Humans are really, really dumb

Before you go off the deep end, I want you to sit, read, think.

Look at this baby.

This is a grey wolf sc: Canis lupus. The wolf as a species is very old. This is a Columbia Valley/Northern Purcells one. Wolves have been living in harmony with their surrounds for many thousands of years. They kill for food, and can be killed for food.

Wolves do not breed beyond what nature dictates they can. They are smart, smart animals.

Wolves also happen to be a keystone in their ecosystem. A keystone is a stone, for instance in an archway, that supports the entire arch (the stone at the top, in the middle). Remove that stone, the whole thing collapses.

A little while, down in Yellowstone National Park in the USA - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Yellowstone+National+Park&ie=UTF8&ll=44.777936,-110.544434&spn=9.326876,21.269531&z=6&iwloc=A - many wolves were culled (almost to extinction I think). This was so hunters, yes, HUNTERS, had more elk and deer and the like to hunt. Leaving aside the whole hunting thing, how is the logic in that little cracker. Oh wait, it's devoid of logic.

Anyway, because humans are realllllly stupid and arrogant, they went and messed with the keystone, and lo and behold, elk and deer numbers (maybe caribou too, not sure) exploded. Then what happened? They started eating all the foliage low to the ground. This mean new young saplings were DEMOLISHED. No regrowth. No food for other animals.

What happened next? Birds and other animals disappeared. The place went haywire and I am told resembled a ghost town.

Some smart cat worked out the wolves needed to be there. The wolves were re-introduced and BANG, balance was restored and now the park is thriving. By the way, the figure given to me for the time between wolf introduction and restoration was frightfully short. Something in the number of single years. That's a very short period for a balance point to move in nature.

Now that's a lesson worth remembering.

Isn't it? Guys? Hello?

Well, it appears not. Now, I thought Canucks were reasonably enlightened souls, but it seems back West, boy howdy we have some evolving to do. Westies, they're reading back East! So hunters in Canada, not content with living in some of the most stunning natural terrain I have seen, and being able to ski, kayak, mountain bike etc, well, they need to have a bit of gun shooting to compensate for whatever is missing in their lives, and shoot some deer. Problem is, these humans are either:
a) crap hunters and scare the game away and thus can't find any, or,
b) they're too lazy to become good hunters, or,
c) the game are smart and go hiding (caribou case in point, same for wolves)

I am picking it's a combo of all three. So, these clowns want to shoot deer and elk (ok, ok, I supposeit's the same as fishing, but ONLY, if they eat all the game and don't go whacking stuffed heads and whatnot on their mantlepieces, I mean, COME ON).

So what does logic tell them....create a controlled environment full of said game? Nope.

Be better hunters? Nope.

Oh wait, let's take out our competitor the wolf. So now there is a very real possibility of a wolf cull throug capture/neutering or poisoning/shooting.

When will we learn?

The stupidity amazes me. Well, actually, no it doesn't.

Anyway, if you go to www.northernlightswildlife.com you can learn more.

It's a disgrace, it's a travesty. Where's Derryn Hinch, "Shame, Shame".

2008 Boards

Here is the oil on our 2008 boards - The twin Mirrors in black and white and The Guild of Powder Assassins. Rock.

The basic specs are below. More specifications are at heresysnowboarding.com/store.
- 148, 153, 156, 159
- centred stance, twin
- non-ABS sidewalls (ABS sucks)
- 12 pack inserts
- sintered 7500 bases
- triax fibreglass
- full wood cores (NO foam)
- Full specs to follow

*** We are also doing some custom changes on this like directional twins, different flex patterns and graphics - contact us for details.

Standard White - RRP$650AUD including free tshirt and stickers


Limited Edition Black - - RRP$750AUD including free tshirt and stickers


VERY limited edition Guild of Powder Assassins - RRP$750AUD including free tshirt and stickers

Day 25 - Whitewater powder

Ho hum. More powder. We estimate around 2ft of fresh in 2 days. Some sort of joyous winter wonderland.

After yesterday's debacle with the hire car, we had to hitch. I was in no mood for hitching, or indeed riding, but Packy's subtle and infectious enthusiasm plus the sunshine got us there, of course I needed some help from Oso Negro Oso Good coffee. Woy yow eger cafe.

I hitched for the first time in my life (thanks fella) with Pack, and a Venezuelan shredder who it turns out is from our hostel.

Here are some photos - apologies for the non profligate nature of this dispatch but we are about to go to the airport.

More to follow on this day, the previous day and our last day.

Day 24 - Whitewater powder

More powder. Just epic. More description to follow, but knee deep (deeper in parts) freshies. Unbelievable.

I have a lot more photos but have to Photoshop them as they're a bit dark. Silly me got excited and forgot to wind the ISO on ze camera out to 400.

The hike to Shortside begins.

The view down toward the final hike. Apparently Packy was mooning me. Thank the Lord I only had a wide angle lense on. It is looking rather white down there, though.

Entrance to Powderland.

Ripping and shredding. Bananas.

I had the shutter on 1/15th from a previous shot to capture the heaviness of the snow through blurring the flakes. I forgot to wind the shutter out to 1/1250 and this is the result. Came out all art. Mistakes rule.


Phil goes Bossssshhhhh. Bosh bosh. Like some sort of powder banshee.

Hershey-holic

This is Packy's side of the car. Hmmmm.
Now, he'll claim I've eaten as many, and it's just that I throw mine out so there's no evidence, but this is patently absurd. Just some sort of creamy, cookie-ish chocolate herring.

Day 23 - Nelson, down day

Since today was a down day with sleep in and awesome brekky at Full Circle where I fortunately was seated across the way from a girl I was smitten with at the pub the other night, I don't have any photos.

I was reading The Age website before and came across this:
Angry rant about Australian travellers

Now Catherine Deveny's articles are frequently angry little rants but this one got my goat. But that's me. She's right in some sense (go to Big White to see what I mean) but even so, how jealous/angry is this rant?

Godddd. Someone needs to chill out, to Phillax, in the words of the great Powder Potomus, Phil Parkin.

I have another rant on the stupidity of humans but this this will be a separate post.

Today was awesome, 2 pairs of new goggles, each 50% off, and a new Dakine backpack, 50% off. 40% off some Dakine backcountry hiking poles.

Discount city, population me.

And to top it off, Heresy now has a bona fide rep in Nelson. More on this soon.

Day 22 - Whitewater Backcountry Epicness

Holy shnikies Batman. Did we ever score today.
Nick, a totally cool local who works at Valhalla in Nelson, took us for our first backcountry (BC) trip. No Backcountry for Old Men.

