Enjoying the outdoors and spending time with some good company is important to Clint Smith.
Smith, a retired school counsellor, started the Thursday Geezers about 10 years ago.
The Geezers, as they are affectionately known, are mostly-retired, mostly-male outdoor enthusiasts who get together weekly to either cross-country ski or mountain bike, depending on the season.
For Smith, the companionship is as important as the outing. The Wednesday Wenches is a similar group, made up of mainly-female members, most from Larch Hills Nordic Society (LHNS). Though Smith had accompanied the Wenches on some outings, he saw a need for a similar group for men. Smith, however, points out that both genders belong to each group.
“Men often need a work project or team to go to. After I skied with the Wenches, I wondered, ‘Why can’t men do this?’” chuckled Smith.
When Smith let friends and fellow ski and bike enthusiasts know that Geezer outings were happening, many fellows joined. The group meets about 10 every Thursday morning. Some members choose to carpool from the rec centre parking lot, while others drive themselves.
In wintertime, group members gather for light ski touring, while in summer they take part in mainly off-road mountain bike tours. Generally, says Smith, the excursions are for those with intermediate to more advanced skills in off-trail skiing and mountain biking. One does not have to be an expert, however.
“We share tips and knowledge and help each other out,” said Smith, who regularly sends out the email notices about each week’s activity. Smith never quite knows which members of the loosely-organized group will show up.
“It’s not the same people all the time. You can come and go. You’re not tied to the group, like a team. We might have as few as two people or as many as eight or 15. It changes all the time.”
Summer mountain bike rides may average about 20 or more kilometres and be a mix of on- and off-road riding, sometimes with lunch at a local pub thrown in. The group has ridden on trails around the North Okanagan-Shuswap including Larch Hills, Mt. Ida, Adams River, the Rubberhead area, Stern Valley by Herald Park and Larch Hills Traverse.
“We’re always looking for places we haven’t been yet. In the summer, you can go forever on gravel roads and in the bush.”
In the winter, the group goes for outings that generally last from three to four hours and include skiing on tracks to access off-track areas. Those wanting to join the Geezers’ winter outings should have some off-track skiing experience in deeper, soft snow, advises Smith, who suggests using light touring gear. Though the group often skis on Larch Hills, they enjoy skiing in other areas as well.
“We’re often up in the alpine,” describes Smith. “It’s wonderful to be up high and look down at where you live. The world doesn’t seem as large.”
Smith has played a number of sports including hockey throughout his life, but now he mainly bikes and Nordic skis. He jokes about feeling injuries more as he ages. Landing on snow when cross-country skiing, he says, is softer than landing on ice playing hockey.
“In skiing there are always firsts like the first time you climb a certain hill or go on a new trail. There are changing conditions each time you go out. I like the combination of activity and comraderie. There is always someone to say hello to. The social aspect is very important to me.”
Those riding or skiing with the Geezers should bring rain and wind gear as well as, when biking, tools to repair flat tires. Outings are rarely cancelled, says Smith
“We’re very lucky here. Our weather it pretty good. We only cancelled one ride this summer.”
Both women and men are welcome to join the Geezers. For more information, email Smith at cjlsmith24@gmail.com or go to https://sites.google.com/site/shuswapgeezers/home?pli=1.
