"The time has come", the Walrus said, "to get your ass home."
Im in Vancouver at the moment, Ive been here for two nights now and Im just waiting until its time to go to the airport in around 4 hours time.
Vancouver has been a pretty major change from little Golden town. It was really weird to come back to a place with lots of traffic and people after being in Golden (which has a distinct lack of both) for 4 and a bit months. (And temperatures above 10degrees are nice too.)
At around 2am on the 11th; Ashley, Sophie and I caught a bus from Golden to Calgary and from there Ash and I jumped on a plane to Vancouver while Sophie took a plane to Toronto.
Ashley and I spent the rest of the 11th biking around some of Stanley Park, a massive park near downtown Vancouver. Three other guys who had bussed it from Golden met us at the backpackers at around 3 and we all grabbed some dinner and a beer.
The next day the four of them went to Whistler and I spent the rest of the day checking out the remainder of Stanley Park.
And thats about it, trip over. Just a flight to Adelaide with a stop over in Aukland to go and thats it.
Ill put up another post when I get home about the final couple of weeks in Golden and the schenigans that ensued.
Woo home! Seeya soon!
Monday, 14 April 2008
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Nearing the end.
Well, only a few things of note have really happened since I last updated. As you can probably guess, lifes become pretty routine over the last few months. Not that I really mind. Any routine that lends a great part of the time to skiing is fine by me.
Last week, Dave, Ralf, Steve and I finally hit the last part of the mountain we had yet to ski: Terminator Ridge. A big part of the reason it had taken us so long to do it is the 20 minute, steep, uphill climb that you have to do to get to the chutes. In the end it wasnt that bad and we took a few breaks along the way to admire the view and take some photos. We hit Truth, the first double black on the ridge and I didnt find it that challenging. It was tricky to get into but once there it was just a matter of taking short, quick turns until it opened out.
I did it (Terminator Ridge) again a few days later with another group of people and this time we did Dare; the next one along. Both the chutes were fairly nice and Ill have to do the hike at least once more to do Consequence, the last one.
Last saturday, Ralf and I went on a roadtrip to Canmore to visit John and Matt. On the way there we stopped off at Lake Louise and Banff and looked around. Lake Louise is still frozen but it looks like it would be incredibly beautiful in summer. Since it was the Easter weekend, the area was full of tourists so we took a few snaps of the lake and chateau and left fairly quickly. Banff was pretty much what I had expected; a nice looking, tourist town. We took a short walk and ducked into a few stores to get a couple of things (I bought a ski bag) before hitting the road for the last 20 mins to get to Canmore.
We met John at the local Dairy Queen and he took us to look at his new place and a walk round the town and along the river. We then took a drive up to the national park where John does his dog mushing. It was a nice drive into the mountains and then following a meandering (and mostly frozen) river through to where the site was. We couldnt really have a good look around but we arrived in time to see the dogs coming in from their final run of the day. After going a bit furthur into the park, we turned around at about 6:30ish (it gets dark at around 8 at the moment) and started driving back the way we'd come.
By the time we got back to Johns, Mat was back from work so we all went to a local pub for dinner (mmm Bison Burger) and Ralf and I headed back to Golden. Since it was about an hour and a half drive home we got back at around 10:30pm. All up it was an awesome day. I was getting worried I wouldnt get to see Banff or Lake Louise while I was here, which would be pretty poor, since I live only an hour away.
We (the A crew) are really starting to feel the impact of being so many people down. Going to work has become a big chore because, as one of the last 3 gondola operators, I know Im going to be working on the gondola at least twice out of the three or four days. The lifting of the skiis (at the bottom) and having to be constantly concentrating on what people and cabins are doing (at the top) really drains you. Especially as we tend to get way fewer ride breaks on the gondy. O well, only 4 or 5 shifts left.
