The darn ‘Rona is breaking all sorts of records.
- My least days skiing in a single winter out of 27.
- Least days skiing in probably two calendar years back to back.
But, my second winter in Fernie, has been my best so far.
Some early season turns pushing to see what is open, push a knee injury and loving being back in the mountains!!!
Being my second season, I wasn’t back a day when Jade (bar keep at the RSL) invited me to go skinning (not dipping, that is uphill skiing). I think everyone is waiting for me, not posing for a photo.
My equipment for the day… my trusty Alpine Trekkers (aka Day Wreckers). I don’t give a hoot what Little Spoon or Luke the Ski Maker says, these things are awesome.
This is what they let me do…
Getting to places like this.
My old mate Nevada Bob came up for some turns and got his arse kicked in cribbage (card game). Bob enjoyed the skiing, but was not happy about the cribbage. Here is the beer he bought me…. reckon it tasted good? Hell yeah it did!!!
More Crusty Old Buggers.Of course it is a Thursday. This place is so quiet, I bet there isn’t 4 other people on the entire lift.
Bob about to slit his own throat because he lost at cards.
I had a quiet birthday this year…. next year is going to be a big one. Just a chilled one watching the hockey with the lads.
My mates Diane and Oscar invited me to their Canadian Family Day. I think it is Martin Luther King Day in America but they don’t have that here (I can’t joke about that anymore….). Family day was a hoot!!!!
I got to beat up little kids…. they are Canadian so it is just hockey training for them (remember: it isn’t ice hockey in Canada, it is just called Hockey). They will be way tougher than me so I had to had to throw some spear tackles while I still can..
The little fella with the MoHawk and the Swedish chick on the back is Maverick. Consensus is that Maverick’s name is appropriate. Craziest little bugger I’ve ever met.
I’m as good at this as I am surfing and sex…. didn’t last ten seconds.
Rach and Dave came over for a few days…. I’d love to share some shots of Dave smashing some steeps and some powder but he is a snowboarder. I have lots of pics of him side slipping, doing up his bindings and Rach and I waiting for him…. but I’ll show you the good scenic pics instead.
I was drunk the entire time they were there…. as usual when they are about.
Speaking of getting on the piss. Lots of folks think that is all I do. But, sometimes, the planets align and because I’m hungover, I skip a day partying and wake up early and fresh. New Years Day 2020 was just one of those days when the planets aligned. It did snow a foot overnight as well.
New Years Day, front of the line…..
These are the bennies (benefits).
After my first winter, ff I had to pick my favourite ski run here in Fernie, I’d say Lone Fir. It is phenomenally steep, it is too much work for the jibbers (aka snowboarders, aka retards, aka knuckle draggers) so it doesn’t get much traffic.
Being so steep, it takes a little bit of time (and snow) to fill in Lone Fir and I got in there a little bit too early….. maybe two weeks too early.
In the crux of the run, where the chute pinches in tight she was very very firm and very very slick. My memories of powder splashing on my chin from last year disappeared, my knees started wobbling and I felt like calling my Mommy for help.
After an uncomfortable five minutes or so, I got out of Lone Fir but for the rest of season I was told that I had left my mark. Spencers (Sugar) Daddy, told me there was a brown smear down the middle of the run that could be seen late season.
Photo of me, full of confidence and a fuller bowel.
Why was it only 85 days? I’ll write some more about that…..