Well this will be the final post from Silverstar....so pretty well the last post ever for this blog.
Agata is already back in Southern Ontario and still hasn't left Cody out of her sight. Me, I leave here at 3:30am tomorrow morning. Why so early when my flight is at 10:25? That's the only airport shuttle leaving on Wednesday. It's annoying.
But I will see everyone soon! Thank you all for reading this blog and I hope you enjoyed it.
Mike
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Very eventful
Quite a lot has happened since I last posted. Well.....nothing HUGE, I've just done a lot of things. We're well into spring skiing now so we have the wet snow every now and then, which is actually fun to ski. The snow here really doesn't get nasty like back in Ontario...it just gets a bit heavy. It's still great fun. Agata, Bronwyn (friend of ours), and I decided to hike out to Alder Point. If you look at the trail map for Siverstar, look on the far, far right. Follow Eldorado until you see "Alder Point Access". It's a nordic trail that we skate/walk/hike for about 15-20min until we get to the double-black diamond run of alder point. It's quite steep and long and was absolutely fantastic. The cool part is that you get a great view of the backside of the mountain. For instance:
Here is the view from the top of Alder Point. You are looking at the back bowl area. The runs going from right-to-left are Free-Fall, White Elephant, Bon-Diablo, Spirit Bowl, and Holy Smokes.
This is a great picture from the top of Alder point of the whole back bowl area. That is the junction of Eldorado, The Rush, Black Pine, Here's Joe, Where's Bob, Stardust, Kirkenhiemer, Freefall, and White Elephant. 
Here's the same picture, but with me in it......I just make it that much better!
And here's a picture of Aggie and I. Again you can see the back bowl and Bon Diablo, etc...
Here's the group picture from the top of Alder Point. That's Me, Bronwyn, and Agata. We had a random Nordic skier take the picture for us.
When we got to the bottom, we stopped to chat with our friends running the Powder Gulch. You see, it was "Beach Day" at Silverstar and everyone was encouraged to dress beach-like. My friend Paul.....took it pretty well as far as a family resort can go...a speedo and boots.....that's it.
I decided to show off the goods...
That night was a big party for beach day and we all dressed up Beach-like. I just wore board shorts and a tank top....no speedos.
Next big event was when I decided to weigh myself. When I came here I was around 195lbs(89kg). Well, when I weighed myself a week ago I came in at 175lbs(79kg)...yep, I lost 20lbs. I guess standing outside in the cold, shoveling, raking, lifting, pulling, etc... then skiing on your days off does burn a lot of calories.
Now REALLY a big event. We are hosting the K2 National skiing championships. This is a big big deal as the winners go to the world cup (Whistler Cup). They are racing down Gypsy Queen and Bucked Off to the bottom of my lift. For those of you that skied Gypsy Queen you might remember the big mound of snow at the top, as that is the starting point. The ages of the people racing are 14-16 so it is young kids. But man....do they haul ass. They are racing Super-G and Slalom. So there are announcers, people everywhere, music (yay!!!), and all sorts of activity. I saw some serious crashes too. It's sponsered mostly by President's Choice so I've been getting hot apple cider, hot soup etc... delivered to me!
Today we had a nice powder day so winter still isn't over since we're still getting 15cm of snow. Also, as I type this Agata is going on a ride in the Winch-Cat. That's the groomers that groom the black diamond runs. They have a special winch on them that helps control their ascent/descent. Because the runs are so steep, the groomers need that to prevent them from sliding down the hill and wrecking the run. You will see pictures from that no doubt.
Oh, my good buddy Scott went down to Vernon and got a tattoo that he's always wanted. It was his first tattoo.....and, well here it is.
It's a massive dragon pearched on top of the earth with "Carpe Diem" on its wings. It is very detailed and quite impressive. It took 5 hours...STRAIGHT. He sat there for 5 hours and didn't complain at all. They only stopped for 5 minutes because the tattoo guy had to eat something. It cost $750, which was less than Scott thought it would be. I went there with him and I spent most of the time walking around downtown Vernon. I checked in every now and then to see how he was doing.
Well, that's all I can really think of right now. I'm sure you'll be getting another post soon from Agata about her Winch-Cat ride.
See you all soon!!!
Mike
Here is the view from the top of Alder Point. You are looking at the back bowl area. The runs going from right-to-left are Free-Fall, White Elephant, Bon-Diablo, Spirit Bowl, and Holy Smokes.