Ive revised my travel plans slightly and decided Ill be leaving on the 11th of April at 2 in the morning. After that I fly from Calgary to Vancouver, spend a couple of days there and then fly back to Adelaide with a stop over in Aukland. Meaning I should touch down in Adelaide at around 10:30am on the 15th of April.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Latest photos:
Terminator Ridge
Trip to Canmore
Last week, Dave, Ralf, Steve and I finally hit the last part of the mountain we had yet to ski: Terminator Ridge. A big part of the reason it had taken us so long to do it is the 20 minute, steep, uphill climb that you have to do to get to the chutes. In the end it wasnt that bad and we took a few breaks along the way to admire the view and take some photos. We hit Truth, the first double black on the ridge and I didnt find it that challenging. It was tricky to get into but once there it was just a matter of taking short, quick turns until it opened out.
I did it (Terminator Ridge) again a few days later with another group of people and this time we did Dare; the next one along. Both the chutes were fairly nice and Ill have to do the hike at least once more to do Consequence, the last one.
Last saturday, Ralf and I went on a roadtrip to Canmore to visit John and Matt. On the way there we stopped off at Lake Louise and Banff and looked around. Lake Louise is still frozen but it looks like it would be incredibly beautiful in summer. Since it was the Easter weekend, the area was full of tourists so we took a few snaps of the lake and chateau and left fairly quickly. Banff was pretty much what I had expected; a nice looking, tourist town. We took a short walk and ducked into a few stores to get a couple of things (I bought a ski bag) before hitting the road for the last 20 mins to get to Canmore.
We met John at the local Dairy Queen and he took us to look at his new place and a walk round the town and along the river. We then took a drive up to the national park where John does his dog mushing. It was a nice drive into the mountains and then following a meandering (and mostly frozen) river through to where the site was. We couldnt really have a good look around but we arrived in time to see the dogs coming in from their final run of the day. After going a bit furthur into the park, we turned around at about 6:30ish (it gets dark at around 8 at the moment) and started driving back the way we'd come.
By the time we got back to Johns, Mat was back from work so we all went to a local pub for dinner (mmm Bison Burger) and Ralf and I headed back to Golden. Since it was about an hour and a half drive home we got back at around 10:30pm. All up it was an awesome day. I was getting worried I wouldnt get to see Banff or Lake Louise while I was here, which would be pretty poor, since I live only an hour away.
We (the A crew) are really starting to feel the impact of being so many people down. Going to work has become a big chore because, as one of the last 3 gondola operators, I know Im going to be working on the gondola at least twice out of the three or four days. The lifting of the skiis (at the bottom) and having to be constantly concentrating on what people and cabins are doing (at the top) really drains you. Especially as we tend to get way fewer ride breaks on the gondy. O well, only 4 or 5 shifts left.
Ive revised my travel plans slightly and decided Ill be leaving on the 11th of April at 2 in the morning. After that I fly from Calgary to Vancouver, spend a couple of days there and then fly back to Adelaide with a stop over in Aukland. Meaning I should touch down in Adelaide at around 10:30am on the 15th of April.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Latest photos:
Terminator Ridge
Trip to Canmore
Saturday, 8 March 2008
SNOW, Finally!!! and More Visitors.
Thats right, we finally got more snow! After all most 3 weeks of nothing, we finally got some more white fluffy stuff. It came in bits and pieces but overall I think we got around 30cm over about a week. Unfortunatly it came too late for Baz, Nud and Mancer who arrived and left before the skies opened.
They arrived on a monday which meant we all went to Fresh Meat at The Roadhouse that night. We grabbed some dinner at Smittys (an american style diner that I can see from my front door) and then headed out for a few beers. The next day I took them up the Gondola and showed them the ten road (the 10km cattrack from top to bottom), for the next couple of days I skiied around with Baz while Nud and Mancer did their own thing.
On tuesday night Baz, Nud and I went to see Jumper at the Golden Cinema then went and grabbed a couple of beers at Packers. Overall it was a pretty cool couple of days and it was good to hear about what was going on back home.
Recently it was Johns 22nd Birthday so we all went up to the hill with the plan of going cross country skiing and taking some food and beer for the trip. Unfortunatly we never made it to the cross country skiing, we first headed to Peaks to grab a couple and then headed up the the Eagles Eye to grab some lunch. I think that might have been the point where the skiing idea left our minds. A few of us decided to ski down to the Yurt and have a couple there while sitting in the sun before going back to join eveyone else back at Peaks. Another awesome day drinking and skiing on the hill, always fun. :D
In the last few weeks we've begun to lose a lot of people. At the beginning of the season there were around 25 to 30 aussies and kiwis living at the sportsmans who also worked on the hill. As of the beginning of next week we're going to have 14. So many people are leaving. Two of my fellow Adelaidians, Matt and John, the two guys I went to highschool with are both leaving for Canmore as John has got a job dog sledding there; something he does for fun at home. The number of lifties are dropping pretty fast, even though we've just got a few new people we're still going to be fairly short-staffed.
