Bye Bye Biggie

Well...my time at Big White was a blast and, lucky me, the Snow Gods answered my prayers before I left.   The Heavens opened up and the Snow Gods showered down - more like dumped down - beautiful fresh powder that was up to my knees!  OMG is all I can say....sooo amazing!!!   I had a late start on Sunday - I had some drinks the night before - however even though I was a little bit...well you know...it was the best day I had on the slopes.  

It was amazing…I couldn’t have asked for a better last couple of days.   Just the feel of the powder under my board and up around my legs as I glided through it,  going through the glades.   I even got Mads (from the hostel) to record me…just to prove to everyone that yes I really did ride through the trees.  However, I look like a huge dork when I am riding.   Maybe it’s because I used to dance but man do I use my arms a lot.   Sometimes I look like I am rolling up/down a window or I swim with my back arm to turn on my toe edge.   I even lift my arms up when I hit a kicker which, to be honest, just makes the kicker feel that much better lol…I don’t know why but it just does.  We just rode all afternoon under the lift line and off to the side through the trees, over and over again and then when the last lift closed we snowboarded down to the path that goes to my place where we went and curled up with some warm tea.  Honestly…it was the perfect day and my best of the season.

The next day we still had beautiful powder and went out with my friend Nandita for the day.   I really wanted a great day out as it was my last one, but half way through the day I started getting a sore throat and headache –GREAT – so I was kind of off and not 100% but we still had t-bar adventures, this time we couldn’t even get on properly lol but it’s always worth it.  Riding through the enchanted forest with all the powder was just incredible and it was such a clear day so the view was just amazing.   It was a little sad as it was mine and Nandita’s last day of riding together and the end of our adventures.  We spent the evening sharing appies and a bottle of wine at one of the restaurants in the village and then I snowboarded home.

Isam got home at midnight and woke me up with a bottle of champagne that I could only enjoy 1 glass of as I wasn’t feeling well…of course I had to be sick my last night with him.

The next day Nandita drove Isam and I into Kelowna and we all had one last lunch together before I had to say a teary goodbye to the both of them.   Nandita is my girl and the closest friend I had up at Biggie and Isam…well, we went through a lot together the past few months and even though it wasn’t all ups I wouldn’t want to have spent the last six months with anyone else.   I have been with him every single day – pretty much – since I arrived in BC so it is a little weird without him and I will miss and always hold him in my heart.  See, we decided long distance is not for us and by the time I get back to BC he will have already left for a job in Saskatchewan so there is a big chance we will not see eachother again.   I know right…

It was a sad day and we were pretty quiet – I guess we were all trying to ignore the inevitable goodbye.  I think I even shed a tear when I packed up my snowboard lol – “we had a great season didn’t we!” Is what I said as I packed it away – and not really mentioning what was looming over us in the hours ahead.   I kind of panicked a bit.   I don’t think it really hit me that I was saying goodbye but I still felt funny and tried not to think about goodbyes as it made my eyes well up.   To be honest we were more focused on how weird it was being off Biggie.  It was the first time I had been of the mountain since (around) December 10^th.   You don’t realize how isolated it is up there until you get down to reality where the air seems fresher and there was so much space.   I mean I was no longer limited to a certain area of space of where to go and what I could do…it took a few hours but by the end of the day I felt great, other than my goodbye.  

 How do you say goodbye to your boyfriend/girlfriend when you know it’s gonna be the last time you will ever see them. I know I have done it before, so I’m kind of used to it but it still doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.   We just stood there hugging and the tears just started to make their way out and I was choking them back, I didn’t want to make it harder then it already was.  Turning around and waving and saying I love you for the last time is strange.

I stayed at the hostel that night which was good because it was really great to be around friends after saying goodbye to Isam and Nan and feeling a bit wigged out about being off the mountain.   To be honest I should’ve done a night off the mountain earlier to give myself a break but whatever it’s too late now.

I stayed at the hostel one nght and then stayed at my cousin’s (Karen) for the past 3 nights and just relaxed and enjoyed doing nothing and not working.   

Now I am on a plane with my parents and we will be landing in an hour.

But before I say goodbye to BC I would really like to say thank you to everyone I have met in the past six months especially up at Biggie. I have had an amazing (half) season and so glad I finally got my BC winter.  I met some amazing people :  Tegan my shuttle buddy. The boys Paddy, Mick, Bryce, and Raphael so much love coming from you guys and I couldn’t ask for better guys  to hang with and drink with.  The crew at Black Diamond especially my Wikipedia Nandita I will miss you. Mads for the best day ever, it was nice to finally just be one on one with you I really enjoyed riding the afternoon with you and really getting to know you.  Daisy, Robbie and Daisuke my Kelowna family, kisses kisses kisses.  Kevin and his crazy laugh and love for guacamole, I miss you …and…umm…  I know I am missing people so I do apologize.  But of course – no I ddn’t forget – Isam.   You have been incredible and stood by when things weren’t going great.   I love you and would do it all over again.  Don’t ever forget me, I won't forget you xox.

Well it’s a new adventure now almost time to land and stretch these legs of mine.    Where is the new adventure u ask…ITALY!!!

I'm an Accident Waiting to Happen!