The trip began Friday night with a suggestion then a flurry of organising to ensure that we had full avalanche kits (beacon/transceiver, probes, shovel) as well as snow shoes and poles to get there. The excitement very quickly gave way to nervousness and a lot of questions about avalanche rescue technique, beacon reading, safety precautions and myriad other questions.

I tell you what, if you're going BC into avie territory, you want someone like Nick. The man is so safety conscious and knows what he is on about. He was talking about doing some guiding and if he does, and you come here or wherever he is, engage his services. The man's mountain knowledge is awesome. And he is so calm and matter of fact.

Anyway, the snow fell throughout the night, and Whitewater in their typically understated way of reporting, reported 2cm of snow. 2cm my bum.

We warmed up on groomers, covered in fresh snow, as more snow continued to fall from the heavens. We then made our way to what is known as Shortside.


What followed was some incredible tree rides through soft pillow lines, and constant hooting from the three of us. We found this. The angle I took these from don't really do it justice, next time I shoot from the side.

And did this.
Nick method shifty I think

Packy straight air.








After two runs of this, with a short hike or hitch (thanks guys) out, we had lunch. I need to talk about the stunning food. Simple and so wholesome. I had the Glory Bowl which comprised brown rice (perfectly cooked), a peanut curry sauce, shredded carrot and beetroot, spinach leaves, then unbelievable cooked slivered almonds, some sort of magical garlic mayonnaise through the almonds and then an amazing mix of locally made tofu (deeeeeelicous) and tahini. It was simply magnificent. Finished off with a pecan and sultana tart. I just wanted to sleep.

Unfortunately, or, should I say fortunately, it was time to hike. We headed off with backpacks (very heavy) and soon reached our up-point. We got into our snow shoes - after about 5 minutes I bought a pair of Nick's. This going to make BC Hotham soooo much easier (this means you Avalanche Gully). The hike was very hard work after the first part. We moved steadily uphill into trees, surrounded by light grey skies which were just filled with an incredible amount of snow. Golden light poked through the clouds and gave form to the snow which looked like tiny black flecks swirling every which way - almost like a plague of miniature floating locusts. It was magic.

We eventually got to the top of the bowl and I was blown away. Epic, steep terrain. BIG cornice drops, even a mandatory 75 foot drop into 60degree terrain with randomly populated trees. Gnarly stuff. We checked out a chute I want to do before we go, where the entry point was steep enough into ~45 degree pitch on a narrow width then into a nice apron through some mellower pitch. Awesome stuff. Nerve-wracking, but awesome. Probably similar to some of the chutes off the main ridgeline that goes across to East Peak at Big White.

We eventually went for a slightly mellower pitch (around 40 degrees I was told, maybe a tiny bit less) but what made it tricky was cloud rolled in, removing the definition providing by the snow.


...then light went completely flat. And I mean dead flat. Very disconcerting. This made the drop-in a little, well, not terrifying, but nerve-wracking (as we didn't know the terrain). The significant additional weight on my shoulders added a little to the ill-feeling as it threw my balance off about and limited my ability to really throw the board around and pop in and out of turns easily.

Nick dropped off a little band higher up and hooted down. Packy went from the left of me and rode across the top of the chute to let his slough run down.



I popped down, let my slough run out (actually rode about a foot of slough down for a bit), until I could see, then punched it. Oh. My. Dear. Lord. What followed was a giddying, transcendental experience. With the removal of visual definition, all I could feel was my tail in the deep deep powder, and little bouts of floating as the ground dropped away from me. As I couldn't see, I couldn't soak up drops through the knees, or brace for them, so it was almost a completely blind experience, just removing sight as a sense, and relying on feel. It felt like I was flying through the clouds. It left me speechless. I eventually got beneath the cloud to the others and sunk to a stop in knee deep dry snow. We moved across a small ridge to the top of a chute with a reasonably steep slope and hit that. Josh and Nick smashed a tree drop to pillow and I followed wide into untracked snow. We took turns leapfrogging down so each person got to go first.

Unnnnnn-believable. We eventually got to the bottom. I looked longingly back up but the poor weather precluded another hike. Additionally it was absolutely vomiting snow. I've seen some incredibly thick snow mid winter at Big White but this was heavier. Everyone had a big green and it was just a dizzying feeling. Delirious with joy and excitement. What is it about heavy snow that does that to people. Is it because it is seemingly so magical? A magical gift from the sky. Even though we spend so much time on it, and know alot about it, it is still a source of joy, a cause of deep abiding contentment.

We dumped our BC gear except avie beacons and dumped a car at the bottom of Shortside down the road then took the Summit lift back up for one more run. Our old tracks had filled in with about 2 inches of snow, and we followed roughly the same line and came out right at the car.

I am amazed at how both our riding has progressed. Josh is riding fast and hard and I feel very confident riding hard in the trees and aiming at small pillow lines and trees for air. Good stuff.

Heavy snow, and stoked.




We finished the day off with WH20 lodge nachos and some Jager then took off home, finding Alex for a lift again.

Life is grand.

Day 21 - Whitewater powder

Well. The end of the trip is looking better and better. WH20's snow report claimed 6cm overnights, however it felt like more - perhaps 10cm.

After Phil tipped Bacardi into my mouth again all night, I slept in a little. Pancake brekky and Oso-good Oso Negro coffee and we were on the way.

It was the perfect day, snowing all the way up the mountain, but no wind and not cold. It is nice to back in Canadian weather, as opposed to very windy, blizzardy snow storms that Australia predominantly gets.

We did a few runs and the snow was very, very light and dry but there was not enough snow to cover in the old icey tracks as well as bind to that layer to mask it.

We eventually ended up in the backcountry.

This is the thin yellow line separating inbounds and out of bounds.


Packy went on ahead and I took lots of photos. It was so quiet and peaceful. I stood there marvelling at each sight. It was amazing.





I soon came upon this...






And was greeted by this...Packy already hiking a jump he'd built. Keen people rule.

I let Packy run off down the run so I could just sit and be. It was amazing. The only sound was the light crackling of snow on my jacket. I couldn't get enough of the views in the shots below. I could've sat there all day just soaking in the sights. It was life-affirming. Incredible. Again, soulful. The mountains have that effect on me. As does the ocean. Not one worldly thought in my mind in this otherworldly place. Brain switched off.
The light was heavenly, ethereal. The sun was almost coming through the snow, casting a golden hue into the grey. If I breathed deeply enough, I would get a lungful of cold snow, little cold hand grenades exploding in my lungs. Heaven. I looked at every thing, photographing it for my memory. I can't ascribe words to the elation at being there by myself. Like surfing in a summer storm with dark, dark grey sky, warm, azure ocean as lightning and thunder roil in the sky. I did not want to leave my perch in the mountains. Whitewater is an amazingly balancing place. Especially when you have a tofu Ymir bowl for lunch.





