“Skiing and ski hills have been a part of my life ever since I can remember,” says avid skier Tanis Gamble. “My parents were always hitting the hill and by the age of 5 I had a pair of green “super sliders” and eventually graduated to a pair of wooden skis with bear claw bindings and leather buckle ski boots.” Tanis began her ski journey at the Peace River Ski Hill, as she remembers heading up the tow rope between her parent’s legs, and enduring the ever annoying “rope burn.”
When Tanis was a teen she worked alongside her family and the community to clear trees and make way for the new “Misery Mountain Ski Hill” that was to come. “With hard work, persistence, grant money, and donations we were able to purchase two T-bars and build a chalet, which wasn’t grand, but it was warm and cozy on those chilly winter days.”
Tanis eventually went on to teach ski lessons at Misery, and even became a member of the Peace River Ski Patrol Team to help pay for her University. “I also enjoyed volunteering on the School Days,” says Tanis. “I loved seeing firsthand the excitement and nervousness the students felt as they got strapped into skis or a snowboard for the very first time.”
Due to Tanis’s efforts, a lot with the hard work of her family and the community, Misery Mountain is a well-oiled ski hill featuring a beautiful chalet, expanded runs, snowmaking equipment, and a chairlift. However, one thing remains the same, it continues to be a place where people of all ages, abilities, nationalities, and gender can come together to participate in one of the greatest winter sports, or simply enjoy a cup of hot chocolate as they watch the action on the hill.”
