13 February, 2006 (Monday)
A brief update
Welcome to another exciting installment of my personal soapbox, I mean online diary. I'm behind again and I've got a few stories to tell (and I've also got more than a few pictures). But I’ve been warned to try to avoid mammoth entries because it scares away my potential readership. I guess I’m just a waffler? (Thanks for the label way back Stu.)
Anyway, things are well enough on the hill. Still a bit of friction, but I think it’s like that in most households around here. I haven’t seen so much of Dave lately – he’s at work or out skiing with Liz and Hills. Josh has been racking up his days on snow (he must be close to 70 now) and has completed all 118 runs on the mountain. Jae has been pretty quiet, trying to rest up. For myself, well I seem to have been living between work and Sam’s. It has been a bit of a busy week.
(Picture: Views beyond the Cliff)
Big White news:
Okay, on with the show.
02 Feburary, 2006 (Thursday)
Thursday was my first ever Cliff chair experience.
It was also my last day on-snow with Tan before she left. The Cliff is the double-black area of Big White. It’s a pretty steep bowl which they have to regularly dynamite to ensure it doesn’t avalanche. While not as extreme as Kicking Horse, The Cliff has a pretty respectable reputation amongst the local snow fraternity.
Visibility at the top wasn’t terrific, but the vertical was great (well once I’d decided that the worst I could do was lose both skis and stopped traversing)! I’m still getting the hang of hopping down slopes, but the snow was great – fresh and firm, it made little avalanches as I zig-zagged my way down. After making it to the bottom we traversed across and hit some powder stashes amongst the trees. It was tight skiing but a lot of fun. (Picture: The Cliff chair - it's a bit blowy up top)
03 February, 2006 (Friday)
The exodus begins. Today was both Tan and Merv’s last day with us on the mountain. Hopefully they’ll be leaving with some fond memories. (Picture: Merv - Copper Kettle dinner)
Our three weeks living with Merv just went too fast – he came with his care package of a half-dozen packets of tim-tams and now he’s going. Merv managed to get plenty of chill time on the couch as well as some huge days out and about on the mountain. A good holiday? Merv’s now off to seek his fortune in the world of law.
Meanwhile Tan joined our tickets group around a month and a half ago and now ... off back to Melbourne. We’ve shared a few shifts and bombed a few runs together, so it’s sad to see her go when for the rest of us have still got plenty of snow time left. It’s funny how close you can become to people in such a short time, yet still not really know much about each other.
But then, that’s life on the mountain.
Tan is off back to Melbourne to start upon a new road (not her first career change). She’s been accepted into teaching and is looking forward to getting back into university mode. (Picture: Tanya and the gals - Mel, Kate, Tan, Em, Jess)
To see both of them off we had a little dinner at the Copper Kettle. Everybody was out to say farewell, and while everybody was feeling pretty mellow, it was a nice night out.
04 February, 2006 (Saturday)
My first day out skiing with Jae – which is pretty amazing considering we’ve been here almost 2 months! - we managed to get up early and make first tracks through the Bullet and Black Forest. The powder was a few centimeters deep on most runs, a few feet (up to my hips) in the glades, and it felt terrific to cut through it while it was practically untrekked.
On our first Black F
orest run I went off a jump and landed a bit off, bending one of my poles pretty majorly. It now looks as though I’ve made my own attempt to put it into a speed pole shape. Oops.
After our morning on the slopes I got my coffee. It was good.
Saturday was also Super demo day at Big White (although I missed out as I had to start work at 1pm). Super demo day is where representatives from all the major ski and board manufacturers (Fischer, Head, Burton, Bonfire etc etc) come out with next season’s stock to give the punters an early viewing. You can demo all the new models free of charge. (Picture: Josh daring the Whitefoot kicker - a soft landing)
Both Jae and Josh gave some new models a run. They were like kids in a candy store – big grins on their mugs and large hand gestures describing the way they carved up the park and the slopes.
