Sparwood residents have discovered new winter activities and put their bushcrafting skills to the test during a seasonal celebration.
The District hosted the fifth annual Winterfest at the Sparwood Golf Club on Saturday, February 2.
The community event featured a “snopitch” tournament, nordic ski and fatbike events, and an avalanche beacon search park, as well as children’s activities.
At the bushcrafting station, people were challenged to start a fire and boil snow in a tin can using only one piece of cardboard, eight matches, five pieces of kindling and three wooden blocks.
Those interested in fatbiking had a chance to learn from professional mountain biker Jena Greaser, who competes in stage and endurance races.
She started fatbiking last year to keep her technical skills fresh and enjoy the outdoors, and also competed in the FATfest race hosted by Sparwood Trails Alliance on Saturday.
Event organizer and the District’s Community Service Assistant, Sheri Taylor, declared the 2019 Winterfest a success.
“It was an amazing day even though the snow didn’t cooperate with us,” she said, referring to the heavy snowfall Sparwood received overnight.
“We had 20 bikers, three snow pitch teams that absolutely loved it and can’t wait for next year, 15 cross country skiers and our champion fire starter Penny Lowe.
“The kids had a lot of fun finding toys, tobogganing, face painting and playing in the outdoors. Our vision we set out for was more than met.”
