Darwin award candidates

November 22, opening day, winter season 2014/2015. While skiable terrain was limited due to lack of natural snow, Mother Nature kindly dumped 20 centimetres of fresh powder the night before and Sun Peaks awoke to blue sky and fluffy powder. A great start to the winter season!

My opening day started just before 8 a.m. as I passed several, obviously new Sun Peaks residents walking on the non-existent shoulder of a snowy Sun Peaks Road. These walkers were completely ignorant to the cars and snowplows whizzing by, or to the fact that with their backs to traffic on a mountain highway, their life may have ended in a split second as a car or truck lost control. Totally oblivious.

Luckily, timing was on their side that morning and they made it safely to their intended destination, but not everyone may be that lucky.

Why do people still think that walking on Sun Peaks Road is a safe thing to do? Sun Peaks Road is a frozen, slippery, narrow, unlit mountain road that, even in the best winter conditions, is tough to navigate in a good vehicle, let alone walk on safely.

The simple fact is, if you walk Sun Peaks Road in the winter months, there’s a good chance you’ll be narrowly missed, injured or worse hit by a car or truck. Drivers don’t have the visibility or anywhere to go should ice, snow or gravity take over whilst they’re driving up or down Sun Peaks Road.

I’ve heard every excuse under the sun about why people walk the main road and not the well plowed, well lit, sanded and safe Valley Trail when heading to the village. And they’re all totally lame. Why do people still put their lives in the hands of others, trying to shave a whole three minutes off their walk to work?

Same can be said for all the other roads at Sun Peaks during the winter months. Use common sense, carry a light at night, wear bright clothes, and don’t walk in large groups. Please be courteous to the people sleeping in the houses, hotels and condos as you walk past them at night. No one wants to be woken up at 2 a.m. by screaming partiers when they work at 7 a.m., — that would include you if you work a morning shift.

Last but not least, please respect private property. If you’re taking shortcuts past houses and condos to save mere minutes off your Valley Trail walk, please don’t, all you’re doing is annoying your neighbours and fellow residents.

We’re all here for a winter of fun but let’s do it safely and courteously so we can all get up and enjoy the mountain the next day. After all, what good is saving three minutes each day if you’re not here to enjoy that time!