06 February, 2006 (Monday)
A Monday night to remember? I finally got out on the skating rink at Happy Valley. Jae gave me a skating lesson – showing me the basics of pushing off (make your feet into a T, push from the back foot), gliding, turning and hockey
stopping (the last I’m still yet to try properly). He was remarkably patient, taking me through my strides and offering encouragement and tips along the way – “go faster”, “turn with your outside foot”, “lean forward more!”. Josh stood on the side throwing bits of snow to me to smack at with my hockey stick.
After the
skating ordeal Josh, Carla (from activities, her first time on the rink as well) and I ran down to the tubing park. We grabbed ourselves tubes (like big truck inner tubes with a black plastic lining on the bottom) and got towed to the top of the tubing lanes. We started with a three person tandem spin down, which had snow flying and all of us laughing until our abs hurt. Then it was the speed lane racing each other, and finally Josh and I did running-start face-first down. Hilarious.
But the night wasn’t over after that, not by a long way. Monday was Waitangi Day, the New Zealand equivalent of Australia Day. So of course it was off to Sam’s to support our Kiwi brethren in their national day. The night started quietly enough, only gaining momentum toward the end. Precious and Ardana both failed to make it to the pub, having only arrived back from Red Mountain that morning (although I did see Precious racing around the Village at midday with her face paint and flag out), but Kate and James and the crew did their utmost to make up for their absence. Dancing. Drinking. Pulling faces. Another night out. (Picture: Kiwi Kate mixing it up on the dance floor in her Waitangi gear)
Welcome to another exciting installment of my personal soapbox,
Anyway, things are well enough on the hill. Still a bit of friction, but I think it’s like that in most households around here. I haven’t seen so much of Dave lately – he’s at work or out skiing with Liz and Hills. Josh has been racking up his days on snow (he must be close to 70 now) and has completed all 118 runs on the mountain. Jae has been
(Picture: Views beyond the Cliff)
- The dating game: Sam's is running a 'dating game' for Valentines Day. They've had entry forms at the bar and at most of the mountain businesses for the last week. Of course I couldn't help but submit a set of answers (well, technically 2 - my first set was on Monday when i was a bit tired) - it's all good fun, right?
The questions?
Q1: What do you look for in a potential partner?
Q2: Where would you go and what would you do on a dream date?
Q3: What do you offer a potential date?
Q4: What are some of your favourite things?
My answers?Some of my favourite things
Umm.. let's just say that I corn-ball rhymed most of it. Yes, sad but true.
Are beaches and cafes and two-seater swings.
I like a good laugh and enjoy the sight
Of a warm blooded woman in the heat of the night.
Other than that, I'm an open book
All you've gotta do is take a proper look.
The prize for the game is an all expenses paid dinner for two in their restaurant upstairs. Not too bad an incentive, even if I do end up with a cougar**. - President's Week: Next week is President's Week - one of our peak periods during the season. A whole lot of yanks come up over the border to make use of their long weekend, go skiing and throw around a lot of money. From what I've heard I've got a lot of obnoxious tourists to look forward. On the positive side they apparently tip really well. I just wish I was in a tipping job!
- Winter games: The Winter Games are on and it's all speed skating, slaloming and bob sledding on the television. I'm still getting used to the short-track skating relay, where they seem to spend half their time with their hands pushing their team mates backsides.
Okay, on with the show.
02 Feburary, 2006 (Thursday)
Thursday was my first ever Cliff chair experience.