This is a great picture from the top of Alder point of the whole back bowl area. That is the junction of Eldorado, The Rush, Black Pine, Here's Joe, Where's Bob, Stardust, Kirkenhiemer, Freefall, and White Elephant. 
Here's the same picture, but with me in it......I just make it that much better!
And here's a picture of Aggie and I. Again you can see the back bowl and Bon Diablo, etc...
Here's the group picture from the top of Alder Point. That's Me, Bronwyn, and Agata. We had a random Nordic skier take the picture for us.
When we got to the bottom, we stopped to chat with our friends running the Powder Gulch. You see, it was "Beach Day" at Silverstar and everyone was encouraged to dress beach-like. My friend Paul.....took it pretty well as far as a family resort can go...a speedo and boots.....that's it.
I decided to show off the goods...
That night was a big party for beach day and we all dressed up Beach-like. I just wore board shorts and a tank top....no speedos.
Next big event was when I decided to weigh myself. When I came here I was around 195lbs(89kg). Well, when I weighed myself a week ago I came in at 175lbs(79kg)...yep, I lost 20lbs. I guess standing outside in the cold, shoveling, raking, lifting, pulling, etc... then skiing on your days off does burn a lot of calories.
Now REALLY a big event. We are hosting the K2 National skiing championships. This is a big big deal as the winners go to the world cup (Whistler Cup). They are racing down Gypsy Queen and Bucked Off to the bottom of my lift. For those of you that skied Gypsy Queen you might remember the big mound of snow at the top, as that is the starting point. The ages of the people racing are 14-16 so it is young kids. But man....do they haul ass. They are racing Super-G and Slalom. So there are announcers, people everywhere, music (yay!!!), and all sorts of activity. I saw some serious crashes too. It's sponsered mostly by President's Choice so I've been getting hot apple cider, hot soup etc... delivered to me!
Today we had a nice powder day so winter still isn't over since we're still getting 15cm of snow. Also, as I type this Agata is going on a ride in the Winch-Cat. That's the groomers that groom the black diamond runs. They have a special winch on them that helps control their ascent/descent. Because the runs are so steep, the groomers need that to prevent them from sliding down the hill and wrecking the run. You will see pictures from that no doubt.
Oh, my good buddy Scott went down to Vernon and got a tattoo that he's always wanted. It was his first tattoo.....and, well here it is.
It's a massive dragon pearched on top of the earth with "Carpe Diem" on its wings. It is very detailed and quite impressive. It took 5 hours...STRAIGHT. He sat there for 5 hours and didn't complain at all. They only stopped for 5 minutes because the tattoo guy had to eat something. It cost $750, which was less than Scott thought it would be. I went there with him and I spent most of the time walking around downtown Vernon. I checked in every now and then to see how he was doing.Well, that's all I can really think of right now. I'm sure you'll be getting another post soon from Agata about her Winch-Cat ride.
See you all soon!!!
Mike
Thursday, March 19, 2009
My ride to work!
There are two posts today!
I finally got my skidoo ride to work on youtube! Here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plNrJsg_BiA
I originally started recording when I got onto the sled, but it didn't start for some reason. So it starts just after I picked up my liftie.
Enjoy!
Mike
I finally got my skidoo ride to work on youtube! Here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plNrJsg_BiA
I originally started recording when I got onto the sled, but it didn't start for some reason. So it starts just after I picked up my liftie.
Enjoy!
Mike
The end is near
Well, we now know when we are coming home. I will be flying home (where home=Toronto...for now) on April 15th since I work right to the end of the season. Agata, however is coming home (home=Toronto) on April 8th. She was able to swing the earlier date and can go see her family, friends, and of course Cody! Now that we have the dates set, we're getting excited about coming home. We'll be hanging around Waterloo/Toronto for the first while visiting family/friends....all the while never getting further than 20ft from Cody.
I'll be heading up to Temiskaming Shores (formerly known as New Liskeard/Haileybury/Dymond Township), around April 24th for my cousin's wedding. After which I'll be coming back down to Waterloo to pack up my stuff because I have a new job! My job is back up in Temiskaming Shores working for Three-H! This is something I've wanted for quite some time and I am very excited about this new position.
and these two men are Guy and Simon when we were out celebrating. Our good friend Scott just passed his Level 1 Snowboard Instructor's exam so we went out for a "few" drinks.
