Snow, ski, skate, sunshine... so much fun!
It's past 11 PM on Monday night and I only now have a few minutes to report back on my weekend of skiing at Big White. I guess my semester has really started, I'm busy preparing assignments, reading, posting comments in WebCT and listening to a conference call (for work), all at once. Multitasking, you say? Ben oui.
I returned safely from my weekend trip, around 10 p.m. last night. Doing the trip by bus saves you the long drive to and from the Interior, but doesn't make it any quicker to reach your destination. The bus ride was comfortable and we were treated to a few movies each way, not really movies I would rent on purpose but still a reasonable source of entertainment.
Why travel so far for a weekend of skiing, when you live so close to Whistler, you might ask? Well, I had to experience the snow. Whistler, being close to the Coast, tends to have lots of snow, but wet and heavy snow. It's a fun place to ski and conveniently close by, but on a mild day, after a big snowfall, you might not last more than a few hours before needing a rest. And most days are pretty foggy. Big White, on the other hand, is north of the Okanagan, and a lot dryer. Fog can also be a problem, as we experienced on Saturday, but the snow remains dry, powder-like. Skiing in dry power = happy legs!
OK, I am a bit sore after skiing two days in a row, but Sarah and I were on the slopes from 9-2:30 on Saturday and 10:30-2 on Sunday. We also skated Saturday night on an exterior rink at the resort. So much fun! We had fantastic accommodations, right in the village (on the mountain). The P2 level in the hotel has a ski-out exit, which basically means you can walk out of the building, put your skis on and go. Our room had a queen-size bed, a Murphy bed (looks like a closet with a panel that you pull down to reveal the bed), a fireplace (gas), a small kitchen with a microwave and dishes. The hotel gave us access to their pool and hot tub. The hot tub was a welcomed treat after all our skiing on Saturday, but we were very happy to hit the tub early, as we later discovered that whatever capacity had been set by the hotel for this small pool of warm water was clearly ignored by guests who didn't seem to mind cramped quarters. We could see the hot tub from our window and officially renamed it as "people soup" as the evening went on.
Our mini kitchen allowed us to save a few dollars by eating in both lunch and dinner. We did go out in the village on Saturday night for a few drinks.
Sunday skiing was for the braves, as the temperatures dipped from -1 to -12, with a heavy wind blowing throughout the mountain. I took pictures of our skiing experience on Saturday and am happy I did so, because there was no way I was going to unbundle to reach the camera on Sunday. I had every piece of skin nicely protected and warm. I am seriously considering buying a neoprene face mask for a future trip. They are inexpensive but so efficient at keeping your entire face protected from the wind (and sun!).
I managed to wear my new boots on both days and so far, they have been fairly comfortable. A few spots will need adjusting, but apparently, a heat-molding session is included with my purchase. The store guarantees the fit of the boots, and I plan to take advantage of this offering.
Next trip? February 2, when Marc-Antoine is in town for a few days. We're planning to hit Whistler for the day. Weeee!
I returned safely from my weekend trip, around 10 p.m. last night. Doing the trip by bus saves you the long drive to and from the Interior, but doesn't make it any quicker to reach your destination. The bus ride was comfortable and we were treated to a few movies each way, not really movies I would rent on purpose but still a reasonable source of entertainment.
Why travel so far for a weekend of skiing, when you live so close to Whistler, you might ask? Well, I had to experience the snow. Whistler, being close to the Coast, tends to have lots of snow, but wet and heavy snow. It's a fun place to ski and conveniently close by, but on a mild day, after a big snowfall, you might not last more than a few hours before needing a rest. And most days are pretty foggy. Big White, on the other hand, is north of the Okanagan, and a lot dryer. Fog can also be a problem, as we experienced on Saturday, but the snow remains dry, powder-like. Skiing in dry power = happy legs!
OK, I am a bit sore after skiing two days in a row, but Sarah and I were on the slopes from 9-2:30 on Saturday and 10:30-2 on Sunday. We also skated Saturday night on an exterior rink at the resort. So much fun! We had fantastic accommodations, right in the village (on the mountain). The P2 level in the hotel has a ski-out exit, which basically means you can walk out of the building, put your skis on and go. Our room had a queen-size bed, a Murphy bed (looks like a closet with a panel that you pull down to reveal the bed), a fireplace (gas), a small kitchen with a microwave and dishes. The hotel gave us access to their pool and hot tub. The hot tub was a welcomed treat after all our skiing on Saturday, but we were very happy to hit the tub early, as we later discovered that whatever capacity had been set by the hotel for this small pool of warm water was clearly ignored by guests who didn't seem to mind cramped quarters. We could see the hot tub from our window and officially renamed it as "people soup" as the evening went on.
Our mini kitchen allowed us to save a few dollars by eating in both lunch and dinner. We did go out in the village on Saturday night for a few drinks.
Sunday skiing was for the braves, as the temperatures dipped from -1 to -12, with a heavy wind blowing throughout the mountain. I took pictures of our skiing experience on Saturday and am happy I did so, because there was no way I was going to unbundle to reach the camera on Sunday. I had every piece of skin nicely protected and warm. I am seriously considering buying a neoprene face mask for a future trip. They are inexpensive but so efficient at keeping your entire face protected from the wind (and sun!).
I managed to wear my new boots on both days and so far, they have been fairly comfortable. A few spots will need adjusting, but apparently, a heat-molding session is included with my purchase. The store guarantees the fit of the boots, and I plan to take advantage of this offering.
Next trip? February 2, when Marc-Antoine is in town for a few days. We're planning to hit Whistler for the day. Weeee!
Labels: skiing
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