Sunday, November 16, 2008
I am impatiently waiting for the new season to arrive! All we need is snow, but the weather is just not cooperating. In the slightest! Damn - it's hard to look at bare, brown mountains that should be covered with snow!
And the season is supposed to start on December 5. Good luck - we need about 5 feet (1.6 m) of snow between now and then.
In the mean time, all I can do is spend money and keep hoping!
So far this year I have bought my fav skier a new set of fat skis and some bindings to go with them.
I have bought a set of Flow M-11 bindings for myself.
And I am awaiting the arrival of a Never Summer Premier F1 in a 165 cm length.
Oh yeah - I am all over winter arriving as soon as possible!!
WOW!!!
What a season we had here on Vancouver Island. Let me list some of the more memorable times:
1. We went up all season from opening to closing day. We had spring conditions on the LAST DAY of the season and not before!! The snow was amazing this winter, with legit winter conditions until April 6. For the West Coast this is almost unheardof!
2. During our annual winter break, my 71 yr old, blind mum spent four days skiing. On the Thursday she hit a little patch, did a slo-mo pirohette and BROKE HER FEMUR! However, she is already talking about skiing next yr when we go!
3. Snowboarding in the trees is a blast. This was the first season I really experienced it and glade boarding opens up whole new aspects of the mtn! Especially in cloudy conditions.
4. I really do need a new board. Although I talked about a Never Summer Premier T5 circumstances prevented me from puling the trigger on it. DAMN! Ah well - next year.
5. Ramen is the BEST lunch at Mt Washington. This yr we got to know the restaurant staff, which made the food even better.
6. Gloves are good, but mitts are even better!
7. Watching my wife rip down the mtn is almost as much fun as riding. Damn, the girl can ski!
8. Steep and deep really rocks!
9. Homemade protein bars rock too.
That's it - see y'all on the slopes next season!
I have been riding as much as possible lately. I have come up with the following list of random thoughts and experiences during the long chair rides, the ripping runs and the frequent conversations with my friends and family.
1. Snowboards and bumps do not really get along. Add steeps, trees and moguls together and you will quickly find the limits of your ability. (PS hitting trees HURTS!)
2. Ripping through the same trees when there is 8 inches (20 cm) or more of fresh snow, however, completely erases the previous memory. Hitting trees, however, still HURTS.
3. Ramen, at the Sushimon Noodle House on Mt Washington, is the closest thing to a perfect mountain meal I have ever tasted. The sourdough bowl chili at Mt Baker is a distant second.
4. Hot chocalate topped with whipping cream is a splendid after baording concoction.
5. A pair of cut off fleece pants (aka fleece shorts) are a great thing to wear over longies and under boarding pants.
6. Pointing the nose of your board staight down and hanging on until you get to the bottom is still a huge rush.
7. I really hate the smell of dope on the chair lift. It seems to really stink these days and I can't figure out why. I just don't like it.
8. Meeting boarders on the mountain really is fun.
9. New boots make a lot os difference, however, putting the liners in the opposite boots can make for a diabolical foot ache.
10. Following someone who skis a pair of Seth Vicious's can lead you into truble (see #1 above).
11. Happy New Year everyone!
Friday, December 07, 2007
At long last, snow has arrived and the mountain has opened. The anticipation has been building. The inevitable questions arise:
Has my off season fitness worked?
What will the snow be like?
How long will the season be?
Can I really buy those new boots and board that I have been wanting?
Will the Ramen at Sushimon be as good as last year?
I plan on being up at Mt. Washington as often as I can to seek the answers to all these questions and more.
This is the time of year when I really come alive - wanting and waiting is nearly over. The next phase of life has begun!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Wow - where did it go? The summer is pretty much over and looking back, I see so many things that I just never got around to doing.
But I got a new mtn bike and spent a lot of time riding it early on. Then July hit with crappy weather and other interests, so riding fell by the wayside, but I have a ride planned this weekend so I'm going!
Speaking of bikes - I bought my son one in April, right after the Bakers April Fool ride. He's outgrown it already!! He has grown about 5 inches this summer and is now taller than me. I think this means new skis this winter too! Damn!