Here's a bunch of us at the top of the comet as we're heading to the terrain park.
I'll get the terrain park pictures up soon....I just have to get them from Simon first...
If there are any requests for videos or pictures, let me know in the comments section. I'll then see what I can do.
See you soon!!
Mike and Agata
I'll be heading up to Temiskaming Shores (formerly known as New Liskeard/Haileybury/Dymond Township), around April 24th for my cousin's wedding. After which I'll be coming back down to Waterloo to pack up my stuff because I have a new job! My job is back up in Temiskaming Shores working for Three-H! This is something I've wanted for quite some time and I am very excited about this new position.
Agata will be staying down in Waterloo to study for her CA exams for a few months. She has applied to Teacher's College and we're waiting to hear back from them. Depending on the outcome of that, she may be going to College in September. We'll be apart for a while but really, we were apart for 7 months while she was in FRANCE so I think we can handle being apart while she's still in the same Province.
But, until then I still have a job and skiing to do. I have some nice pictures of Agata and I in the terrain park to put up, I just have to wait until the photographer gets me the pictures.....until then here is a picture of me in some stylin' goggles!
and these two men are Guy and Simon when we were out celebrating. Our good friend Scott just passed his Level 1 Snowboard Instructor's exam so we went out for a "few" drinks.
Here's a bunch of us at the top of the comet as we're heading to the terrain park.
I'll get the terrain park pictures up soon....I just have to get them from Simon first...If there are any requests for videos or pictures, let me know in the comments section. I'll then see what I can do.
See you soon!!
Mike and Agata
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My other job...
Sorry... again for the lack of posting lately. This one is really late, but pretty cool.
A few weeks ago, Mike was sick, and I was bored....
So what does one do when one is bored here at Silverstar?.
We couldn't beathe much in these suits... they tell me breatheing is over rated.
Here I am helping Jeff get into his fat suit
and we are ready for ACTION! (left)
Jeff, Mike and Agata: the Hockey stars. My best position was goalie.
We went tubeing with all the little kids. A literal welcome breath of fresh air into the mouths of our Silverfox and Frosty suits.
All in all, the night was heaps of fun. I recommend every one get into a big fat suit and go tubeing, skating, and climbing at least once in their lives. Having said that, I don't think I'll ever do that again...
A few weeks ago, Mike was sick, and I was bored....
So what does one do when one is bored here at Silverstar?.
We couldn't beathe much in these suits... they tell me breatheing is over rated.
Here I am helping Jeff get into his fat suit
and we are ready for ACTION! (left)
Jeff, Mike and Agata: the Hockey stars. My best position was goalie.
We went tubeing with all the little kids. A literal welcome breath of fresh air into the mouths of our Silverfox and Frosty suits.
All in all, the night was heaps of fun. I recommend every one get into a big fat suit and go tubeing, skating, and climbing at least once in their lives. Having said that, I don't think I'll ever do that again...
A lot to cover
Well, I haven't posted anything in a long time. I'm sorry for those who check this blog every day and have been consistently disappointed every time. I guess since I had family visiting for a week I decided that I didn't have to post. However, that's not fair to the others who weren't here. So....
First off, here is a short video of a hard day's work down at the bottom of the powder gulch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKUGRwWc1Uo
Yep, we built a jump. Even a ski patroller hit it with us! There is now another jump that requires me to tow them in by skidoo. We have a tow-rope on the back of the sled, they hang on, I go up to 50kph, and they let go and hit the jump. It's fun....
When I had my Mom, Dad, Andrea, Randy, Oma, Opa, Uncle Brian, Tante Barbel, Uncle Karl, Dorreen, and Nick visit we had great weather. Around -5C, sunny skies, and great snow. It seemed that everyone had a great time and enjoyed what the resort had to offer. I really enjoyed the accommodations everyone had, especially at the Snowbird lodge. From my parent's hot tub on the balcony we could watch skiers and snowboarders go by on the summit lift with the mountains in the background. The room itself was fantastic......all except for the bedframes. You see, the feet for the bedframe stick out really far from the rest of the bed and many people ended up stubbing their toes on them. My mom, in particular, bent her little toe sideways which made skiing a little difficult. But, besides all that it was some of the best accommodations I've ever seen.
The skiing was great and the snow was well groomed. Everyone enjoyed the runs and even Andrea, Randy, Nick, and Agata took a 3 hour lesson with everyone's favorite instructor: Spike! Spike still asks about everyone and says hello!
