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.