As for the skiing, it still hasnt got old; I dont think its something Ill ever get bored off. The last couple of days a bunch of us have just been doing Jib runs, which involve just skiing down the hill hitting as many little jumps as we can find; which is a fair few because we know the hill like the back of our hands. Ive recently got my 180s going really well so Im wondering where to go next. Ill probably try for a Mute grab or a 360 and try not to hurt myself too much :P.
Anyways Ill be leaving Golden in almost a month to the day, April 10th is my planned date to leave so I should be back around a week after that.
Have a good one.
PS here are some links to photos and a video I recently uploaded. The video is one I recorded a while ago of me skiing from the top of the gondola to the bottom although ill probably do another one before I leave and take a better route.
Johns Birthday
I recently added more photos to this album.
Whitewall and Feuz Bowl
Skiing Kicking Horse: Top to Tail Video
They arrived on a monday which meant we all went to Fresh Meat at The Roadhouse that night. We grabbed some dinner at Smittys (an american style diner that I can see from my front door) and then headed out for a few beers. The next day I took them up the Gondola and showed them the ten road (the 10km cattrack from top to bottom), for the next couple of days I skiied around with Baz while Nud and Mancer did their own thing.
On tuesday night Baz, Nud and I went to see Jumper at the Golden Cinema then went and grabbed a couple of beers at Packers. Overall it was a pretty cool couple of days and it was good to hear about what was going on back home.
Recently it was Johns 22nd Birthday so we all went up to the hill with the plan of going cross country skiing and taking some food and beer for the trip. Unfortunatly we never made it to the cross country skiing, we first headed to Peaks to grab a couple and then headed up the the Eagles Eye to grab some lunch. I think that might have been the point where the skiing idea left our minds. A few of us decided to ski down to the Yurt and have a couple there while sitting in the sun before going back to join eveyone else back at Peaks. Another awesome day drinking and skiing on the hill, always fun. :D
In the last few weeks we've begun to lose a lot of people. At the beginning of the season there were around 25 to 30 aussies and kiwis living at the sportsmans who also worked on the hill. As of the beginning of next week we're going to have 14. So many people are leaving. Two of my fellow Adelaidians, Matt and John, the two guys I went to highschool with are both leaving for Canmore as John has got a job dog sledding there; something he does for fun at home. The number of lifties are dropping pretty fast, even though we've just got a few new people we're still going to be fairly short-staffed.
As for the skiing, it still hasnt got old; I dont think its something Ill ever get bored off. The last couple of days a bunch of us have just been doing Jib runs, which involve just skiing down the hill hitting as many little jumps as we can find; which is a fair few because we know the hill like the back of our hands. Ive recently got my 180s going really well so Im wondering where to go next. Ill probably try for a Mute grab or a 360 and try not to hurt myself too much :P.
Anyways Ill be leaving Golden in almost a month to the day, April 10th is my planned date to leave so I should be back around a week after that.
Have a good one.
PS here are some links to photos and a video I recently uploaded. The video is one I recorded a while ago of me skiing from the top of the gondola to the bottom although ill probably do another one before I leave and take a better route.
Johns Birthday
I recently added more photos to this album.
Whitewall and Feuz Bowl
Skiing Kicking Horse: Top to Tail Video
Saturday, 23 February 2008
The Fall, The Visitor, The Drought
The massive dump I mentioned last time continued almost all week so by the end we had around 50 - 60cms of new snow. Which came just in time for the arrival of a mate of mine from Rovers back home.
Anton stayed with me for almost a week which meant he got to experience the wonderful Alberta Family Weekend, which turned out to be our biggest weekend so far on the hill. So many people! The line to the Gondola stretched for ages!! Im glad they're all gone now, back to quieter days which is easier on us.