I think the favorite runs were Sunny Ridge, Gypsy Queen, Exhibition, Big Dipper, Far Out, Whiskey Jack, BX Express....there are a lot of favorite runs.
Friday night we took a ride in a groomer, designed for carrying passengers, up to Paradise Camp on the top/backside of the mountain for dinner. That was a great night with great, great food. We met a Finnish freelance reporter here on assignment to report on Big White, Silverstar, and Whistler. She had dinner with us and also came back to our place for drinks afterwards. Neet little piece of information.....she is on the Finnish Olympic Skeleton race team!! You know, Skeleton is the sport where they slide face first down a steep ice chute on a sleigh...crazy people.
It was also my Dad's birthday on the Sunday so we went out to the Den for dinner with everyone and had a great time.
Also during this time we had other visitors. Phillip Dilts and his girlfriend Tatiana! They came to see us and skied for the first time! They were great fun and we enjoyed having them here.
A lot more happened, but those are the highlights. If you want more, let me know.
When everyone left it was back to work. Eventually, Agata and I took a day trip to Big White since she's never been there. It was just after they got 16cm of powder but it was really really windy. Both the Gem Lake Express and Falcon Chair were closed due to wind. But in the trees it was great fun. Back at Silverstar we got another warm spell and it actually rained down at the bottom of my lift......yeech... But then a few days later it got colder and snowed like nobody's business. That was a fun powder day too.
I filmed a "my ride to work" with my helmet cam, got it edited.....but it's too big for me to upload. It said it would take 300 minutes and the timer just got longer and longer. The internet here is very slow.....I'll keep trying though. But here are some pictures from my ride to work at the intersection of Aunt Gladys and Wee Willie.
And here is a picture from the top of the Comet
And here is a picture of me as a judge for SilverStar Idol!! Same as Canadian Idol but...Silverstar. I know......I can't sing so why am I a judge? Didn't care really since judges get free drinks!!
As for today, Agata skied her first Double-Black diamond runs! Rusty Whistle and Doognog. She did very well!!
I'll keep trying with the "ride to work" video...
Again sorry about the long blogging wait.
Oh ya, We'll be coming home around April 15th.
Bye for now!
Mike and Agata.
First off, here is a short video of a hard day's work down at the bottom of the powder gulch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKUGRwWc1Uo
Yep, we built a jump. Even a ski patroller hit it with us! There is now another jump that requires me to tow them in by skidoo. We have a tow-rope on the back of the sled, they hang on, I go up to 50kph, and they let go and hit the jump. It's fun....
When I had my Mom, Dad, Andrea, Randy, Oma, Opa, Uncle Brian, Tante Barbel, Uncle Karl, Dorreen, and Nick visit we had great weather. Around -5C, sunny skies, and great snow. It seemed that everyone had a great time and enjoyed what the resort had to offer. I really enjoyed the accommodations everyone had, especially at the Snowbird lodge. From my parent's hot tub on the balcony we could watch skiers and snowboarders go by on the summit lift with the mountains in the background. The room itself was fantastic......all except for the bedframes. You see, the feet for the bedframe stick out really far from the rest of the bed and many people ended up stubbing their toes on them. My mom, in particular, bent her little toe sideways which made skiing a little difficult. But, besides all that it was some of the best accommodations I've ever seen.
The skiing was great and the snow was well groomed. Everyone enjoyed the runs and even Andrea, Randy, Nick, and Agata took a 3 hour lesson with everyone's favorite instructor: Spike! Spike still asks about everyone and says hello!
I think the favorite runs were Sunny Ridge, Gypsy Queen, Exhibition, Big Dipper, Far Out, Whiskey Jack, BX Express....there are a lot of favorite runs.
Friday night we took a ride in a groomer, designed for carrying passengers, up to Paradise Camp on the top/backside of the mountain for dinner. That was a great night with great, great food. We met a Finnish freelance reporter here on assignment to report on Big White, Silverstar, and Whistler. She had dinner with us and also came back to our place for drinks afterwards. Neet little piece of information.....she is on the Finnish Olympic Skeleton race team!! You know, Skeleton is the sport where they slide face first down a steep ice chute on a sleigh...crazy people.
It was also my Dad's birthday on the Sunday so we went out to the Den for dinner with everyone and had a great time.