I had to crank the contrast up on this shot of Packy as the light was super flat.

C'est moi.

Packy sick method. He slapped the grab hard - WHACK.

Day 20 - Nelson transfer

Well. Fernie has RAD coffee (Oso Negro bien sur) and free range egg omlettes. Sick. We have an awesome brekky.

We drive. Packy buys 8, yes EIGHT, Hershey's cookies and cream (we're addicted).

We go to the US border. I take photos. Our petrol goes down.

Packy falls asleep and snores. My leg hurts. Our van rules.

We roll into Nelson. I go straight to Oso Negro. YAYYYYY! CAN$2.50 for AWESOME latte. I have been paying between $3.00 and $4.50 for crud lattes. FINALLY, I get a good coffee like back home.

We check in to the Whitehouse a day early then go see everyone at ze ranch.

I cook some shred creamy avocado/white wine/mushroom/broccoli/pea pasta. It gets smashed by ze hungry shredders.

Tomorrow is Mons' last day. It is a great day.

It is good to be (second) home.

Photos to follow.

Day 19 - Fernie epicness

Well. Despite our knowledge that there might potentially be a lot of snow, we stayed up watching telly then slept in.

We got to the mountain around 10AM and to 10CM fresh snow. It was a little wet but still awesome compared to Aus snow.

We headed straight up to the top and were lucky to bump into an Aussie who took us to Currie bowl.

It was nice up top - reasonably untracked - but there were ice death cookies under the fresh snow down lower.

Fernie is EPIC. Seriously, it's a serious, serious mountain. There's a massive headwall, or two, behind the entire resort, which is a combination of cliff faces, couloirs, and heroic chutes. Basically from the top of the lifts there is a fence beyond which you cannot go. The avalanche danger is very serious (this season at least) with signs posted everywhere. Apparently some awesome lines are just beyond some banned areas and if people poach them even other riders rail on them because these lines are above an heavily used bowl and avalanches have been triggered onto innocent people below.

Apparently Fernie is the best-patrolled resort around. Also I am told that Fernie uses the most amount of explosives in the country, apart from the entire Canadian road-clearing crew. That is a lot of explosions.









We ran back up to the top, and headed rider's right. Packy and I got separated again, and this is what I stumbled onto. Bowl after bowl, tree line after tree line, fresh snow, stashes everywhere. The place is crazy. I found line after line, it was incredible, and no-one seemed to be running that area. I eventually found Packrat and showed him this, it was Stoke-tastic, Shraderiffic and all that. Superlatives don't describe how good it was.







Here're some random scenery shots.







Some guys hiked this then smashed it down. Cah-razee.



Tomorrow, we return to Nelson (our second home) as Whitewater looks like copping a blasting over the next few days.

Day 18 - Transit Fernie

Ah, how the favourable hands of the weather Gods can change the outlook of a trip. How fickle they are.

After taking a punt based on some weather forecasts, we woke, dropped Sean and Alex off at Emerald Lake and headed for Fernie along the Bow Valley Parkway, passing out of the gorgeous Banff National Park into the Kootenay National Park.

Emerald Lake.

We moved into some awesome terrain - almost rainforesty - steep chasms and tight roads and very green flora, as we moved close to Radium Hotsprings. There was a lack of snow - perhaps the mountains are a little warmer here.

After passing through this pass, the surrounds changed from a craggy peak-dominated horizon with endless pine trees to a more grassy plain savannah type environment, notable for a much reduced footprint of snow, and much more lively forestation, with lots more wildlife either obviously evident (eagles, no photos sorry) or obviated by tracks and numerous warning signs.

The weather was sunny and reasonably clear, and warm enough for just a tshirt.



As we moved past Cranbrook, the sky darkened ominously and the pinetrees typical of the snowy Rockies re-appeared and replaced the windswept plain. Soon, the rain that had been omnipresent turned to sleet and then heavy snow.

Our gamble appears to have paid off. As we got into Fernie, the snow thickened further, with reports pointing to anywhere between 15cm-30cm fresh tomorrow. We scored an awesome hotel room for $79 a night; laundry, gym, spa...and, get this, AN INDOOR WATERSLIDE. Oh yes, a fully fledged, big-kid, indoor waterslide (photos of this tomorrow).

Dinner was at the Central, where Wednesday night is dub/reggae/dancehall night - YAY! I will see if I can get them to play some Red Eyes (myspace.com/themightyredeyes)...a very cool pub.

$4 Jager, clean clothes, snow - a great day. Well apart from the 11 Hershey's Cookies and Cream bars we consumed. Mums: we have a problem. There'll need to be a well-planned intervention.

Day 17 - Sunshine

Ah, Sunshine. Oh how my memories of thee do bring a feeling of goodwill upon thy brow.

With the prospect of no fresh snow, for the first time for the whole trip....oh wait, no, that's a joke. With the prospect of no fresh snow again it was going to be hope for no ice.

Sunshine either has to be epic snow or warm (and I mean warm) sunny spring conditions to hit their unbelievable park for it to be fun for this little shred monkey.

I didn't do photos again, and Packy's point-and-shoot had packed (!) up, so words shall have to suffice.

Sunshine's verrrrrry long gondola got us to the top in style and with stickers, where Greg from Falls and his friend Leanne waited.

We were greeted by news from Greg that most runs were ice so we headed up not expecting much. For a Monday, it was reasonably busy, and yes most runs were average, with cold wind and bouts of snow a portent of the front forecast to hit us tomorrow (in time Fernie).

There's not much I can say as all we did was make do with what we had. That being said, I had some pretty fun runs, hitting some nice hips on chute-type runs, thus allowing me to practice my hip-spins more.

We eventually ended up in the park. Oh my. Probably not as good as Silverstar's park, but I saw, hips, step ups, multiple kickers (lots of vert), an S box, MANY boxes varying in difficulty in terms of the pop on as well as its construction; i.e. the resident hero box had a 10ft plus gap onto it. Was a pretty good park with lots of variation catering to all skill levels. Had the day been a warm spring day I could have camped out here all day doing park lines. Not many locals throwing down and a COMPLETE lack of local or blow-in gangster dudes psyching everyone out or yo-ing down, so it was choice bro eh.

We did a few runs through here, a run out under one of the boundary ropes, lunch, then decided to call it a day at around 2PM.

We are both desperate for either fresh snow, or WARM park days. This icey mogulled in-between-seasons rubbish is most frustrating, especially when I see how good the surf is at home (could be surfing 2-3ft perfection in boardies).