One other great event this summer was my fav skier getting her shoulder operated on. She took a tumble off her bike in October 2005 and has been living with pain and discomfort ever since. In June she went to see a specialist, they operated. They shaved off the end of the clavicle, where it slides over the AC joint, cleaned out some scar tissue and checked the rotator cuff and joint. Both looked good. She has been doing lots of physio and has nearly got full range of motion back. She is less sore. And she can ride her bike again. All this means she will be even harder to keep up with this winter!!
Speaking of winter - you know it's coming when you get your season pass renewal form. YAY.
Wow - the 2007 season has wound down. My local mtn has closed and so, with much regret, I will be waxing my boards with a summer layer and putting them away. And what a great season it was.
My highlights include:
Book ending my season with the day after opening and the last day the mountain was open;
Staying on the mountain for a week;
April Fools at Mt. Baker with a bunch of snowboard dot commers;
Riding for an afternoon with Brian Savard and having him compliment me on my turns;
Watching my 70 year old and blind mother ski for three days.
I know I could go across to the mainland to ride some more - the Telus Festival is tempting, but I think that I will leave that for others. The hassle, the expense, the time off work all sway me away.
And besides - I have a new mountain bike to play with and a new tandem to ride with my fav skier. And that's what life is all about.
I am sorry I did not get to ride with some of the other folks here - all I can say:
See you next season.
And don't be a stranger!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
I have spent the past week at Mt Washington with my extended family - parents, siblings, spouses, offspring. 11 people in total. And this week I witnessed some real courage. Not the Rush-into-a-burning-building or hero type courage, but some day to day, quiet, personal type of courage.
It came from my mum. She is 70 years old. And legally blind. She has macular degeneration in both eyes. Try this - make your hands into fists. Put them in front of your eyes with your first fingers along your eyebrows. Stare straight ahead. This is about what she sees. It's pretty hit and miss, sight wise.
Now - strap a pair of skis to your feet and hit the slopes. Now let someone else talk you down the hill through a headset radio. While other people whizz by. Did I mention she could not see and that she is 70 years of age.
My mum did this. She skied for three days, while being unable to see and relying on other people to tell her when to turn, when to stop and how to get on and off a chair lift. She did great, better than that, she loved every minute of it! And she wants to do some more skiing.
That to me is courage.
Monday, November 20, 2006
What is it about new gear that is so appealling?
I think that it is the promise that it brings with it. The promise of another season, of fresh snow, early mornings, sunny skies, burning legs. The promise of the rush that comes from linking the first turns of the year. The promise of snow kissing the base of your board, the weightlessness of deep powder, the compainship of friends and family as you ride together.
This year I went to the factory sale of my fav outerwear company. A small, local company called Arson and Orb. The owner is Glenn. He's a great guy. And his company makes the best outerwear that I have ever worn. I got two pairs of pants for my daughters, a jacket for one daughter and a new jacket for me. It's red, like my old one, and really, really nice.
I like to support this company because
they are local
they are Canadian
they make great stuff
they are approachable - I send them comments about their gear all the time (and they listen!)
So - buy Arson gear - I doubt that you will regret it!
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Published by leer13: 12:07 AM
Updated On: 2/15/2007 at 4:53 PM
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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
So - lately I have been really getting into the party in a bucket concept. Probably because it is so easy. And cheap. And it gets you drunk. Really drunk.
It works like this - you buy a bucket of mix - daiquari, margarita, sangria, cosmopolitan - for about 10 bucks. You add the booze of choice and mix it well. You put the whole thing into a freezer. Here's the hard part. You wait 24 hours.
The result?
Grown up slushies. That result in the most child like behavior, even among hardened drinkers. Tha's because I always mix mine extra strength.
So all you do is haul the bucket outta the freezer. Go to your friend's house. Bum a glass. Dig in. Pass the bucket around. Slushies for all. Give your friend's wife at least two of these and she will let you molest her. For at least an hour. Whoopee!
The next day you may be a little stiff and sore, but that's the price you pay to party in a bucket!
I have been thinking about friends lately. A lot. About friendship and what drives it. I suspect this is due to some major changes in my life - new job in a new city. A new house. And some changes in the lives of my friends.
So why are we friends with another person? Shared experiences? Shared ideas or ideals? Shared interests?
Once somebody told me that people who were your friends were people that you needed in your life at that particular time. Implied in that statement is the thought that once you no longer 'need' them, they stop being your friends. To some degree, I have experienced this - you have friends - but circumstances change and you find that you have drifted away from them. ANd they from you. Maybe it was mutual need.