Also during this time we had other visitors. Phillip Dilts and his girlfriend Tatiana! They came to see us and skied for the first time! They were great fun and we enjoyed having them here.
A lot more happened, but those are the highlights. If you want more, let me know.
When everyone left it was back to work. Eventually, Agata and I took a day trip to Big White since she's never been there. It was just after they got 16cm of powder but it was really really windy. Both the Gem Lake Express and Falcon Chair were closed due to wind. But in the trees it was great fun. Back at Silverstar we got another warm spell and it actually rained down at the bottom of my lift......yeech... But then a few days later it got colder and snowed like nobody's business. That was a fun powder day too.
I filmed a "my ride to work" with my helmet cam, got it edited.....but it's too big for me to upload. It said it would take 300 minutes and the timer just got longer and longer. The internet here is very slow.....I'll keep trying though. But here are some pictures from my ride to work at the intersection of Aunt Gladys and Wee Willie.
And here is a picture from the top of the Comet
And here is a picture of me as a judge for SilverStar Idol!! Same as Canadian Idol but...Silverstar. I know......I can't sing so why am I a judge? Didn't care really since judges get free drinks!!
As for today, Agata skied her first Double-Black diamond runs! Rusty Whistle and Doognog. She did very well!!I'll keep trying with the "ride to work" video...
Again sorry about the long blogging wait.
Oh ya, We'll be coming home around April 15th.
Bye for now!
Mike and Agata.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
This time it's about me!
Aggie and I went out and took some footage of me skiing this time. We got some decent footage but without a proper video camera it's difficult, since with still cameras you can't zoom in/out while filming (at least mine can't). We also tried having Aggie film me while skiing down the hill beside me, like I did in her video, but it didn't work out very well.
We'll borrow one of our friend's video cameras and try it again later. Being able to zoom in would help a lot.
Here's my video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl1hh0W779Y
We'll take more footage and post it as we get it!
See most of you soon!
Mike
We'll borrow one of our friend's video cameras and try it again later. Being able to zoom in would help a lot.
Here's my video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl1hh0W779Y
We'll take more footage and post it as we get it!
See most of you soon!
Mike
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
All about Aggie
Ok, I've put together a skiing video all about Agata. It illustrates her skiing improvement during her time here at Silverstar, a kind of Before and After. All aspects of her technique have improved, I'm very impressed..
Here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGR86vMzWVA
We've been getting videos of our dog Cody, generously uploaded to us by Agata's Sister, Joanna, Agata's Brother-inlaw, John, and our best friend, Kevin. However, we have now been blackmailed. If we don't upload any videos of us skiing, they will stop uploading videos of Cody. So you'll see more videos very very soon. We were always going to put up more videos, this just gives us an...incentive to do it quicker.
Enjoy!!
Here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGR86vMzWVA
We've been getting videos of our dog Cody, generously uploaded to us by Agata's Sister, Joanna, Agata's Brother-inlaw, John, and our best friend, Kevin. However, we have now been blackmailed. If we don't upload any videos of us skiing, they will stop uploading videos of Cody. So you'll see more videos very very soon. We were always going to put up more videos, this just gives us an...incentive to do it quicker.
Enjoy!!
Long overdue
Sorry guys, I haven't posted much in a while. Here are the highlights:
We got more snow, finally. We got another 25cm in 18hrs to give our base a much needed boost. I was working during the powder day of course.... But I can't complain because the next day was great on the groomers; nice fresh groomed snow....
For the last while, the day spa here on the hill has had a 50% off for staff sale. I went and had a 75 minute long aromatherapy massage. It was quite nice and relaxing. They have stuff like a loofa and leaf wrap massage and crazy hot rock massages..... I decided to go a bit more simple.
I'm working on another video illustrating the progress Agata's skiing has made. It's quite impressive.
I'm currently sick with some kind of flu so I have lots of time to work on videos and pictures. You'll have another post by tomorrow!
Bye for now,
Mike
We got more snow, finally. We got another 25cm in 18hrs to give our base a much needed boost. I was working during the powder day of course.... But I can't complain because the next day was great on the groomers; nice fresh groomed snow....
For the last while, the day spa here on the hill has had a 50% off for staff sale. I went and had a 75 minute long aromatherapy massage. It was quite nice and relaxing. They have stuff like a loofa and leaf wrap massage and crazy hot rock massages..... I decided to go a bit more simple.