We called it a day after a top to bottom Chinese downhill race which I comfortably won. What's that Packy? I didn't tell you it was a race? Ooops.

Thankfully and happily it looks like it may snow from tonight until well after we leave leave, so hopefully we can get some epic lines at Fernie, Castle Mtn and back at Whitewater.

It's funny what you notice when you're away.

The differences between your temporary home and your permanent home are subtle at first then become starkly apparent as your trip progresses.

I think the most obvious thing is coffee. The quality of coffee in Melbourne is startlingly good. So very, very good. And my standard avocado, mushroom, tomatoe, rocket, cheese and Thomy mayonnaise pita wraps for dinner/lunch. And Rock Ling and salad with Pop and a smashing Tahbilk Shiraz followed by Tiramasu fruit tart and ice cream. And the warm touch of the summer sun. The light and gentle sandpapery touch of salt on the skin after a surf in boardies at Torquay in 2-3 foot glass on a hot summer's Saturday, followed by organic eggs and mushrooms and Soul Fuel. And the cycling. Oh, the cycling.

Or, in Canada. The poor signage and marking on the roads. No cat's eyes. No poles. No reflectors. All of which makes night-time and snow-time conditions heart-racingly fraught with nerve-wracking concentration. The lack of GOOD coffee. The presence of LOTS of AWESOME burgers. The presence of a diet overwhelmingly dominated by meat. The presence of the best chocolate on Earth - Hershey's cookies and cream. The presence of sentinels of happiness and fuzziness - Nelson, wolves. Just bastions of good food, good coffee and good times. Kum-bay-yah and all that.

Differences in the call of the birds. Different light in the sky. Different stars in the night sky. Different tonalities in sentences.

The creature comforts of home, like nighttime silence and your own pillow and bed and bathroom. Putting a classical music rekkid on and just relaxing.

All the little things that make you think home is the Best Place on Earth.

Fernie tomorrow.

Night, dear reader.

New board

So, here is a sample of the 2008 board, well, one of them.


Once I tidy this up, it will be something like the below. These will run with Sintered 7500 bases, 12 packs, full 360 degree wraps, full wood core, wood sidewalls (no plastic), metal flake on the Fractal boards, twin tips and something like 148, 151, 153, 155, 157, 160 lengths.

Fractal white

Fractal black

Guild of Powder Assassins - super limited edition

Day 16 - Banff

Today we transited to Banff from Emerald Lake.







So nice to be back in Banff. Lots more money in town from even 5 years ago.

Our accomodation is sweet (thanks Kristy!) and is at the Banff Centre. Gym, pool, squash, basketball, music recitals; the list goes on. We right near the Fairmont Banff Springs. I won't say how much it is, but it is super cheap.

Fairmont Banff Springs.

A roundabout near the Fairmont Banff Springs. Quelle Horreure! The people in this area were running around like crazies. A roundabout! Egad!!

Rails

Banff has blown my cycling weight waaaaay past a mountain-smashing 61kg. I have been into ze toffees, choccies...oh lord, I am in for some recovery training when I return.

Banff Avenue.



I've given up on good coffee until Nelson, or basically until I get home. The Wild Flour which is all organic and stuff (menu looks awesome) was a bit of a let down.

Finally it looks like snow for late this week which should see us with fresh snow in Fernie and maybe even into Whitewater for the last few days.

Tomorrow I get to ride Sunshine with two Aussies who can shred so it should be awesome.

Looks like Tuesday will be either Sunshine again or a down day, with Wednesday off to Fernie.

There are deer roaming around where we are and moose walk around Banff, it's crazy.

Day 15 - Transit Banff/Louise

Lake Louise.



Ouch. My pockets are bleeding from being stabbed to make holes so my money drops out.
$60 for a half-day pass (I knew I should have used their self serve terminals for a youth pass - just kidding...that's FRAUD).

Unbelievable can-do attitude toward robbing me blind. I almost had to go to emergency due to the unbelievable amount of blood I've lost.

$4.00 for crud coffee (though to be fair, that's widespread activity, apart from Nelson, everyone is serving me shyte coffee). In addition to the unbelievably overpriced lift ticket, we couldn't ride the park without a $5 park pass (it's the principal people), which admittedly got us a $5 food voucher, which got you, oh, a pack of M&Ms.

And the snow. Marginal. Icey. Pov. Though to be fair, that's not the resort's fault. I'm just as maaaaad as a cut snake (say in George Bush voice). We bailed quickly and left as it was, as Packy described it, puss.

Minimal photos as I couldn't be bothered, so we bailed to Emerald Lake where Josh has a friend so this means free accom and food tonight then onto Banff (yay) tomorrow.

Banff equals awesome Greek restaurant food, awesome coffee, Banff springs, BUNDY CANS IN THE BOTTLE-O, and most importantly, Vegemite and Tim Tams in the Safeway.

Keeping Aussies happy. It's how Banff rolls.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

These are mountain goats.



Ok, my $23.00 bottle of Bacardi Gold beckons.

Love you mum.

Tim

Day 14 - Kicking Horse

Today after another big sleep, and another bad coffee and bad brekky (Limoncello be warned, the morning after I return and do a 200km ride, you are being hit for free range eggs, mushies, avocado, and 3 delicious coffees) we headed to Kicking Horse.

Whoah.

The place, serviced by 1 gondola, 1 detach and 2 fixed quads (I think I have that right) is simply staggering. There are 2 or 3 main ridges that the lifts (Gondola Golden Eagle Express and Quad Stairway to Heaven) service. So, 2 lifts servicing an enormous amount of terrain.

The views from 2450m at the top of Stairway to Heaven were simply stunning; SW into the Rockies and Northwest down the Columbia Valley.

I have never seen such epic in bounds terrain before. Gnarly chutes that dared you to approach dominated our line of vision everywhere we looked. Cornices, steep chutes, steep tree lines, cliff faces. Just endless epicness. Unbelievable.

Avalanche warnings everywhere, out of bounds and backcountry warnings every which way.
But untouched lines lay just within reach. Hero lines lay untouched between tracked bowls, speaking of the evident avalanche danger, yet I was surprised how easily Josh and I both agreed we would maybe, just maybe, risk it, with a local present.

Had I a little more local knowledge, some hiking would be occuring, but with these bowls and faces all facing the sun and with weak sublayers present through the entire area due to poor base formation earlier on, avalanche potential is currently rated considerable, so common sense must prevail.

Plus Josh's mum has warned me to bring him home.

Here are some photos.











Hard to believe we're looking down into the resort. It's like Europe or something. The scale is staggering.