It was also my last day on-snow with Tan before she left. The Cliff is the double-black area of Big White. It’s a pretty steep bowl which they have to regularly dynamite to ensure it doesn’t avalanche. While not as extreme as Kicking Horse, The Cliff has a pretty respectable reputation amongst the local snow fraternity.Visibility at the top wasn’t terrific, but the vertical was great (well once I’d decided that the worst I could do was lose both skis and stopped traversing)! I’m still getting the hang of hopping down slopes, but the snow was great – fresh and firm, it made little avalanches as I zig-zagged my way down. After making it to the bottom we traversed across and hit some powder stashes amongst the trees. It was tight skiing but a lot of fun. (Picture: The Cliff chair - it's a bit blowy up top)
03 February, 2006 (Friday)
The exodus begins. Today was both Tan and Merv’s last day with us on the mountain. Hopefully they’ll be leaving with some fond memories. (Picture: Merv - Copper Kettle dinner)
Our three weeks living with Merv just went too fast – he came with his care package of a half-dozen packets of tim-tams and now he’s going. Merv managed to get plenty of chill time on the couch as well as some huge days out and about on the mountain. A good holiday? Merv’s now off to seek his fortune in the world of law.
Meanwhile Tan joined our tickets group around a month and a half ago and now ... off back to Melbourne. We’ve shared a few shifts and bombed a few runs together, so it’s sad to see her go when for the rest of us have still got plenty of snow time left. It’s funny how close you can become to people in such a short time, yet still not really know much about each other.
But then, that’s life on the mountain.Tan is off back to Melbourne to start upon a new road (not her first career change). She’s been accepted into teaching and is looking forward to getting back into university mode. (Picture: Tanya and the gals - Mel, Kate, Tan, Em, Jess)
To see both of them off we had a little dinner at the Copper Kettle. Everybody was out to say farewell, and while everybody was feeling pretty mellow, it was a nice night out.
04 February, 2006 (Saturday)
My first day out skiing with Jae – which is pretty amazing considering we’ve been here almost 2 months! - we managed to get up early and make first tracks through the Bullet and Black Forest. The powder was a few centimeters deep on most runs, a few feet (up to my hips) in the glades, and it felt terrific to cut through it while it was practically untrekked.
On our first Black F
orest run I went off a jump and landed a bit off, bending one of my poles pretty majorly. It now looks as though I’ve made my own attempt to put it into a speed pole shape. Oops.After our morning on the slopes I got my coffee. It was good.
Saturday was also Super demo day at Big White (although I missed out as I had to start work at 1pm). Super demo day is where representatives from all the major ski and board manufacturers (Fischer, Head, Burton, Bonfire etc etc) come out with next season’s stock to give the punters an early viewing. You can demo all the new models free of charge. (Picture: Josh daring the Whitefoot kicker - a soft landing)
Both Jae and Josh gave some new models a run. They were like kids in a candy store – big grins on their mugs and large hand gestures describing the way they carved up the park and the slopes.
06 February, 2006 (Monday)
A Monday night to remember? I finally got out on the skating rink at Happy Valley. Jae gave me a skating lesson – showing me the basics of pushing off (make your feet into a T, push from the back foot), gliding, turning and hockey
stopping (the last I’m still yet to try properly). He was remarkably patient, taking me through my strides and offering encouragement and tips along the way – “go faster”, “turn with your outside foot”, “lean forward more!”. Josh stood on the side throwing bits of snow to me to smack at with my hockey stick.After the
skating ordeal Josh, Carla (from activities, her first time on the rink as well) and I ran down to the tubing park. We grabbed ourselves tubes (like big truck inner tubes with a black plastic lining on the bottom) and got towed to the top of the tubing lanes. We started with a three person tandem spin down, which had snow flying and all of us laughing until our abs hurt. Then it was the speed lane racing each other, and finally Josh and I did running-start face-first down. Hilarious.But the night wasn’t over after that, not by a long way. Monday was Waitangi Day, the New Zealand equivalent of Australia Day. So of course it was off to Sam’s to support our Kiwi brethren in their national day. The night started quietly enough, only gaining momentum toward the end. Precious and Ardana both failed to make it to the pub, having only arrived back from Red Mountain that morning (although I did see Precious racing around the Village at midday with her face paint and flag out), but Kate and James and the crew did their utmost to make up for their absence. Dancing. Drinking. Pulling faces. Another night out. (Picture: Kiwi Kate mixing it up on the dance floor in her Waitangi gear)
posted by the wastrel @ 8:55 PM
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