It was good to see someone from home again, I had a good week with Anton. We skied all over the mountain and I showed him some of my favourite spots and discovered some more chutes on CPR ridge, Feuz Bowl and Whitewall.
Since that big load of snow almost 2 weeks ago we havnt had a thing. Its been blue bird and warm everyday which, dont get me wrong is brilliant weather. Its really warm and fantastic to ski in but we have a big case of needing more snow. Everything is now hard pack and the little stashes where you used to be able to find at least a little powder are all completely tracked out.
Im really hoping for some new snow before Baz, Nudd and Mancer get here but Im not that confident; they keep forecasting snow but just keep pushing it back, the high pressure here at the moment is just too strong. Awell we have better snow than everywhere else, even Revelstoke apparently so thats something.
Without the new snow to cut Ive been keeping myself entertained by doing jumps and trying to do tricks. Ive managed do a small trick and a grab but Im working my way up to others. Id like to be able to do a box properly by the end but Im not sure if thatll happen because we've only got around 5 short weeks before the end of the season.
Thats right around 5 weeks and Ill be heading home. Looking forward to seeing you all.
Have a good one.
Anton stayed with me for almost a week which meant he got to experience the wonderful Alberta Family Weekend, which turned out to be our biggest weekend so far on the hill. So many people! The line to the Gondola stretched for ages!! Im glad they're all gone now, back to quieter days which is easier on us.
It was good to see someone from home again, I had a good week with Anton. We skied all over the mountain and I showed him some of my favourite spots and discovered some more chutes on CPR ridge, Feuz Bowl and Whitewall.
Since that big load of snow almost 2 weeks ago we havnt had a thing. Its been blue bird and warm everyday which, dont get me wrong is brilliant weather. Its really warm and fantastic to ski in but we have a big case of needing more snow. Everything is now hard pack and the little stashes where you used to be able to find at least a little powder are all completely tracked out.
Im really hoping for some new snow before Baz, Nudd and Mancer get here but Im not that confident; they keep forecasting snow but just keep pushing it back, the high pressure here at the moment is just too strong. Awell we have better snow than everywhere else, even Revelstoke apparently so thats something.
Without the new snow to cut Ive been keeping myself entertained by doing jumps and trying to do tricks. Ive managed do a small trick and a grab but Im working my way up to others. Id like to be able to do a box properly by the end but Im not sure if thatll happen because we've only got around 5 short weeks before the end of the season.
Thats right around 5 weeks and Ill be heading home. Looking forward to seeing you all.
Have a good one.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
New and AWESOME Skis!!!
Hey hey,
So the biggest news of the week is my new skis!
Sophie, a friend of mine from the Sportsmans recently had her father over here to visit. It turns out that back home he owns a ski shop and we was coming up with a new set of skis to ski with and then was going to put them into his demo fleet for the shop. When he heard about my lost ski he decided to sell me these brand new, 5 day used, Dynastar Legends for $600. These skis are next years model and retail for around $1200 and they are AWESOME!
I tested them out today and Im loving them, Im almost glad I lost my others, these are so good. I had a good day with them today too, I went down WhiteWall for the first time and had a great time in all the new powder in Feuz Bowl.
Yesterday and today we got the biggest dump of the winter. On Friday the reading was around 22cm of new snow and in the last 24 hours we've got another 12cm; and its still going! Its forcasted to snow all night too, unfortunatly Im working tomorrow but fingers crossed I get to work on Stairway.
On thursday night we finally had the Lift Ops Beer Fine Party (photos). For those who I havnt told, we get a beer fine if we screw up or do something wrong while working and then we total them all up and thats how many beers you have to bring to the party. Its a fantastic idea in my opinion :P. We all owed different amounts but because we lost a whole bunch of people before the party, (one of whom was Rich who got fired and owed at least a carton) we had to all bring an additional 8 which bumped me up to 15.
There were a couple of trophies given out; one of which I got for the stupidest beer fine, thanks to getting knocked off the Catamount midstation by a chair when I wasnt paying attention.
One of the other lifties, Eve and I did some firetwirling which is pretty interesting in the snow and there were a few people tackling each other into the snow which was also good entertainment.