Some backcountry shots...looking North....(I think it's North)







Park time.
I nailed this the first two tries before Packy got the camera out. Then I got all mung. This is laughing in frustration.

Day 13 - Rocky Mountain High/Wolves

Today was a transit day to Kicking Horse.

We made the decision to bail from Revelstoke due to a paucity of fresh snow and overwhelming presence of ice.

After an average dinner (no decent food in my opinion since Nelson, and probably none until that awesome Greek restaurant in Banff) and good sleep, we awake to a very cold, clear day. The decision was correct.

We got a refund on the that night's accomodation and headed off, I got awesome coffee (Osso Negro from Nelson blend) and awesome sweets and we headed East on the Trans-Canada/#1.

John Denver was onto something.

The Rockies are unbelievable. The photos below barely do credit to the constant visual magic assaulting our eyes. Around each corner was another amazing peak or set of peaks.







Each one towering to the sky, either rocky with pockets of snow, or a towering, glittering and shimmering white peak.

As if competing with its neighbour for attention.

Ski and snowboard tracks were infrequently spotted at the most accessible spots.

We were constantly faced with avalanche signs, and we passed through several tunnels which marked avalanche paths. We could see many slides down some faces; some small, some very, VERY large.
























We got to Roger's pass, which marks the high point on the West-East traverse and is remarkable for the incredible amount of snow at the service station and Glacier National Park visitor's centre there. See the photos below. I've never seen so much snow before.




Most of these photos were taken from the car on the move so you can excuse the imperfection.

And now to the subject below. I. Love. Wolves. They are noble creatures. They are the keystone in the balance of nature. They are treated as a pest when in truth, it is us, the human being, that is the pest. I sometimes think we should be behind the fences, not them. These boys and girls act as ambassadors for their kind were born into activity so are not candidates for release into the wild. They are, except for Tuck (no photos, he was hiding) are all imprinted with humans. That is, they were handled by many humans in their first 6 weeks. These boys are taken on walks (unleashed) in the wild, with small groups, which allows them some modicum of freedom, and allows people to see them in their natural playground as well as take photos, which help spread the word.

If you want to see more, visit www.northernlightswildlife.com/ for more information. The people at this centre are doing good work.

Unfortunately, I did not get to hear the wolves howling in communication, which is probably for the best, as I would have shed a tear, for it is truly a moving, goosebump-raising sound.























Above is a picture of an Aspen (it's what part of Heresy's wood cores are made from) and the Bear Tree - black bear climbed this some time ago. These are the claw marks at the base and its prints extend up to the top...

The valley was closed.

Day 12 - Revelstoke

Revelstoke.

So much mystique surrounds Revelstoke. Even its name evokes mystery. It is the place near where snowboard legend Craig Kelly, despite his experience and mountain knowledge, died in an avalanche.

The place is surrounded my majestic and craggy peaks. Peak after peak of stony, jagged peaks. Commanding attention.

Helicopters constantly circle and jet through the air. Excitement. Ferrying people to untold snowy backcountry riches.

The day was crisp and was a portent to icey conditions. We got to the mountain after I discovered awesome coffee at Modern, who sold Osso Negro which is from Nelson and which has been my favourite so far.

The mountain is a baby in terms of development. Facilities are still rudimentary, the road to the resort is unsealed and in fairly poor condition. Once the new developments start becoming ready for occupancy, these things will need to be rectified. I think the customers, particularly the well-heeled Americans, will demand it. Development is moving apace.

The new day lodge is awesome, with a deck facing I think west to catch the afternoon sun. The new gondola gets you close to the top of Mt Mackenzie rapidly.

We rode down to The Stoke which is another detachable lift (we've had barely any fixed chairs so far, mainly at WH20 and Big White) that whisks you toward the peak.

We rode The Last Spike which apparently is around 15km top to bottom. It was for sure a long run. We did that twice then next time I made Packy hike to the peak.

It was pretty frightening being at the boundary and being confronted by a myriad of warning signs about respecting the backcountry, riding with the appropriate equipment and there is no help if you need it.

The bootpack to the peak with about 10 others was very steep, the air was thin, though not really so thin to cause an issue if you are relatively fit. Some people were struggling with the combination of altitude, walking and steepness of the climb.

We got to the peak and again signs abounded warning of the backcountry risks. A survival hut was present.

Everyone was checking all their gear and there was a real sense of solemnity to it all. Considered seriousness. Lack of frivolity. Some tense smiles present but everyone seemed to just know how serious it all is.

We rode down the inbounds face to the top of the The Stoke lift, and then down again. The variation in runs was fairly considerable, ranging from crisp but giving packed groomed cat tracks, to soft melting spring runs down low (very reminiscent of most Australian sun-facing runs in spring) to hard icey runs which reminded me of early ice runs down Little Buller Spur.

We bailed after 2 hours and with the forecast for the next few days for sunshine only, we regretfully had to leave Revie for Kicking Horse, where we hoped the forecast weekend snow would come.

Some photos below.

Ayres Rock was missing. Ha ha. I'm hilarious.

Day 11 - Silverstar powder/transit Revelstoke

Wow.

I awoke an hour earlier than Chancellor Pack commanded - we've never been ready to early or so quickly as this morning after we witnessed the sight outside.

Heavy snow greeted us; and it is once again pancakes.
Everyone is a little more friendly and helpful at Silverstar. People seem a little less closed off. More talk, smiles.

This is the earliest we've been ready. We head out and are faced by deep, dry Okanagan Valley snow. A local tells me later the day before's snow was drier, but when you're from Australia, this snow is dry. Apparently 25cm of snow, in addition to the 16cm yesterday, however, when I am hiking an untouched bowl later, I am up to my waist. I make that 2 foot at least. The bowl had the same. And I got it first. Unbelievable.

We head down to Comet and I get bogged twice in powder drifts. I head down under Comet and get first tracks.



Josh takes off, and once I get to the lift, he has gone...

Which suits me fine as I ride Comet to the top, and find a blue run, again, untouched.

This face shot was around 1 foot deep.

Just endless. Light was gloomy and supernatural. Just how I like it.

