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NWSCC says "Farewell" to a
longtime tradition and Event
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Night Moves |
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Dec. 2001
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By Sheri Parshall |
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The Last Blitz. Sigh. What a wonderful Blitz it was. Oh, sure, it
didn’t have a thousand wall-to-wall people like the old days
(which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing), but it certainly had all
of the ingredients that made it a very special trip: people who
love the mountains, who love snow, who enjoy being with each
other, and who were ready to celebrate all of these things in a
way only they could! |
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We reminisced with everyone, many of whom I met for the first
time on this trip many years ago. |
Friday night we started in Josia’s waiting for folks to arrive,
buying our lift tickets (thanks to Bachelor Bob!), and sharing our
adventures traveling to Blitzes present and past. Example: getting
paid $1.47 to STOP singing Christmas carols on the busses that had
gotten stranded at the top of Mt. Hood waiting for an accident to
clear. First prize definitely went to Bill Avison. Can’t tell you
why here—you’ll have to ask him—but we laughed ‘til we thought
we’d cry. (Has to do with a hard hat, a flashlight, and an 8-hour
traffic tie-up over Santiam Pass.) We reminisced with everyone,
many of whom I met for the first time on this trip many years ago.
Pete and Marie Melin, for example. Pete and Marie, members of
Solstice Ski & Sport Club, met at a Blitz 15 years ago, married
and have been celebrating ever since. I love seeing Pete and Marie
at the Blitz, if only to find out what bargains shop-a-holic Pete
has found this time around! |
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What a gorgeous day, and a great racecourse came with it |
Saturday was race day. What a gorgeous day, and a great racecourse
came with it. No sleet, no ice, no rain…..and plenty of snow. The
course was as good as they get, and my goodness those PACRAT
racers were obedient—on schedule and on time, and in proper order,
thanks to Course Kahuna Colleen “Line up NOW!!” Kelly (PACRAT
results from the first race are available at nwskiers.org/pacrat
). And thanks to the weather, people actually stayed out and
skied!! Then it was time to head for the Castle Keep for cold ones
and hot ones and a fireplace. |
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We laughed about the good old days when we’d just be getting
ready to party at midnight |
Saturday night, we were delighted to see our buddies from Blitzes
present and past, who have always been so instrumental in the
Blitz running smoothly. Gary Oliver, Sean Loftus and Bob Bourquard
from Bachelor all joined our party. The DJ was playing great
music, from Big Band to Jimmie Buffet—something for everyone. The
food was wonderful—the folks at the Inn of the Seventh Mountain
really outdid themselves for us. When people started to trickle
out, Mary Olhausen, Colleen Kelly, my husband Dale and I started
taking down the decorations for the last time. Snowflakes and
little white lights ended up in boxes. One young couple, that we
didn’t know, was still out on the dance floor. A few of the
employees were drifting in for one last beverage at the bar (Josia’s
was closing permanently after that night). We laughed about the
good old days when we’d just be getting ready to party at
midnight, laughed harder about the fact that we couldn’t, and then
we left Josia’s, leaving the party to the youngsters. |
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Sunday brought another gorgeous central Oregon day of skiing,
so the Last Blitz went out on a good note. |
Sunday brought another gorgeous central Oregon
day of skiing, so the Last Blitz went out on a good note. Yep, it
was the Last Blitz. Attendee numbers have been declining and it’s
gotten harder and harder to get folks to commit to a major trip at
this time of the year. |
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I’d like to extend a big “thank you” to all of you who have been
to Blitz trips over the years, and in particular this last one.
More thanks to the many, many people in Bend who have given us
their support and assistance over the years. And my special thanks
to Mary O. for her dedication and hard work under incredibly
challenging circumstances.
NWSCC will come back with something new. Yes, we’ll be back.
One way or another, we’ll be back.
With warm wishes for a Happy New Year!
Sheri Parshall
Chairman, NWSCC |
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