I'm working on another video illustrating the progress Agata's skiing has made. It's quite impressive.
I'm currently sick with some kind of flu so I have lots of time to work on videos and pictures. You'll have another post by tomorrow!
Bye for now,
Mike
Thursday, January 22, 2009
We need snow again
Yep, we are in need of snow again. Well, we still have a 155cm base but we lost about 40cm of snow during the warm spell we had during the past 2 weeks. Yeah...when you were having the -30°C weather we were having sunny and +7°C.... It made a fantastic base, nice and solid, but the snow is pretty beat up now and the groomers are doing all they can to make it smooth. Some new snow would be very beneficial. That system that was pushing all the snow away from us is finally leaving so I'm very confident we'll have big dumps of snow by next week....lots for when everyone comes in February!!
I took more lessons and I've learned that I have to improve my "angulation". It's hard to explain over....blog...and easy to explain in person but it involves the proper use of your edges. It's actually a challenge but when I get it right it makes the turns so easy and enjoyable.
We're getting new roommates since our old ones moved out to their own condo with friends. Agata and I are now doing the same and have a few good places to look at. One is right above the Silver Woods lift and is quite nice. We're just waiting to hear back on availability and price. It will be nice to have our own space, have it a bit quieter, and have the ability to have friends sleep over.
I have a lot of great pictures to post, but I have to get them off my camera and onto this blog. I'll also be making a "my drive to work" video since the view on my ski-doo ride down is fantastic with the mountains, sunrise, and inversions.
Oh ya, I got employee of the month for December (lift operations). Yay!
Maciek, we hope you feel better soon!
Mike and Agata
I took more lessons and I've learned that I have to improve my "angulation". It's hard to explain over....blog...and easy to explain in person but it involves the proper use of your edges. It's actually a challenge but when I get it right it makes the turns so easy and enjoyable.
We're getting new roommates since our old ones moved out to their own condo with friends. Agata and I are now doing the same and have a few good places to look at. One is right above the Silver Woods lift and is quite nice. We're just waiting to hear back on availability and price. It will be nice to have our own space, have it a bit quieter, and have the ability to have friends sleep over.
I have a lot of great pictures to post, but I have to get them off my camera and onto this blog. I'll also be making a "my drive to work" video since the view on my ski-doo ride down is fantastic with the mountains, sunrise, and inversions.
Oh ya, I got employee of the month for December (lift operations). Yay!
Maciek, we hope you feel better soon!
Mike and Agata
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A couple of things
Firstly, we FINALLY have rented our house! A couple of young professionals have rented the whole house (top part and bottom) starting....tomorrow the 15th. This is great news considering for the last two months we've been paying mortgage on a house we aren't even using. We have it rented for $2100/month, utilities included. That will cover our mortgage and half of the insurance but the utilities will be on us. Yeah, I'm not that happy with it either but considering the market it's actually not that bad. It's also better than paying $2000+ a month for absolutely nothing. While we're away from the house Agata's family will be the "landlords" if anything goes wrong. That is very much appreciated and helps us out a lot. I'll owe a few people a couple bottles of nice Polish Vodka when I get back...
I've been taking lessons during my time here. As staff, we get FREE (yep... the kind that costs us nothing) group lessons. So I've been taking Level 6 (expert level) lessons and there has always been a max of 4 people in the group so it's pretty well a semi-private lesson. I've learned a LOT and my technique has already improved.
We had our friend Jason from Ontario visit for the weekend and it was great. We spend Saturday catching up and sampling the local beers and drinks. Sunday was purely skiing and Jason improved a LOT. By the end he was going down difficult blues and he looked much better; I was quite impressed. It was a short visit but we really had fun.
My next visitors are my family! I can't wait for everyone to get here! I'm making a list of runs to show everyone. If anyone else wants to come and visit, you are very welcome. Unfortunately, we can't have people stay at our place. It's annoying really, considering how much room we have. We're thinking of finding our own place somewhere on the mountain where it's REALLY our place instead of staff accommodation. We'll keep you up to date on that.
Well, that's it for now. Talk to everyone soon!!
Mike
I've been taking lessons during my time here. As staff, we get FREE (yep... the kind that costs us nothing) group lessons. So I've been taking Level 6 (expert level) lessons and there has always been a max of 4 people in the group so it's pretty well a semi-private lesson. I've learned a LOT and my technique has already improved.