The next few shots are of some first tracks and freshies I got through Spruce Meadow, which I had spotted the day before, whilst sailing past and looking longingly up into their mysterious depths. Glade riding is soulful and transcendent. Especially when you're alone. It's just you, the snow, and the trees. The trees seem to move here and there, welcoming you into the secret depths they maintain in secret from the rest of the world. There are some spots at Hotham that this is particularly true of. I must have done 6 or more runs through here, each time finding a new line. Each time remarkable for the absence of other people. I was content to drift through the quiet world within the forest; blissful as a nature-induced lassitude washed over me, popping through powder turns, the only noise the quiet swoosh of snow moving as I swept through this world, and my own deep breaths and quiet and reflective chuckling and sighs of contentment. The worries of the world half an Earth away disappearing with each turn, with each quad-burning turn.
As I stood for photos I marvelled at the golden light filtering through the stately and graceful pines; light changing like a chameleon from soft white, to ethereal golden-laced and sunlight-dappled early morning translucence. Truly humbling. Swathes of snow fell intermittently from the sky, quickly and seamlessly alternating from heavy to light.


I was alone on this journey and the chance to not talk, and just to "be" was most welcome. The trees cast soft and barely perceptible shadows by the minute as the light changed from leaden grey to soft gold. I felt like I was in a med


All mine.



Over this edge. Awaits clarity. Sense of purpose. Instantaneous existence. No extraneous interruption or thought except that of the very moment you are experience.
Redemption. I don't think I've ever felt so light hearted as I have as when I went over here. A truly soul-deep smile played across my lips. Joy. Ephemeral moments, repeating. Moments that are fractal in nature. Repeated joy. Nirvana.
The photos do not do it justice, but they are etched into my memory as if they were but a moment ago. Locked away for safe keeping. No one can ever take moments like that away.


After I do about my 8th run down this place, constantly finding untouched patches of snowy paradise, I face shot a little too hard (I got addicted very quickly) and cartwheeled once, landed on my tail and stopped for a moment to enjoy the sensation of being covered in snow - a living snowman - and hear "Tiiiiiim!" Packy had heard my crash-induced exultation.
What follows is a short photo-journal of some fun we had. It was a little cold and snowy to set these up properly - more a case of quick set up, snap it, and hope it came out.
Tim hitting; slash to reo. I just made that name up. That's how I roll.



Packy having fun.










Tim busting off a natural hit. Rest of sequence out of focus...

These two made me miss my Zac. Sorry for blurriness, the lense was foggy.


Lense was foggy as we were in an awesome cafe which was the scene of....The World's Best Hot Chocolate! I couldn't pass the chance up, so I had coffee AND chocolate. Packy loved it.

Snow folded back on itself.

Packy getting all arty; photo Pack

Gate in foreground; this is on the Transcanada Highway. The number 1. As in. If this is down, you go no further. That's how much snow they get here. It's how they roll. The drive was stunning. There is so much water and snow around. Scenery just cannot be described in words. I get sleepy so Packy drives. We get to Revelstoke quickly and it's just covered in snow. Snow everywhere. Most houses have around 2ft on the rooves. It's like a metre blanket of snow everywhere and buried underneath are houses. There are cutout pathways and passages to people's front doors. Surreal.

Next few shots are from the lodge at Revelstoke Lodge...looking out across the mountains. A truly humbling experience. I felt tiny. It was exciting to see all the helicopters in the air, ferrying people into the nether regions to go heli-boarding/skiing. Excitement was electric.

Day 10 - Silverstar, the best $45 I have ever spent

Decisions, decisions. After a good sleep, we are faced with a confounding conundrum. Silverstar for arvo powder, or Revelstoke (further away). It is absolutely dumping down in the OK valley - Big White is getting slammed and Silverstar is the same.



Quelle Horreure! What awful circumstances one finds oneself in throughout life.

Imperial Emperor Pack has made the decision to hit Silverstar. Unilateral authoritarianism. It's how he rolls. Like some sort of hegemonic government.

We head off and the drive is easy, probably only 30 mins into Kelowna from Big White then another 30 minutes to Vernon and another 25 minutes up the mountain.

Happily, I find the missing battery. I had a dream about it being in the car, et voila, there it was. Funny old thing, the subconscious.

The drive along the lake is beautiful. Parts of it are frozen - two eagles are perched on the ice near a break in the ice. A fish only needs to swim and it is done. Such is the fragility of life.

The terrain although similar to that approaching Big White is paradoxically and strangely dissimilar. The pines are a lot tighter together, and it reminds me of pictures I have seen of Germany.

It is simply, and stunningly, gorgeous. The simplicity of the beauty; strong vibrant green against the pure, white. It is on a par with a crystal clear ocean against a leaden grey stormy summer sky as you sit on your surfboard watching nature work its incredible magic. Nature never ceases to amaze me. I wonder how many people blithely walk through life unaware at the magic woven around them.



We are upon Silverstar soon and it is a charming village; small, clean and almost quaint in nature. Although it looks manufactured, perhaps it is because of its newness and clean-ness that it appeals so strongly. It could be a Christmas village in Norway, Sweden or Finland.

It is inviting, hospital; it feels homely.



And my goodness there is a LOT of snow. The Samesun Hostel is unbelievable. Perched right on a run, it is clean, well laid out and huge. The entire bottom floor is comprised of 3 separate identical kitchens, there is a fuzzball table, myriad lounges, billiards, table tennis, and large food lockers. The place is a haven in a maelstrom of backpacker accommodation horridness.

We quickly head out into perhaps the best snow I have ever experienced.

And on the 10th Day, God said, "let there be powder".




Guest services in the village are so smilingly helpful; it just makes you react similarly (Australian ski resorts take note!!). We ride down to Comet Express and get tickets. We somehow (legitimately) end up with youth afternoon tickets (Josh informs me they were CAN$44..."and ten cents") - unbelievable value.

What follows defies description. Run after run of dry, deep snow. Face shots - the grail of most snow riders - were bountiful and easily found. Although we are a little late and all the easy-to-reach places are tracked out, rewards are obtained after a little searching.

Tim smashing through a tree.


Pack slash.










Josh's enthusiasm is infectious as he finds tree run after tree run...."that was sick!" followed by giggling. Every run and hit was "sick".

Much caution was thrown to the wind as many "caution" signs were ignored; with outcomes rewarding our flagrancy.

Tim...photo Pack.




It is bone-numbingly cold (on my part anyway) which explains the paucity of photos; apologies.

The snow does not decrease in intensity. Indeed after a few sunny breaks, and foggy breaks, where skiiers and boarders would appear eerily out of the fog of a run, framed by golden sunlight, it starts snowing again heavily.

Imperial Chancellor Pack makes the call for early morning tracks followed by a Revelstoke transit.

We head in, glad to be out of the cold and chill in the hostel's common room. We eat 5, yes, 5, Hershey's Cookies and Cream bars - I have Packy addicted - which also happens to clean the machine out. As we are sitting there, the machine just gets all poker-machine and goes "ding ding ding" and pays out 75c which goes toward our 5th bar.



These people should be out riding.