This does not account for people who become your friends for life. What makes them so different than all the others?
I am very thankful for the friends that I have in my life. Most of them are long time friends, only a few are relatively new. Either way, I think that my life is better for having them in it.
As for the other questions? I dunno. But if I find out I'll let you know.
Never let anyone tell you that new places are an easy deal. They are not - so if your friends try and convince you otherwise - well, they are lying, Through their teeth. I might add. I mean - there is the unpacking. Then the organizing the stuff that you just unpacked, then there is the losing of the stuff that you just organised because there is so damn much stuff that you cannot remember where you put it. Then there is the effort to get into a routine - at work, at home, with the family. Make some new connections at work and at play. The neighbours seem cool - til you get sloppy drunk with them and they spill their guts regarding some deep dark secrets. Then they don't speak to you for weeks and you are trying to figure out why. And no-one can tell you cuz they are either too embarrassed or they don't remember either. Or they stayed home and didn't attend the alcohol fest in the first place. Then you have to add in all the work to get the outside of the new place looking better than it is, because what is there is bare earth, rock, concrete debris, weeds and clay. Dusty clay. That blows into the house every time you open the door so you have to sweep the new place scontinually or you track that clay all over hells half acre! Damn - why did I move anyway?
Hey Friends: I have actually managed to get out riding twice in the past little while. It was GREAT!! The first time I was with a bunch of skiers - of course they like to ski bumps. And I was silly enough to follow them run after run after run. And guess what? Snowboards and moguls do get on. All you gotta do is try and let go of the technique you have carefully developed over the past few seasons and try something new. Sounds easy, right? Well - it ain't. You crash. Lots. But if you perserver, it can happen. As Morpheus says - "You have to let it all go Neo". And Sunday - oh baby. What a day. It was the day I got a harsh lesson. The day that I found out. The day that I could no longer keep up to my 17 year old. Damn - I hate that. I guess that I have to practise a lot more. Oh - or take her into the bumps!! All in all it was great to get back on the snow. And I saw my friend Kali. And we had Ramen for lunch - again. What a great lunch Ramen is. It's hot, it's liquid and it's vegetables and noodles. So you get warm, you get hydrated and you get fuelled up for the afternoon of riding, All for $7. Man oh man. Come see me - We can do bumps. We can eat Ramen. And we can snowboard and laugh all day long. then we can go home with goggle burned faces and dream of the next time we are going riding.
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Published by leer13: 12:51 PM
Updated On: 3/27/2006 at 12:53 PM
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Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Thanks to all my friends that are trying to get my ass onto the snow. Sorry y'all but I gotta take a rain check. We have less than two weeks till we move. Next weekend is my ;ast time in this house. So we are packing, sorting and throwing out. You would not believe the number of trips I have made to the dumpster. You would also not believe the amount of way cool stuff that we have rediscovered. Old pictures, funky ornaments, candles, bike parts, tools and wine. So, we are really focussed on getting this house in to shape and that is all for now. I will see you on the snow in March and April - but you gotta come to Mt Washington to do it!!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
On Sunday I took two my daughter and her friend to Grouse. As we went up the sky-ride, the operator told us that the Olympic Chair was "on stand-by". So we rode the Cut to the Sreaming Eagle Chair. First line up - 20 minute wait. Second line up - 40 minute wait. At this point I decided that was enough, I was ready to quit. But there was an expance of snow looking down on me, inviting, enticing, available. So I decided to hike up the Peak. It was a pretty good climb - roughly 400 vertical feet over a 20 minute span. I got to the top, rested, took in the view, strapped in and pushed off. It was great - linking turns through fresh snow - yeah it was tracked but....... Halfway down the Peak I hit groomed snow, stopped, unstrapped and hauled my sorry ass back up again for a second run. It was as good as the first, except this time I shot onto the groomed and flat boarded the rest of the way down. Warp factor 7 Mr Sulu! I had never hiked before. Never had to "work for my turns". Don't get me wrong, I have boarded lots of freshies over the past few seasons. Only, not this way. This time I caught a glimpse of why people hike. Of why earning your turns is so appealing. Of why they love the back country. You know what? I liked it. And I WILL be back for more.