- My weight has been back, the weight needs to be centered on my feet (not forward). Being in the backseat of your skis is dangerous as your skis can run away from you. Being to far forward can result in you flipping over the front of your skis (done that before...Jen, Aaron, and Mark were there for that).
- I need to tighten my core. Basically tighten your stomach muscles and curve your back. It will help control and maintain your posture and keep you from flopping around.
- Finish my turns. Me, I like speed so I don't complete my turn (forget the last 3rd) and end up perpetually gaining speed. That's fun.....but not necessarily a good thing as if I encounter anything unexpected I may not be in control.
- My posture was too tall. I needed to bend more at the knees, which really helped me get my weight centered on my feet so the skis can do their job. If your weight is being transferred to the front of your skis they won't flex properly and your turn will be more difficult.
- Keep your weight and body in a neutral position. That means all your energy should be transferred down to the middle of your feet so you have to read the terrain (be it bumps or groomed) and make sure your weight is perpendicular to the ground. This way you can properly absorb bumps and any other unexpected terrain/issues.
We had our friend Jason from Ontario visit for the weekend and it was great. We spend Saturday catching up and sampling the local beers and drinks. Sunday was purely skiing and Jason improved a LOT. By the end he was going down difficult blues and he looked much better; I was quite impressed. It was a short visit but we really had fun.
My next visitors are my family! I can't wait for everyone to get here! I'm making a list of runs to show everyone. If anyone else wants to come and visit, you are very welcome. Unfortunately, we can't have people stay at our place. It's annoying really, considering how much room we have. We're thinking of finding our own place somewhere on the mountain where it's REALLY our place instead of staff accommodation. We'll keep you up to date on that.
Well, that's it for now. Talk to everyone soon!!
Mike
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Anyone want some Guitars?
Apparently there were drunks playing guitars and screaming and banging on random bedroom doors in the middle of the night. Typical dorm room living I suppose. Our roommate got fed up and went out to "talk" to the party animals at 3 am. Roomie had to work the next morning, and wanted to sleep.
They wouldn't shut up.
So he confiscated their acoustic guitars.
Both of them.
Unfortunately I'm a sound sleeper and I slept throughout the whole fiascle. I don't know how roomie convinced the drunk people to give up BOTH of the guitars, but it happened.
And then there was silence.
This was three nights ago. The guitars are now in the main lobby with management. No one knows who they belong to. No one has turned up to claim them.
Surprising? I think so. Those things look expensive.
If no one claims them they'll be sent off to Goodwill at the end of the year.
-Agata
They wouldn't shut up.
So he confiscated their acoustic guitars.
Both of them.
Unfortunately I'm a sound sleeper and I slept throughout the whole fiascle. I don't know how roomie convinced the drunk people to give up BOTH of the guitars, but it happened.
And then there was silence.
This was three nights ago. The guitars are now in the main lobby with management. No one knows who they belong to. No one has turned up to claim them.
Surprising? I think so. Those things look expensive.
If no one claims them they'll be sent off to Goodwill at the end of the year.
-Agata
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
First YouTube try
Ok, here's my first video I've posted to YouTube. It's from my helmet camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ6wz616gEM
It's a short video taken from a bigger one when I went down a double-black diamond run with a few friends. I then have the great idea of heading into the trees and end up bailing.
It's not much of a video, but it is my first one. I'll edit and refine the next few better. I think I need a better place for my helmet camera... Suggestions?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ6wz616gEM
It's a short video taken from a bigger one when I went down a double-black diamond run with a few friends. I then have the great idea of heading into the trees and end up bailing.
It's not much of a video, but it is my first one. I'll edit and refine the next few better. I think I need a better place for my helmet camera... Suggestions?
Who needs brakes when you have 60cm of powder
I had so many ideas for the title of this post....
- The snorkel won't attach to my helmet
- I never thought I'd actually like snow in the face
- Your pole-plants are useless here....
But I like the one I've used. We got a massive dump Sunday night, 50cm in 12 hours...just overnight, and I had to work the next day. I did get to enjoy it though.
The ski patrol had to do avalanche checks before they could open my side of the mountain so I had to open my lift really early. I got there for 6:45am and it was a heck of a trip by snowmobile.
The runs were not groomed because the groomers simply couldn't keep up with the snow so I was riding through 50cm of powder.
- The snorkel won't attach to my helmet
- I never thought I'd actually like snow in the face
- Your pole-plants are useless here....