Day 9 - Big White

After last nights schemozzle we slept in a little and got onto the mountain around 11AM.

Overnight, there had been around another 4cm. It doesn't seem to be stopping for us!

We basically just cruised around all day trying to find untouched stashes of the last remaining powder...we seem to be getting up way too late.



I took some time out to do what my osteo Rayne said to do; take time out and just "be" and experience where I was. And I did. It was lovely. Canada is truly an awe-inspiring place, capable of salving even the deepest dischord and disharmony.

There is a startling difference in the feel of the mountain compared to say a lesser extent Falls and Hotham. It feels like you're on display - constantly being analysed for what you're wearing and how you're riding.

It's rather bemusing actually. Whatever happened to just riding? I think the Nelsonians are onto something.

We ride every lift and the Cliff/Parachute Bowl for me is a highlight. I remember back 6 years ago (!) when Dave and I hiked East Peak on blue ice and horrible wind - terribly frightening - to get freshies down the chutes. Unbelievable. See below, some guys had ignored the avalanche warnings for freshies. Discretion definitely didn't play the best part of valour but look at the payoff.
Following shots are all of the aforementioned area. You can see the slide areas. Dangerous, but worth it.









Packy looking at East Peak, well, it looks like he has some longing in him. Not worth the hike for the "short" ride, eh, Mr Pack? Hmmmm.


We have dinner with Mexi and Hayree et al and I get awesome salmon and vegies and we bomb for an early night with some much needed sleep.

My only query for the greater universe is why do people smell? Why don't they exhibit some sort of cleanliness, particularly when rooming in close proximity to others.

Gee I am missing good Limoncello coffee and avocado and riding my bike and running and salt water but my Lord we are having fun.

Day 8 - Big White

We slowly awake and Packy gets all can-do and makes pancake mix. We have awesome pancakes and head up to Hayree's and Mexi's. I wax my new board which is lighter than air; yes, it's like helium but is way more shredtastic. I am pretty stoked on this board. We head out and straight away the board is AMAZING. It is light, heaps of pop, sucks up chatter (this is due to a 100% wood core plus wood sidewalls) - I am spinning much easier and popping much higher. Stoked.

There has been about 5cm overnight, although we estimate at the top there has been around 10cm or so. It is cold with the wind and starts snowing around lunch - heavily. Mexi and Hayley take us through some powder stashes. I remember now why I liked Big White so much. There is so much natural terrain to hit. Hips and drops everywhere. Trees. Glades. Constantly using the terrain nature has given us. Epic mountain.

We don't take too many photos today as it is simply too cold. The batteries would fail almost immediately and my hands would get collllddddd. Still, Packy got some shots. See below.


Hayley (hayleymei.blogspot.com) thinks it's funny to cover me in snow.

I get revenge by ripping and shredding. Bananas!



Whassup.

Time to rip. And shred. Like Tommy Lee. Bananas.






We do run after run of powder and chutes and bowls and trees. Packy is like a kid and thinks riding like a lunatic is the Best Thing Ever. I almost get axed at least three times by him and we all nearly hit each other as one person appears out of the trees near another. Good times. I get a compliment from a random lady on my board design.

There are a fair few people on the mountain but we hit Powder Chair and Gem Lake and don't have a lift line. The biggest lift line is at Black Forest (which gets stickered :) ) and even then it is a short wait. Heresy stickers start appearing.

We stop quickly for a coffee - the food is good, but not on the level of Whitewater.

The village has changed a little since I was here in 2002; the old Samesun that Dave and I stayed at was torn down and replaced by units (aka condos).
The development reflects what is happening at Red/Rossland and at Apex. Condos go for about $400k and this to me seems a reasonable price.

The snow thickens and we're like kids. Everyone hooting and smacking every stash we can find. There is a serious lack of people where we are, as we find hit after hit of new terrain. About the only thing holding us back is the bone-seeping cold wind. I now remember how cold it really is here.

I gain confidence in the board and I realise just what Pat and Packy were going on about. ABS is old technology. Packy and I continue to tweak ideas for the 2008 board designs and settle on two. These will be revealed shortly.

We head in around 3.30PM and spa up, dinner up, and have an early dinner.

I work out that it's my media card reader that's wiped Josh's XD media card....I just put it in the reader and it wipes the content. We can recover though luckily through the camera.

We have home made pasta and vegies and I get to sleep at 12AM....
....only to wake at 12.02AM when some loud clowns (I shall hold back the words I actually want to use) are up and down the hall for THREE HOURS, including being in our room. THEN, at 4AM, 4 dudes come in, one of whom is in a wheelchair. He is completely drunk. His friend rolls him in, leaves him, then wheelchair dude - let's call him Paul - vomits all over himself and into his own mouth. I call his "friend" back in and he then wheels him out. I get 1.5 hours sleep until they roll back in and I have to endure 3 more hours of noise and carry on.

As they are leaving, Paul apologises but all I can give him is a "rrrrright". He seems genuinely sorry but dude you're in a dorm. Display some responsibility. His mates are equally to blame. As far as I am concerned, I don't care who you are, that kind of behaviour is just not on when you're putting four other people right out. There was another couple from the UK who were also made to feel completely uncomfortable.

Not happy Jan.

Day 7 - Apex/transit Big White

After another good sleep, and after realising that I had lost one of my camera batteries (which is Super Bad as they die in the cold really quickly, plus it's not mine...don't worry Griffo I'm getting anothery tomorrow), we got tickets and headed up.





Apex is pretty steep, luckily they had some fresh snow so the groomers were really nice and steep. We could really lay it over and spray some snow up.
Packy is like a kid; ANYTIME I am stopped he comes down and sprays me. We got some nice photos. The wind has come up, the skies are the gorgeous alternating sky-blue but filled with leaden grey clouds scudding across the sky with the wind. It is much colder.


Tim laying one down, photo Packy




















We ran a bunch of stickers around the resort.


I am still riding my 156 Heresy from 2002 (one of the very first boards ever made) and it still rides well but is hard to spin.

Both of us are starting to wind up our riding with much quicker spins than what we do at home and hitting a lot more terrain, a lot harder.

There are only really two or three lifts servicing the mountain, but these lifts allow access to most of the terrain via a network of criss-cossing cat-tracks through the main runs.

There has been a lot of development at this place with condos springing up everywhere - the same thing is occurring at Rossland and Red. So, despite the concerns we have over global climate change at home, and how this pertains to and affects how we consider investment in Australian snow resorts, the Canadians, and Americans, seem to be obliviously investing in these areas. Having said that, a unit in Red or Rossland or Nelson would be incredible.
Also, the summer seasons at these places are even more busy than winter. So, a place like Nelson, with its proximity to an epic snow resort, as well as sitting on a lake, presents a very attractive picture.

