B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 7, 2002 TERRACE STANDARD | ... SPORTS ROB BROWN Tubed here was a crash in the brush back there ~ right next to the trail! I tried yelling but you didn’t hear me. I've gol to get a whistle for these situations. What do you think it T was?” [ can see that Karen is upset at the situation, not al me. J lock at her as a bear might and see a giant two-legged, black, blue, and red rubber doughnut with fins on one hand, a long, thin rod reminiscent of an alien ana! probe in the other, a tear-shaped earring made of webbing and wood hanging one of the many piercings dangling from its multi-coloured hide, and I realize that the creature — whatever it was — has probably panicked then bolted off in the opposite direction wondering if it should start packing a whistle of its own. “Moose or bear, Kare,” I reply. “It’s funny that Pawsome didn’t smell it and start barking. I guess I couldn't hear you over the noise of the tube scraping against my head and back, Sorry.” The trail to Natadesleen Lake is improved: it is wider and firmer; there are fewer swampy sections and therefore fewer mosquitoes, thankfully; and there are canoe rests next to the hillerests, The smaller trail leading to the sheltered bay where Webb liked to launch his canoe is a little more cluttered than before, something we wouldn’t have noticed if we didn’t have the belly boats strapped to our backs. At its end a gentleman with a beard of grizzled stubble ‘is petting Paws. [ like.-him ‘instantly, ~~ Sy pate Ss “Sorry. I hope she’s no trouble. and we didn’t scare you.” , “Not at all,” he replies. “Where you from?” “Stockton California.” He holds up a spinning rod with a red and white spoon dangling from its end. “Thought I*d catch a trout casting from shore. Tried over there. Too weedy. Got some bites, though.” “Been here before?” “l used to come with my kids, but they’re too busy working and doing other important things to come now.” “How old?” “In their forties.” “That’s a terrible age,” I offer. Stockton watches as we fumble with our times. Karen’s put in even less time in hers. We look bad unti! were all clipped up and fastened in. “T can see that’s the way to go,” says Stockton. The view from the lake is fine. To the south the Iskut burn is healing: it’s dark green, light green, and gray now, a quilt covering the lap of the black volcanic mountains of Edziza. scorching summer day, black pine pack the swamps girdling the lake. In Iskut “Natadesleen” means widening rapids and that is exactly what the lake is, a wide spot - albeit a very wide spot — between the place where the cool, blue Iskut River enters it and where the river leaves it as the Cascade Falls. The trout of Natadesleen are well fed on the meat of scuds, dragons, damsels, mayflies and sedges. Their hard sides polished to a sheen by blue water. The wind is merciless when it comes to belly boats, the slowest and least maneuverable of all watercraft. The wind whipping down over Natadesleen from the melting snowfields of Edziza is unrelenting. I’m pushed far out into the bay. Karen is not far behind. I begin thinking of the return journey. I hook a trout, a nice one by the feel of it, and lose it. Karen loses another. I hook a fish that leaps twice then spins me around before I can get the net under it. I hold it up against the tuler on the bib of the belly boat: 16 inches and fat. The dog doesn’t understand that she can follow us by trotting around the perimeter of the lake. She swims out after us. “Tell her to go back to shore,” I call to Karen as the pooch approaches her, “She knows the command.” “Go to shore!” Karen commands, but what both of us have failed to appreciate is that Pawsome is in the middle of the bay at the shoreline at both ends of its horseshoe. The poor dog swims around in circles, confused. “She's starting to sinkl” Karen yelis. To be continued... belly boats. I’ve only used mine half a dozen - Crowded together like bathers at a beach on a- Mountain masters. By SARAH A, ZIMMERMAN IT’S ARGUABLY the most in- tense and challenging footrace in the northwest. The annual King of the Moun- tain race dares runners to tackle the stunning Terrace Mountain trail. Sounds simple enough. But battling sheer uphills, run- ning over sharp granite rocks, skipping across heavy, bulbous roots then safely descending the trail’s steep downhill makes this a race unlike any other. , “There's really nothing like it,” says Smithers runner Richard Harrison — a 12-time King of the Mountain champion. “Just the challenge, the trail and all the different variables — the terrain and who's going to be there.” Twenty nine people took part in the race July 28. The youngest competitor was Julia Rego, 7, and the senior most racer was Fred Philpot, 63. Harrison, 45, came back this year in yet another bid for first place overall. But he had hefty competition coming from Terrace runner Wade Balbirnie, 28, “He bolted pretty quick and had the lead right off the bat,” Harrison said of Balbirnie. Harrison managed to pass the Terrace man on the uphill but the lead didn’t last long. “He was just suicidal on the downhill,” Harrison said. “On the downhill parts he went just storm- ing by me, just flying past me.” The two men battled it out for the rest of the race but it was Balbirnie who crossed the finish line first in a time of just 39:53. Harrison was just 23 seconds be- hind him-nabbing second place. Baibirnie says the secret to his success was knowing the course and running fast on the downhills. The local man ran the course four times in the week prior to the trace and says he had a good idea of where he could safely pick up some speed. “T knew which hills I could freewheel down,” he says. The women’s race was equally exciting, Last year’s reigning champion Susanne Ellert from Kitwanga came back with her eye . on the trophy for a second year. But Susan Harrison; 44, — Ri- chard’s wife and the women’s di- 638-7283 TRAVIS Yagelniski, 15, Jesse Sheasby, 14, Susan Harrison and Wade Balbirnie nabbed first place in the junior, women’s and men’s divisions in the King of the Mountain footrace July 28. vision winner at the 2000 race ~ gave Ellert a good run for her money nabbing first place in a time of 51:36 — just under five minutes faster than Ellert, Harrison says she wasn’t so sure about tackling the gnarly face again this year. “It’s taken me two years to for- get how horrible it was,” Harrison says laughing. “It wasn’t so awful this year. Knowing what the course was like was helpful.” She admits she had to slow down and walk on a couple of the “On the downhill parts he went just’ storming. by me, just. . flying past me.” uphills but says her challenge for the next time she takes part will be to run the entire route. The under 16 division proved to be the tightest race of them all. Terrace teens Jesse Sheasby, 14, and Travis Yagelniski, 15, battled the mountain and crossed the finish line at exactly the same time in just 49:45, “It was a great race,” said Ya- gelniski. . Laura Whitaker, 15, and Lyric Sandhals, 14, proved they’ve got over Sheasby’s 228. mee what it takes placing second and third respectively in the junior di- vision. This year’s King of the Moun- tain doubled as the second event in the Terrace Standard Adventure Challenge 2002. The chalienge dares partici- parts to take on five different out- door events throughout the sum- mer and accumulate points along the way. ‘ Sheasby and Yagelniski also took part in the adventure chal- lenge’s first event — a mountain bike downhill race July 21. The two boys are sitting at the top of the points race in the junior divi- sion, with Yagelniski narrowly leading the way with 230 points. Ayres Two other young mountain bi- © kers took part in the footrace. Chapen,1!, and Dawsen LeBlond, 9, are also building up points, The points race is alsa on in the men’s division. Local adven- ture sport guru Shane Spencer, 25, laced up the running shoes for the King of the Mountain footrace. His sixth place finish - a tie with Mark Billey, 16 — in that ca- tegory gave him enough points to take the lead in the adventure challenge series standings with 247 points. He's followed closely behind by Terrace’s Chris Cordts, 39, and Mark Billey. The women’s division so far MAUREEN ROWLETT, 10, with her horse Czar took part in the Tatem Saddle Club’s 38th annual Timber- land Horse Show at the Thornhill Community Grounds July 27 and 28. JOANNA WONG PHOTO Saddle club Queen crowned the last three events she will run belongs entirely to Ter- race’s Suki Spen- cer, 25, [5 who’s compe- ted in t hoe down- hilt race and the run. Spencer plans to Julia Rego take part in all five adventure _ met with some stiff competition-in away with a very commanding lead. Results of last Saturday’s climbing competition and Sun- day’s BMX/skateboard competi- tion will appear in next week’s issue of the Terrace Standard. The final event of the chal- lenge is set for Sunday, Sept. | as McBike’s Eight Hours of Onion Lake endurance biking event hits the cross country ski trails. The event kicks off at 4 p.m. and goes until midnight. Partici- pants must register in advance ond are encouraged to take part solo or in a team of four, CEES NNLTanES Sports Scope Tennis time TENNIS enthusiasts can mark their calen- dars for Saturday, Aug. 17. That’s when the Lakelse Classic 2002 mixed doubles terinis tournament is set to hit the courts. The event starts at 5 a.m. sharp and takes place at the Halliwell tennis courts. Cost is $10 per person. Call Ada Sarsiat at 635-9695 for details. moment of the command, equidistant from the: By MARTY COX FOR THE second year running Rachel Muller has been selected the Totem Saddle Club Queen, The annual contest was held July 21 as the club held its gymkhana and clear round day. Muller faced stiff com- petition in five other con- testants and their horses. The participants were judged this year by Lynn Patterson. Each rider was judged on her appearance, personality in presenting the horse and questions about horses and tack. They were also asked to take part in a showman- ship component which in- cludes presentation of the horse ~— the judge rates the neatness of the horse and tack. Each rider is also re- quired to ride a pattern and make a two to three min- ute speech about their in- terest in horses and the Totem Saddle Club, First princess was Amy Hayduk with her horse Persia and second princess went to Jessie Weitman with her horse Shady, Rounding out the rest of the court are Neoma: Pat- terson, Britiany Johnson and Sarah Ridler. The girls will help with the Northwest Invitational Gymkhana to be held here later this summer. ° They will also have du- ties at the Totem Saddle Club annual banquet, Though the highlight of the July 21 events was the Queen contest there was plenty of action at the fair grounds as well. Eight riders took part in the clear rounds with the highest jumps completed ata height of three feet. The gymkhaha saw.-the battle for fastest time in the barrel continue. Danita Petch and her horse Shady rode to the fastest time of the year with 17.0008. But the glory was short lived as Lyn Lavoie riding Gizmo responded by breaking the 17 second mark with a time of 16.88, A good battle is heating up between Lavoie and Petch. The Totem Saddle Club also hosted the 38th an- nual Timberland Horse Show July 27-28. The next gymkhana and clear round day is set for Aug, 18. = Road racers gear up BRAVE long distance bikers are getting set | to take the Skeena River Challenge. The bike race which sees partici- pants ride from Prince Rupert to Terrace takes place Aug. 11. For details call McBike at 635-5225, challenge events and unless she’s!