To get through all the beer we apparently had to average about 15 beers each which was never going to happen and now Eric and his housemates get lots of free beer. :P
Anyways thats it for now.
Later.
So the biggest news of the week is my new skis!
Sophie, a friend of mine from the Sportsmans recently had her father over here to visit. It turns out that back home he owns a ski shop and we was coming up with a new set of skis to ski with and then was going to put them into his demo fleet for the shop. When he heard about my lost ski he decided to sell me these brand new, 5 day used, Dynastar Legends for $600. These skis are next years model and retail for around $1200 and they are AWESOME!
I tested them out today and Im loving them, Im almost glad I lost my others, these are so good. I had a good day with them today too, I went down WhiteWall for the first time and had a great time in all the new powder in Feuz Bowl.
Yesterday and today we got the biggest dump of the winter. On Friday the reading was around 22cm of new snow and in the last 24 hours we've got another 12cm; and its still going! Its forcasted to snow all night too, unfortunatly Im working tomorrow but fingers crossed I get to work on Stairway.
On thursday night we finally had the Lift Ops Beer Fine Party (photos). For those who I havnt told, we get a beer fine if we screw up or do something wrong while working and then we total them all up and thats how many beers you have to bring to the party. Its a fantastic idea in my opinion :P. We all owed different amounts but because we lost a whole bunch of people before the party, (one of whom was Rich who got fired and owed at least a carton) we had to all bring an additional 8 which bumped me up to 15.
There were a couple of trophies given out; one of which I got for the stupidest beer fine, thanks to getting knocked off the Catamount midstation by a chair when I wasnt paying attention.
One of the other lifties, Eve and I did some firetwirling which is pretty interesting in the snow and there were a few people tackling each other into the snow which was also good entertainment.
To get through all the beer we apparently had to average about 15 beers each which was never going to happen and now Eric and his housemates get lots of free beer. :P
Anyways thats it for now.
Later.
Saturday, 2 February 2008
Australia Day Awesomeness and Disaster
Australia Day was awesome!
We all went up to the hill in a massive group at around 10:30 in the morning and after collecting skis we went to Peaks (a pub near the Gondola) and grabbed a beer before going up for a run. We had a few runs down, some of us with Australia flag capes flying out behind us before going to the Eagles Eye Restraunt for another few drinks and then had another couple of runs. At the end of the day I decided to do a shirtless run down from Catamount which was great fun. It was pretty warm (-5 or so) at the time so it wasnt even that cold on the way down, that is until I got to the bottom and Tyler threw snow on me with a shovel. :S
After we put our skis away we headed to another pub on the mountain, the Local Hero and had a few there until the bus came. After grabbing some dinner at home we all crammed into a taxi and headed to The Golden Taps Inn (aka Taps) where they were having an Aussie Day party. They had a bit of a BBQ and a good DJ who played lots of aussie music, it ended up being a really great night, unfortunatly I had to work the next day so went home pretty early.
The other big thing that happened was the staff trip to Revelstoke yesterday. Revlestoke is another ski mountain about 2 hours away from KH. It only opened this year and so is quite small and there arent that many runs but it does have a lot of vertical, a couple of hundred more than KH.
The bus came to the Sportsmans at around 8 and we got to Revelstoke at around 10:30 local time (They're about an hour behind us). Unfortunatly half way up the road to the mountain the bus got stuck slipping on the snow and we then spent around an hour trying to get up that particular patch as our bus driver wasnt good at driving on snow.
We eventually got up there and WOW! Ive never seen so much powder, even all the main runs where still covered in it. It was sooo good, I got so many fresh turns in and it was all so deep. Awesome but very hard work, we got tired pretty quickly. We also did a lot of tree skiing which was great fun, weaving between trees through completely untouched powder, it was awesome.