We head over to Apex's park, which is as crazy as Red's, probably a little bit steeper and more expert. We head over to the park and I reeled off a few shots of Packy on the Hero Box.


I climb up to have a go as I love hitting box, Hero Boxes in particular. Fortunately I have the only battery, because I go for my standard opening gangster noseslide nosegrab and hit a big burr and go straight over on the box, smack my head, smack my knee cap and ride out. To Packy's screaming with laughter. I almost vomit from the pain and Packy is, in between laughing, asking if I am ok... hmmmm. Anyway, again fortunately, it's time to go, so we pack up and head off.

Puppy says bye bye. Not very cheerily though.


Packy shotguns driving, which makes me apprehensive as I've driven a lot in dark, icey snow conditions and Packy just does burnouts in his V8 SS ute all the time. Hitting a pothole as he wanders off the road again, giggling and chuckling, doesn't really do much to engender more optimism and confidence.

After leaving getting lost (again) in Penticton (I was wrong, Packy was right), we head off on the lakeside drive to Kelowna. Busy, busy road, and Packy does well. The lake that Penticton resides on goes all the way around to Vernon. It is absolutely gigantic. I have never seen so much water. I think the lake must be at least 100km long just winding its way through the OK (Okanagan) valley.


It is a pretty scenic drive, although the distance from the actual ocean would drive me insane. It makes me realise Australia is probably the ideal country to live in. Awesome food, awesome beaches, awesome coffee, awesome weather, awesome lifestyle, beaches.

We get through Kelowna and up to Big White to the hostel. Now I remember what I don't like about hostels. Or at least, shared dorms.
We dump our stuff and head up to Monashee to see Hayley, Mexi, Trav and Daz. Daz is sick, and has been since they arrived. We go to Sam's for dinner which brings back some funny memories (this means you Dave). It's a pretty funny vibe, everyone just eyeing each other off. Canucks lose to Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime and we head home. My awesome sleep is interrupted by a 2AM return and subsequent instantaneous snoring. Packy sleeps through it. Nevertheless, the sleep is good.

Day 6 - Whitewater/transit Apex

After perhaps two too many Bacardis the night before, we packed up and headed up to pick Phil and Dallas up for one last roll at WH20.
We were told that some fresh snow had fallen thus our lack of haste was rather perplexing. We were only really having a morning spin as we were still waiting for my board - I had to pay CAN$60 in Customs/import duty which was most rude - before leaving for Apex.

We had a few really nice runs - there was maybe 2 inches of fresh dry Kootenay snow. Well it seemed dry to us, although these Nelsonians seem to have a propensity to think anything less than a foot of fresh isn't any good. Spoilt is what we think. The food in Whitewater Lodge is delicious. Wholesome, cheap food - like eating at Soul Mamma's (Google it) at home. The Ymir (Why-mer) bowl is an awesome coconut curry for only CAN$6.00. It was worth the three hours riding just for this. Everyone raves on about it. I tasted Dallas' and it was most salubrious in nature.

Highlight of the day for me was having the co-owner of Whitewater go past Josh asking how the photo shoot was going, and telling him how good he looked, and as he replied cheekily "thanks, so do you", having her add about him "....but not as good as in a bathrobe". Yikes!

Tim, photo Packy

Phil, photo Packy

Tim, photo Packy


The board finally arrived - see picture below - this is a preview of one of the production designs for 2008. Some minor aesthetic tweaks required...



We got away a little later than I'd have liked which meant dusk driving. Normally this would be ok but given the poor headlights on the minivan, and given the presence of moose and deer, I'd have preferred a mid-day drive. The photographic opportunities in a day-time drive also made this option more attractive, so we resolved to day time transit where possible.

After getting lost just trying to get out of Nelson - the road signage in this country is a nightmare sometimes (very ambiguous) - we finally got on the road. It was touch and go for a second as we got more lost my instinct took over then all of a sudden I was driving on the LHS of the road. Josh thought this was hilarious.

Out of Nelson is a summer spot called Lake Christina - photo below - which was semi frozen and just amazing. After the offensiveness of the copper smelter in Trail, it was nice to see man residing quietly in this unspoilt area. I really must mention the poor road signage that we take for granted. The road-side poles (the short ones that hold reflectors) are not present here. There are no cats eyes. This makes night time driving pretty sketchy. Numerous times I had to put the brakes on hard when the lights from oncoming vehicles literally blinded me.



After a very windy (wine-dy) drive, and two deer sightings (no photos), we came over a range to a sky lit up by the town of Osoyoos, which resides on a lake and was a pretty big town. Massive actually.

We finally arrived at Penticton and I realised I had no idea where Apex. And silly old me thought that maybe there'd be some signs in town. We stopped at a servo, where the attendant had no idea what Apex even was. It's only a major ski resort outside town. A little too can't-do from Mr Servo Attendent. After purchasing The Most Expensive ice-cream ever (a delicious Haagen-Dasz vanilla/almond concoction), we stumbled across a sign and proceeded onto the most pov-##sed road (I'm currently typing this between Penticton and Kelowna and Packy's driving, Packy's mum, you need to have a word to him about it. He's waaaaay too relaxed about it) heading into the hills. It was like a scene from Psycho or The Shining or something. Dark, winding road, no light poles, no road poles, no road markings; no nothing. Packy was having kittens over the lack of snow, I lost count of the number of times I heard "Hmmm, I'm really worried about the lack of snow".

We eventually hit the snow line and soon after came around a bend to a fairy light-lit snow village (similar to Big White, but much smaller). It was a bit weird actually. The town is like something out of a modern snow village super-imposed over a wild-west feel. Names like Gunbarrel Saloon, Winchester etc etc. We rolled past a Mountain Spa and Hotel and found our place - right in the heart of the village. We parked directly outside our place, unloaded and sat in the lounge to sort through the photos from Red.

It was a bit of a culture shock going from the cruisy, real mountaineer-like feel at Nelson and Whitewater, to the loud, drunken obnoxiousness of the hostel. Three guys in particular were very mouthy and just carrying on. One in particular wouldn't shut up about how boring Apex was, and how in Whistler there's this party and that party every night. At this point I had to get involved - "well, why are you here then?". "Because in Whistler I was into some bad stuff (this conveniently ignored the fact he'd been rabbiting on about the drugs he did last night) and that stuff isn't here." To which Packy and I both retorted, "well isn't it good you're here then?" He couldn't see the circularity in his argument. He still replied it was boring, and I said, well leave then. Some people can be rather dense.

We hit bed about midnight and slept really well.