You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2006.
Monday the 27th March was the staff trip to kicking horse mtn resort, it was absolutely awesome!
Its located about 2 hours north west of Banff. Had the best day, the runs are really long and quite steep so it is very intense riding. You wouldn't want to go there as a beginner, that's for sure!
They can be so cheeky when they name runs – the ridge in the photot on the right is called 'CPR ridge'!!!. The pic below is taken at the top of one of the runs, looking at the town of Golden, you can't actually see over the edge, that's how steep it is!!!
It was an amazing day, you catch a gondola for about 15 mins to the top of the mountain, trave
rse over this narrow road, which has a steep drop on either side, and then start the downhill riding. It takes up to half an hour to get down the whole mountain.
I was totally exhausted though by the end of the day, it takes so much out of you.
On another note, I have signed up for Heli-sking. We have an intermediate group going so it will be great, really glad I can do it now as will be such an experience.
The other night we had a big night, was a farewell party at the bar on hill and a common room crawl all through the staff housing. Was an awesome night, everyone got pretty hammered! The rooms all had different themes – punk, jungle, disco and futuristic. I still have black texta tattoos (I was punk) on my arms which I can’t rub off!!!
We watched this awesome dvd of some Laryx guys heli-skiing, that night. There were 4 spaces left so I signed myself up. I think I was thinking straight, due to drinking games we just played. But now I am having doubts and keep changing my mind. Its going to be all this powder which will be awesome and the view will be great. And just going in a helicopter over all these snowcapped mountains would be the best experience. At the same time though I am not 100% sure that I will be able to do it really well. If I fell over in the powder it would be massive hard to get up again, I dont want to freak myself out, and waste my money. Its $370 for the day so its a big commitment to make. I am leaning towards not going I think. It’s just so much money and I feel like for an experince like that, the better you are the better the day will be.
so possibly just talked myself out of it…
I love typing and saying these two words – Kananaskis and Nakiska. There is actually a reason I am writing them, I vistited there yesterday. It is about 1.5 hr drive east of Banff. I tagged along with my buddies Judy and Dave, as Dave had an job interview at Kananaskis Golf Club. It was great to see somewhere else in Canada, a few different sites. We went through an area called Deadmans Flats, the country is less rocky mountainy, the further you go east to the praire lands and the middle of Canada.
As we were so close by we stopped in at Nakiska Ski resort to check it out. It was actually the site for all the downhill races of the Calgary 1988 Olympics. Nakiska means ‘to meet’ – as in athletes all over the world meeting up to compete. They built it specifically, it only opened in 1986. It was a nice place but they only had 90cm of snow, so was a little bare in some places. They were really quiet, only had 2 lifts running. We had a few runs but since it was free didn’t mind not staying very long, Just good to check out another place. It’s a problem with facilities built for the olympics, they often aren’t really used that much afterwards.
But it was so much fun to be driving around in a car, having a choice over what you do. Pretty much haven’t been in a car since left home, always on the bus, waiting for it to turn up, drop people off etc. Really do want to rent a car and do a road trip sometime, but bit worried about driving on the wrong side of the road. It feels more normal but driving is something ingrained in you so doing it on the other side would be very weird. Maybe once its summer and there isn’t ice and snow around may give it a try.
I wanted to record this, even though it is sad. Up at Sunshine, on the 16th of March a snowboarder had a serious accident off Mt Standish, one of the ski areas. It was a black run (the headwall area) and apparently the snow boarder was not that experienced. Unfortunately he passed away in hospital last night. The snow has been very hard here for the last week as we haven’t had any new snow, I can imagine that would have been a contributing factor. Regardless, it enforces in my mind how snowboarding and skiing are dangerous sports and you just don’t know… It is tragic how these accidents occur and shake up people’s lives.
today is st patricks day, and I have been stuck inside listening to bloody irish music all day!!! My head is going crazy. I am all up for celebrating other cultures, but listening to this muci fucks you up big time!
And then the other event today is that outside it is like a bloody blizzard. the snowflakes are crazy big and outside is all white. It is excellent though as lots and lots of fresh snow to board on which we really need.