However at around 1:30 disaster struck. One of the people I was skiing with; Amanda and I cut into some thick trees of a cat track and as I was making a turn one of my skis caught a sappling and the binding released. I tumbled for about 5 meters managing to miss hitting the trees and came to a stop unscathed and covered in snow. I took off my other ski to clamber up the hill to grab my other ski but when I got to the sappling it was nowhere to be found. I searched and called for help for about 20 mins but I couldnt find it anywhere so in the end I had to grab my one remaining ski and walk down to the next run. I walked for a bit until a couple of guys stopped and phoned dispatch to send a couple of patrollers down with a taboggan. I wouldve walked but I was almost at the top of the hill and on the opposite side to where the gondola was. The ride down was pretty fun, they werent used to carting people who could help them set everything up and I had a good chat to the patroller on the way down. When I got back to the Daylodge it was about 3 o clock and I only had to wait an hour before the bus left, so I just sat there talking to some others who had finished early and had a fe beers with them.
On the way home we stopped in the town to take off the snow chains so we picked up some beer and food for the journey home. Amanda, Eve and I split a 12 pack and we had a good enjoyable drive home. When we got home we pretty much went straight to the pub where I had a great time drowning my sorrows.
As for my skis, Ive lost what is basically $400 worth of equipment. I can pretty much guarentee it wont be found as it was lost in thick trees where not many people go. Im hoping my travel insurance covers it but Im not sure if it will. Luckily one of the guys I work with, Ralf says he sick of skiing and wants to swap to boarding so seeing as he got his skis in Vancouver for $70 he's selling them to me for $50! Im still really cut about it though, I liked those skis a lot and Im not sure what Ralf's are like.
Anyways Ill leave it for this week on that note, below are some links to photos Ive put up recently.
Have a good one.
Revelstoke Photos
Australia Day Photos
Staff Apreciation Night Photos
Dodgeball Tournament Photos
We all went up to the hill in a massive group at around 10:30 in the morning and after collecting skis we went to Peaks (a pub near the Gondola) and grabbed a beer before going up for a run. We had a few runs down, some of us with Australia flag capes flying out behind us before going to the Eagles Eye Restraunt for another few drinks and then had another couple of runs. At the end of the day I decided to do a shirtless run down from Catamount which was great fun. It was pretty warm (-5 or so) at the time so it wasnt even that cold on the way down, that is until I got to the bottom and Tyler threw snow on me with a shovel. :S
After we put our skis away we headed to another pub on the mountain, the Local Hero and had a few there until the bus came. After grabbing some dinner at home we all crammed into a taxi and headed to The Golden Taps Inn (aka Taps) where they were having an Aussie Day party. They had a bit of a BBQ and a good DJ who played lots of aussie music, it ended up being a really great night, unfortunatly I had to work the next day so went home pretty early.
The other big thing that happened was the staff trip to Revelstoke yesterday. Revlestoke is another ski mountain about 2 hours away from KH. It only opened this year and so is quite small and there arent that many runs but it does have a lot of vertical, a couple of hundred more than KH.
The bus came to the Sportsmans at around 8 and we got to Revelstoke at around 10:30 local time (They're about an hour behind us). Unfortunatly half way up the road to the mountain the bus got stuck slipping on the snow and we then spent around an hour trying to get up that particular patch as our bus driver wasnt good at driving on snow.
We eventually got up there and WOW! Ive never seen so much powder, even all the main runs where still covered in it. It was sooo good, I got so many fresh turns in and it was all so deep. Awesome but very hard work, we got tired pretty quickly. We also did a lot of tree skiing which was great fun, weaving between trees through completely untouched powder, it was awesome.
However at around 1:30 disaster struck. One of the people I was skiing with; Amanda and I cut into some thick trees of a cat track and as I was making a turn one of my skis caught a sappling and the binding released. I tumbled for about 5 meters managing to miss hitting the trees and came to a stop unscathed and covered in snow. I took off my other ski to clamber up the hill to grab my other ski but when I got to the sappling it was nowhere to be found. I searched and called for help for about 20 mins but I couldnt find it anywhere so in the end I had to grab my one remaining ski and walk down to the next run. I walked for a bit until a couple of guys stopped and phoned dispatch to send a couple of patrollers down with a taboggan. I wouldve walked but I was almost at the top of the hill and on the opposite side to where the gondola was. The ride down was pretty fun, they werent used to carting people who could help them set everything up and I had a good chat to the patroller on the way down. When I got back to the Daylodge it was about 3 o clock and I only had to wait an hour before the bus left, so I just sat there talking to some others who had finished early and had a fe beers with them.