Hey Y'all: I appreciate all my friends and others coming to my prof to check in with me. Really. I. Do. But please excuse me if I don't answer back. I am very busy at work - so I can't pop in here during those hours. And I have no access to a computer week nights once I leave work. Weekends are incredibly busy, trying to do all the things that normal people do during their week - being away all week every week means that lots of little jobs pile up. So I can't even get on here on week ends. But please don't let that stop you from visiting. Just because my life is very busy doesn't mean that I don't think of you. Happy 2006!!
Saturday, December 24, 2005
I want to wish all my friends, and anyone else that vivits my profile a MERRY CHRISTMAS.I hope that your holiday time is flled with fun, laughter, happiness and love. And don't worry about the snow - it will come! In case I am not here for a while HAPPY NEW YEAR
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Someone keeps coming to my profile and they are "not logged in". Hmm - I wonder why.
- Are they avoiding someone else and just kind of surf through a few profile while they are in hiding?
- Are they checking me out from work to see where I surf?
- Or does someone really have a crush on me?
Why do I care? Really I don't but sometimes it's fun to speculate
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Hey Y'all:
I have not been around here much lately, and probably will not be for a little while. I am in the midst of upheaval - new job with a new company. New city. Right now my family is over on the mainland while I am on Vancouver Island. It sucks being a weekend dad and husband. I hate it.
I will be buying a new house pretty soon. We found a nice one that we really like - it's just a case of selling our existing one. Then we can get all ready to move, pack our stuff and GO!!
I am looking forward to learning a new mountain. Mount Washington will become my new home mountain - once I get all this other stuff sorted out.
So leave me a note - I will respond when I can.
Cheers and fresh tracks
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
BYE BYE
(at least for now)
I am going away on holler.....er.....holy....um....vacation for a coupla weeks. See y'all later!
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Kalila was my 11,000th visitor.
The rest of you hafta wait for another 1,000 to go by to get the same message!
IT'S OVER
My friend died on May 25th, 2005 at 9.12 pm (PDT). My family had gone to the hospital about 8 pm. There we met our other friends. Philip's breathing was shallow and fast, every breath seemed to require considerable effort. However, he knew his loved ones were there. His wife and family arrived at about 8.45 pm. After they greeted him, and we talked for a bit, Philip's breathing gradually began to slow, until the length of time between breaths grew to over a minute. Then, just like that, he was gone.
The end was fitting for Philip, surrounded by his friends. His wife had brought in pizza - all that was missing was the beer.
He waited, deliberately, until his family was present, before embarking on that final journey that we will all face one day. And in true Philip fashion, he did it on his terms.
It hurts, but I know that I will see him again.
One day.
LIFE SUCKS RIGHT NOW
My friend has been moved to palliative care. He was taken off his IV last on Thurdsday and he has been weaned off his meds. He has an internal infection that is going untreated. Morphine controls his pain. This is what he wants.
It is hard to sit by and watch him slip away. His body has withered away to virtually nothing but he has not lost his personality. That remains unchanged to the end. He told me that he feels like he is living in two separate worlds now, but I know it will not be long before he leaves this one. His spark of life is slowing dying.
He looks like he is 80 years old, but he isn't. Damn - I hate this disease.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
LIFE SUCKS RIGHT NOW
My best friend is dying. He has inoperable brain cancer in the form of an agressive, fast growing tumour, right between both hemispheres. It has tendrils growing into each hemisphere. Although he has had minor symptoms for about 6 months, he was only diagnosed just before Easter. He has partial paralysis on his left side, which impacts his balance and he has trouble remembering and processing information. Like directions. He get lost easily.
They doctors gave him up to a year to live, but yesterday he had a siezure and is now in hospital. Although there is an operation planned, it is just a stop gap measure, designed to relieve some symptoms, but not cure him. Even if the cancer was all gone tomorrow, due to some miracle, his physical condition would not improve.
Life sucks sometimes. He is only 50 years old and has four sons, the oldest is 19, the youngest is 10. I have known him for about 9 years and love him like a brother. His kids and mine have grown up together, almost like family, as we are so close. I go out with his wife to do everyday things, like grocery shopping, going to the garden center or the bookstore, when our respective spouses are busy or not interested.
We learned to snowboard together five seasons ago and he is the reason we call hooking your downhill, heelside edge a 'Rectum Fall' (because you can slam down so hard your intestines feel like the come out through your rectum). He has a unique way of looking at life and a wicked and warped sense of humour.
I am going to miss him everyday.
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