Different type of ski bum
Avid athlete Brian Terry branches out into the wild
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 9, 2015
INUVIK
It's now been more than 140 days of cross-country skiing and counting for Brian Terry this winter.
Brian Terry is likely Inuvik's most avid practitioner of Nordic skiing. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
|
At first glance, the slight, soft-spoken Terry might not fit the stereotype of Inuvik's most avid skier, much less a back-country skier, but that's exactly what he is.
After years of primarily skiing on the grounds of the Inuvik Ski Club, which he helped develop, about four years ago Terry took to the woods - literally.
After what he describes as a "falling-out" with the board of the club (he offered few details), Terry began looking at his options that didn't involve the club's network of trails.
He soon found he had a cornucopia to choose from that ranged from snowmobile trails to simply following wherever his skis would take him in the vast bush surrounding Inuvik.
"There are many alternative trails to use," he said. "Some are spectacular trails."
He often skis on the ice road itself, but also lists the heights of Old Baldy just out of town as a favourite.
Terry can also be found wandering in unexpected places, such as the trails just off Big Lake.
"I've only skied all the way across there once," he said on March 31. "It's about five kilometres in the widest spot, but I don't often do that. I've skied some of the shore and narrower parts."
He generally skis off right from his home at Parkview Apartments, where he can access various routes, including the ice road.
One of the best parts of staying "off the beaten path," he said, is that he rarely sees anyone.
"I wouldn't want to say I'm the only person out there, but the short answer is that no, I don't see anyone else doing this.
"Generally speaking there are no other people, and no animals to be seen either," Terry said. "It's very peaceful."
He acknowledges that it can be a bit of a gamble skiing alone in such circumstances, but he's yet to experience any problems.
"My confidence level is possibly too high, but I've been good so far," he said.
One precaution he does take, though, is to carry his Blackberry with him.
"It has a superb camera on it, and I can call for help. I make sure to stay where I have a signal."
He's skied as far as 26 km while on his optional trails, which isn't bad for some of the conditions found here.
"I often use snowmobile trails, but not always," he said. "Skis aren't the best thing for breaking trail, though."
In the process, he's come to know the back country around Inuvik possibly better than some of the people born and raised here, at least in the winter.
Originally a downhill skier who broke his teeth on the hills in Ontario and the mountains of British Columbia, Terry turned to Nordic skiing while living in Nelson, B.C., approximately 20 years ago.
He said he tried out the sport, and found several things he immediately liked.
"Skiing is in my blood. My first love was downhill skiing," he explained. "But cross-country skiing, it's a superb workout, it's relatively low-cost, and you can go pretty much whenever you want."
He's now reconciled with the ski club, and has returned to skiing there periodically, especially the Tundra Trail he helped design and cut, but his heart still longs for the open vistas he's come to love.
"While I appreciate being back on good terms with the club, I really like what I've been doing," he said.
Terry is also a tireless advocate of getting people more active, particularly skiing.
His day job is as an accountant with the GNWT, and he says skiing as often as he can improves his on-the-job performance immensely.
"I know a lot of people who literally do nothing," he said. "They don't get any form of exercise. They just go home and watch the TV. I wish I could get more of them to come and ski."
He said he's skied with everyone from beginners to experts, and will adjust his pace accordingly.
In past years, he's made an effort to ski every day conditions are suitable. He's come close to that this year, but has taken the odd day off.
"The first day I was out was early October," he said. "There was just barely enough snow on the ground to go skiing."
He's an advocate of both classic cross-country skiing and skate skiing, but said "If you're skiing in Inuvik, you'd better get used to classic skiing, that's what the conditions are most suitable for."