On the way home we stopped in the town to take off the snow chains so we picked up some beer and food for the journey home. Amanda, Eve and I split a 12 pack and we had a good enjoyable drive home. When we got home we pretty much went straight to the pub where I had a great time drowning my sorrows.
As for my skis, Ive lost what is basically $400 worth of equipment. I can pretty much guarentee it wont be found as it was lost in thick trees where not many people go. Im hoping my travel insurance covers it but Im not sure if it will. Luckily one of the guys I work with, Ralf says he sick of skiing and wants to swap to boarding so seeing as he got his skis in Vancouver for $70 he's selling them to me for $50! Im still really cut about it though, I liked those skis a lot and Im not sure what Ralf's are like.
Anyways Ill leave it for this week on that note, below are some links to photos Ive put up recently.
Have a good one.
Revelstoke Photos
Australia Day Photos
Staff Apreciation Night Photos
Dodgeball Tournament Photos
Saturday, 19 January 2008
High Winds and Avalanches
Another week, another post.
The day after my last post I worked on the Gondola (The Eagle Eye Express if you looked on the interactive map linked in my last post) and it turned out to be a very windy day. I started up the top near the Eagles Eye Restraunt to drive it and we opened up to public at 9am. By 10:30 we had to stop loading because the winds were reaching 40 - 50km/hr which, when heading in the right direction (which they were) make the cabins swing and make them jam when the enter the station. Our highest gust was over 60km/hr and Stairway to Heaven experienced even higher winds getting hit with 90km gusts. After 3 hours of doing nothing (and getting paid for it :P), we finally got the call to close and we headed down the hill. It was my earliest day yet.
Yesterday was the last day of the 3 day Avalanche Course I did. It was organised by one of the girls from my lift ops crew and was for staff only so it only cost us $50 each. We had a 2 hour theory session on monday night and then two days of practical on wednesday and thursday. Unfortunatly there was a Lift Ops party on tuesday night hosted by our (the A crew) supervisor Tyler which left all of us feeling pretty seedy at 9am the next day when the course started. We all powered through though and it turned out to be a good couple of days.
We can now take people into the back country and be able to make informed and (hopefully) good decisions based on conditions and what the slope looks like although only on the simple class terrain.
Having said that I dont think Ill be going into the backcountry just yet, there have been a few avalanches in the area lately and we heard yesterday that a man was killed by an avalanache in Canyon Creek, which is the valley just behind the Eagles Eye.
Anyways it was a cool course and I learned so much about the properties of snow and snow pack in different conditions.
Have a good one.
The day after my last post I worked on the Gondola (The Eagle Eye Express if you looked on the interactive map linked in my last post) and it turned out to be a very windy day. I started up the top near the Eagles Eye Restraunt to drive it and we opened up to public at 9am. By 10:30 we had to stop loading because the winds were reaching 40 - 50km/hr which, when heading in the right direction (which they were) make the cabins swing and make them jam when the enter the station. Our highest gust was over 60km/hr and Stairway to Heaven experienced even higher winds getting hit with 90km gusts. After 3 hours of doing nothing (and getting paid for it :P), we finally got the call to close and we headed down the hill. It was my earliest day yet.
Yesterday was the last day of the 3 day Avalanche Course I did. It was organised by one of the girls from my lift ops crew and was for staff only so it only cost us $50 each. We had a 2 hour theory session on monday night and then two days of practical on wednesday and thursday. Unfortunatly there was a Lift Ops party on tuesday night hosted by our (the A crew) supervisor Tyler which left all of us feeling pretty seedy at 9am the next day when the course started. We all powered through though and it turned out to be a good couple of days.
We can now take people into the back country and be able to make informed and (hopefully) good decisions based on conditions and what the slope looks like although only on the simple class terrain.
Having said that I dont think Ill be going into the backcountry just yet, there have been a few avalanches in the area lately and we heard yesterday that a man was killed by an avalanache in Canyon Creek, which is the valley just behind the Eagles Eye.
Anyways it was a cool course and I learned so much about the properties of snow and snow pack in different conditions.
Have a good one.
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