But I like the one I've used. We got a massive dump Sunday night, 50cm in 12 hours...just overnight, and I had to work the next day. I did get to enjoy it though.
The ski patrol had to do avalanche checks before they could open my side of the mountain so I had to open my lift really early. I got there for 6:45am and it was a heck of a trip by snowmobile.
The runs were not groomed because the groomers simply couldn't keep up with the snow so I was riding through 50cm of powder.
So there I was with snow piling over the cab of the sled (the snowmobile was a plow at this point), covering the headlight, making it pretty well useless. On top of that it was still dark out so I couldn't wear my goggles, since they made the very very dim light coming from my headlight even worse. Then the spray coming over the windshield made it worse. SO.....there I was in the dark, standing on the seat, driving by memory on how the trail goes, because I could barely see where I was going, in deep powder. It was still fun though and everyone was impressed that I made it there with no problems, even the maintenance guys. Although I apparently took a while to get there. Normally a 20min ride took me 35min. Well forgive me for not wanting to get stuck or roll the sled. My sled has a 4-stroke engine, and for anyone who doesn't know the annoying trait of a 4-stroke engine is that if you roll the sled you CAN NOT just re-start it. If you do, the engine will destroy itself since. So I'd have to get someone to come get me and maintenance would have to do a lot of work on the sled to get it running again.
For anyone curious, the sled I drive is an Arctic Cat Panther 660cc.... It's not the best. It is very heavy, turns horribly, is tippy, and doesn't have guts. The best part? The Arctic Cat Panther has LEOPARD PRINT seats......yep........stylin'...
But I've grown to like the beast.....we get along.
For anyone curious, the sled I drive is an Arctic Cat Panther 660cc.... It's not the best. It is very heavy, turns horribly, is tippy, and doesn't have guts. The best part? The Arctic Cat Panther has LEOPARD PRINT seats......yep........stylin'...
But I've grown to like the beast.....we get along.
Today though (Tuesday) is my day off and we are getting another storm. I got to ride in more fantastically deep powder today and tomorrow is going to be insane (getting another 30cm). I'm getting up really really early to catch first rides. Apparently no one else is getting the snow we are. On the satellite pictures there is a yellow blob of a snow storm over Silverstar and that's it.......fine by me!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.........
Love Mike
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.........
Love Mike
Friday, January 2, 2009
Yay, happy feet!
I made a big leap and bought new ski boots. My old ones were about 7 years old and were really packed out. I couldn't properly tighten them without cutting off circulation to my feet and they just generally hurt. Also, I had very little control over my skis. If I hit a bump or mound of snow I wasn't prepared for, I would easily lose control over my skis. It was frustrating.......
So, I bought a new pair of Nordica's. They have the best name ever.......
They are the Nordica SPORTMACHINE. That's right......sportmachine
http://www.nordica.com/site/skiboot.php?site=2&lang=1&id=65
They are so very very comfortable and I have so much control over my skis. One big reason is the flex. Either my old ones lost all flex or were extremely stiff. When I hit an unexpected bump or some form of resistance my boot doesn't absorb much and it ends up going to my knees or my body, throwing me around. The Sportmachines (I love the name...) are much more flexible and absorb a lot of the impacts.
I'm so happy with them.
So we're having our first visitor! Our longtime friend Jason is coming to visit next weekend. He's in Vancouver for business reasons and on his way back he's coming here to see us. It's going to be great!
Also, my great friend Graham is looking to get a job here for the rest of the season! I hope he gets one....
Talk to everyone soon!
Love Mike
So, I bought a new pair of Nordica's. They have the best name ever.......
They are the Nordica SPORTMACHINE. That's right......sportmachine
http://www.nordica.com/site/skiboot.php?site=2&lang=1&id=65
They are so very very comfortable and I have so much control over my skis. One big reason is the flex. Either my old ones lost all flex or were extremely stiff. When I hit an unexpected bump or some form of resistance my boot doesn't absorb much and it ends up going to my knees or my body, throwing me around. The Sportmachines (I love the name...) are much more flexible and absorb a lot of the impacts.
I'm so happy with them.
So we're having our first visitor! Our longtime friend Jason is coming to visit next weekend. He's in Vancouver for business reasons and on his way back he's coming here to see us. It's going to be great!
Also, my great friend Graham is looking to get a job here for the rest of the season! I hope he gets one....
Talk to everyone soon!
Love Mike
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