Claire (Cal) Waichler is lead coach for the MVNPolar Bears (3rd-5th graders), and a Methow Valley Nordic Team alum. Her parents are both active skiers, and her dad Scott serves as a ski and biathlon coach with MVN.
Cal moved to the Methow Valley with her family when she was finishing first grade. She skied with the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team and went on to ski at Colby College in Maine. After graduating with a BA in Environmental Science and a minor in Printmaking, Cal has lived and worked in Alaska, Wyoming, the PNW, and Chile. She currently lives in Winthrop and divides her time between print-making, ski coaching, and working for the Cascades Wolverine Project (a wildlife conservation organization).
First Ski Experience:
Cal learned to ski from her parents when she was two or three. Her dad Scott, was a pioneer of “telecommuting” as it was called then, and that enabled her family to move to the Methow Valley. Her mom (Wendy Sims) worked with various non-profits in the valley. Cal participated in biathlon later in her high school years.
How do you feel now when you are nordic skiing?
“(Skiing is) so intuitive and natural, it feels like I’m stepping back into something. I will always be able to do it. It’s a familiar way to move, a familiar place to be, anywhere in Methow” To her, skiing feels like family–familiar–and that is part of the value of learning to ski when you are young.
Surprisingly for such an accomplished skier, Cal didn’t really enjoy ski team at first. When she was in sixth grade, the team took the train to White Fish/West Glacier MT for the Western States Youth Championships (a now defunct ski event that included skate, classic, obstacle, and down-hill) That trip was the first time she remembers liking skiing, because she wasn’t last in every race. The trip ended up being quite an adventure–the team was snowed in for three days at West Glacier. The train couldn’t run, so they found a ride to Spokane, and waited for hours in a Cabelas store before being picked up for the drive home. There was epic snow, and at some point in the trip, the team made a statue of coach David Lawrence out of chewing gum.
The theme of ski team was “learning to deal with adversity” in terms of ski conditions, trails, events, and even travel challenges.
As a PNW skier, Cal can ski cascade concrete, firm and fast conditions, varied snow, in the cold, in the rain–skiing here prepared her for anything.
Skiing with Others:
Cal enjoys skiing with friends/former teammates, including Ella Hall, Eli Nielsen, and others from MVNT. She remembers when Olympian and Methow Valley native Sadie (Bjornsen-Maubet) visited the team. Cal looked up to the older kids on the team.
How has Methow Valley Nordic helped you grow and develop as a skier and person?
“In High School, time management was a big area of learning–also fueling” Cal learned how to eat well and to time her eating in a healthy way, and how to balance school, athletics, and work, as well as how to be in the moment and relax her mind.
How has being involved with Methow Valley Nordic and being a nordic skier helped you overcome challenges, either in skiing or life?
While living in Chile last year, Cal decided to run an ultramarathon. She trained alone, not knowing any other runners. Having been on the ski team instilled motivation, internal drive, and knowledge of training and recovery that combined to provide her the courage and confidence to go for it. She enjoyed the process of training for and running what ended up being a 55K trail run (instead of 70k) due to snow in the high mountains. (While in Chile, Cal worked on conservation and teaching with Round River Conservation Studies.)
What would you say to encourage other people to enjoy the benefits of Methow Valley Nordic’s Programs?
“We live in a place with gray winters, and you need a way to stay active, for your physical, mental, and social health in the winter. You can go as far as you want to in nordic skiing via MVN. You can set ambitious goals, You can travel around North America or further. You will spend time with people you will become close with. It opens up so many doors if you want to commit.”
Sharing the Love:
Cal is currently the lead coach of the Polar Bears group with MVN (older elementary school kids). She is also teaching her boyfriend (a split-boarder and climber) to ski.
When skiing, Cal notices the world in winter: snow, ice, how it forms and changes, animal tracks. Through her study of art and natural history, Cal has developed her skills of observation. She appreciates where she is. A few weeks ago, while skiing with Sofie (a 2nd grader) Cal saw a beaver-chew hidden in a thicket. She said, ”let’s go check that out,” while other skiers were whizzing by and didn’t even notice it.
To see some of Cal’s work, visit: https://www.clairewaichler.com/
Thank you to Cal for sharing her story, and for coaching this year!
Reported by Nathan Grothe
