjoy a bluebird day or an adrenaline rush, both are easily attainable – and it doesn’t require a full day commitment. “We both also love to powder ski,” says Dan, “so we often try to arrange our day so we can downhill ski in the mornings then Nordic ski in the afternoons.”
Which sounds like a perfectwinter day to us…assuming youknow how to Nordic ski. Andif you have never clicked intoa cross country ski, the allureof all the sport has to offercan’t diminish the awkwardnessof standing on skinny skis for thefirst time. But Lisa and Dan say thatshouldn’t stop you. “We really justinvite you out to give it a try,” says Lisa.“Because there really is nothing like being onthe snow.”
As with all things new, a lesson really is the best way to get a proper introduction to the sport. “I think classic skiing is a beautiful way to start,” says Lisa. “People are really familiar with the motion, so it is a great way to get comfortable balancing on skis.” The end goal of any lesson, says Lisa, is to get you out there to glide. “Once you get that glide down it really is magical.”
They also teach a lot of people to skate ski. “The motion of classic to skate ski is actually fairly similar, but there is mentally more intimidation with skate skiing,” says Lisa. But that is where you can really benefit from an instructor. “We can help you master the skills, but we also have a lot of fun,” says Dan. Lisa agrees. “When we are both out giving a lesson, I can hear Dan laughing and I know he is having a blast out there.”
Along with great instructors like Dan and Lisa, there are a few essentials that can make a lesson even more enjoyable. “Wearing the right layers can make all the difference,” says Lisa. Whether you classic or skate ski, it doesn’t take a lot to get warm fast. “I recommend wearing a light layer underneath, a midweight insulating layer if the day is cold, and then topping that with an outer shell,” says Lisa. Then as you heat up, you can mix and match layers so you stay the perfect temperature.
For a lesson, renting equipment is the best way to go and like alpine skiing, boots that fit are the best investment you can make. If you are looking to purchase equipment, a knowledgeable retailer is the best place to start. “There are lots of options and different equipment for classic and skate skiing,” says Lisa. And if you go to a place like a ski swap, just be sure to bring someone who Nordic skis with you. “It can be tricky to know what boots go with what bindings, so be sure to ask,” she says. That way you know the equipment you take home will work for you when you get out on the trail.
Ice Fishing
At first glance, ice fishing may not seem all that exciting. In fact, sitting on a frozen lake waiting for the fish to bite seems… cold. And boring? Until you talk to Chris Weber. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more enthusiastic fisherman and his passion for the nuances and skill of ice fishing is contagious.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Weber was lured (yep, we went there) to Idaho full-time by the perch in Lake Cascade.“In the Midwest, a big perch is about 10inches,” says Weber. “We always hear about this bucket list experience in Idaho where you can pull 16-plus inch perch out of the water.” Three years ago, he made his first trip out. “I was actually here to elk hunt, but by chance stopped at Tackle Toms and ended up fishing with a group of guys and caught a ton of fish.”He returned to Wisconsin with a great fish tale and a plan to bring his wife back to Cascade for ice fishing. After multiple trips and two-pound perch, he offered his guiding services to some fellow fisherman, not thinking it would amount to much. However, he soon got a call from Tamarack Resort looking for a full-time fishing guide, and the stars aligned. Weber quit his job, he and his wife packed up and moved to cascade, and in 2021 he spent his first winter as a fishing guide.
So, what makes ice fishing worth leaving one life for another? For Weber, it is the endless variables that keep fishing on the ice interesting and challenging. “If you think about open water fishing, which I also love,” says Weber, “you basically cast a line out into a large expanse.” In contrast, with ice fishing, you can only fish out of the holes you drill into the ice. It requires precision. “You are basically fishing straight down, and you are targeting a very specific area. And once a fish swims by, you have to entice that fish to bite.” To do that requires technique and skill…and some luck. But those challenges are what makes ice fishing so fun. Not to mention reeling in a fish is one of the more exciting experiences on the water, especially if it is a trophy-size perch.
For newbies to the ice fishing realm, the best way toget hooked is to go with an experienced fisherman/fisherwoman. A guide like Weber can get you started onthe right foot. “My job is to eliminate all of those things thatwould make you uncomfortable so you can just enjoy fishing,” saysWeber. It is also a great introduction to equipment, techniques, and localfishing holes.
A guided trip starts on shore. In most cases, getting to the fishing areaincludes a snowmobile ride across the lake, then setting up a home basefor the day. “We put up a heated shack and it makes it a really niceenvironment to fish in,” says Weber. Often temps inside a shack can getup to 60 degrees. “Once we have a spot and have drilled some initialholes to fish from, we get the fishfinder out and get a great underwaterview below us,” he says. And it is a setup like this that can make all thedifference in a good first experience or a disappointing one. “Like all sports,” Weber says, “icefishing requires some equipment, and you get out of it what you put into it.” While they can bemore expensive, a gas or electric auger makes drilling through the ice much easier and tools like afishfinder help you stay consistent and catch more fish.
“A guided trip can be a great way to get an introduction to the gear and equipment before youinvest, especially if you are new to the sport,” says Weber. But going with a guide isn’t just forthose new to the sport— it is also a great way to learn about a new area. “My wife and I havetraveled to a lot of different places to fish and we love spending a day or a morning with a guideto get to know the water and what’s biting,” says Weber. “We are always happy to pay for localknowledge.” And that drive to keep learning, keep honing his skills, isanother reason Weber loves to be on the water—frozen or not. “I lovecontinuing to learn new techniques and finding new places to fish,” hesays. “Every day is different.”
Curling
Every four years when the winter Olympics roll around, curling enjoys a boost in popularity. Maybe it is because ordinarylooking folks make some extraordinary shots and become a gold, silver or bronze medalists. And while we sit engrossed cheering on the curling teams on television, it often doesn’t occur to us that we can learn to play this fun winter sport right here in McCall.
“I am a retired teacher and when my wife and I moved to McCall we were looking to meet some people,” says Bill Cleves. “We happened to see an ad in The Star-News about a ‘Learn to Curl’ event and decided to give it a try.” After one afternoon on the ice, they joined the McCall Curling Club and have been playing ever since. The Club meets every Sunday from December through March and hosts several Learn to Curl events throughout the season.
“The first time we played we knew absolutely nothing except for what we had seen watching the Olympics,” Cleaves says. During the Learn to Curl event, the purpose is really to get comfortable on the ice and introduce some basic techniques for throwing stones. The Club provides all the equipment, which makes curling a very easy sport to try with little upfront cost commitment.
“It is a great culture,” says Cleaves. “Everyone in the league helps everyone learn. Each team we played that first year helped us learn a bit more and by the end of the season we felt like we knew what we were doing.” Now it is their turn to help newcomers learn the game. “We love it because it is a fun, social way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon and a great way to meet people.”
For those looking to learn the art of curling, Cleaves recommends participating in one of the Learn to Curl events. “The one barrier when it comes to curling is ice time,” he says. “With all of the events and sports that share time at the ice rink, there are specific times the Club sets aside for curling.” Otherwise, it isn’t something you can drop by the rink and expect to do anytime.
If you plan to participate in Learn to Curl, the Club provides nearly everything—including the grippers and sliders needed for your shoes. “The one thing you need is comfortable clothes you can move in and stay warm in,” says Cleaves. “It can get cold standing on the ice for several hours, so layers are key.” One thing that doesn’t matter? Your age. “Last year we had curlers in their 20s and curlers in their 70s,” he says. “And while we can get competitive at times, most of us are there for the social aspect.” An afternoon of laughing, curling, and libations? Sign us up!