I hit a tree last week...well actually a tree stump.    I had just come out of a little trail in the glades and picked up some speed.   I was heading towards another little trail where at the entrance there is a two foot high tree stump that is really jagged at the top.   My speed was picking up and I knew - due to me not being the greatest boarder - that I wouldn't be able to steer myself around it, and, if I did try  there was a possibility of me falling on it and that really didn't seem appealing.   With time running out I did the only thing I could think of; I dug my heel-side into the snow as hard as I could falling on my butt.  With my heel-side still in the snow I slid - on my butt - getting closer by the second.  I hit the tree with the bottom of my board, the impact bringing my knees right into my chest and then flipping me over on my right side twisting my knee as the top of my board stayed in one spot and my body kept going!  I just stayed there for a few minutes to catch my breath, make sure I didn't dislocate anything as I kind of hurt my shoulder when I twisted and to make sure my knee was mobile.  I was a little shaken to be honest, I had avoided this trail all the time because of this tree stump and I got carried away for a minute and look what happened.  However, it could've been worse, way worse so I can't really complain.  Plus - to be honest - we all know I am a little melodramatic when I write, it did happen the way I wrote it but it literally all happened in five seconds but I like to build the intensity for you guys :)  Oh and yes...I wear a helmet!

I was a little shaky for the rest of the day, I was really paranoid, every time I saw something sticking out of the ground I got nervous.  I would slow right down.  It really just through me off for the rest of the day; but it was still  a really good day.  Nandita and I took the T-Bar up to the summit and snowboarded through the Snow Ghosts. 

Snow Ghosts - snow and ice are incrusted on the tips of Evergreens.  When covered they look like snow ghosts!!!  Sometimes its just the tops of the trees, so the trees may look or seem short but really the snow is so high/deep and the rest of the tree is buried.

This has become my favourite area to ride...it is incredibly beautiful...you can see everything from up there and it is so peaceful, it's easy to forget where you are.   Riding through the ghosts is amazing...well, the fact I am riding through trees is amazing lol...but seriously I really wish I could explain how amazing it is, the views, the feel of riding the trails, riding through trees, the sense of freedom, how stoked I am as soon as I come out the last bit of trees and just wanting to do it again.   I'm not a fan of the T-bar though, never have been.

It's not the small ones I remember as a kid.  These are on a retracting rope so they are as long as needed for the rider or skier.  Skier's have it way easier on the T-bar then snowboarders. They just put it under there bum and up they go, snowboarders have to put it in between there legs and it can be quite uncomfortable especially going up steep parts...ouch!   I have fallen off 3 times.
 
The first time I rode it I thought I was gonna hit the pole so I bent my knees thinking it would help make some tension and move me out of the way not thinking that it's on a retractable rope and I ended up falling right on my bum.

The second and third time was yesterday.   My friend Raphael were riding up double.  We both ride goofy and had to face the same way instead of each other,  we didn't get close enough and he fell back on me within the first minute.   Then later on as we were riding up, I caught a grove in the snow and lost my balance.   I pulled him down with me - I was holding on to the back of his jacket - and he fell back to the left but my front leg - the one I hurt when I hit the tree stump - got wrapped around the t-bar and I started getting pulled up.  I finally got my leg unwrapped and the t-bar swung around hitting the pole and then retracted up the rope and continued it's way up the hill.   I tell ya, I'm an accident waiting to happen lol.   Yes we did make it up to the top, at one point I was pretty much flying.   He is taller than me and when we were going up the steep part my board pretty much wasn't even on the ground...it was less painful then usual but a little more tricky not falling.

Alex and her boyfriend Simone came up last week for two nights.  We got a full day of riding in but it was so cold.   One part of the mountain - at the top - was a very cold -37!!!  We had to go in every 2-3 runs to warm up.  My face bandana froze!   My nose kept running because it was so cold so the only place it went was either my mouth - at least I stayed hydrated lol - or my bandana.   I could actually mold the bandana around my nose haha, and I couldn't take it off because it was way too cold - my house mate ended up getting frostbite on his nose.   It was a beautiful bluebird day and the slopes were pretty empty but it was way too cold.  The sandwiches we packed for lunch in the backpack were almost frozen by the time we sat down to eat them.   All in all it was a great day despite the freezing temperature.   We went for a nice dinner and then met Isam after his shift at the bar but we were so tired we were home and in bed by 12:30.  

I have pretty much just been working and riding.  Tonight a bunch of us are going night riding and I believe we are going to the park where my friend Sam is gonna teach me how to hit some boxes so wish me luck, hopefully I make it out with every muscle and joint in the correct places.

Happy riding.
                                                                                            - My Beautiful Life -

My Playground

I'm sore all over...it hurts to roll over in bed because everything aches.   I have a bit of whiplash, my arms scream at me when I move them and my right leg is covered in bruises. I was having a really off day and not having a good time.    I kept catching edges and falling and swearing at myself as I got back up "for fuck sakes Emmie!  WTF?"  I was getting so annoyed.

I should've had a great day.  The sun was shining for the first time in about a week,  it was warm enough to feel like a spring day and with how much I have been improving the day should've been perfect...but unfortunately it wasn't.

First, I couldn't stop sweating (I always wear layers and never sure how I am gonna feel out there); Second I wasn't feeling any of the runs we did, I was snowplowing pretty much everything and the hills just seemed so steep even though now, looking back I know they weren't.  However, there was one hill that had this really steep part...so steep that when I snowplowed down and fell on my butt I couldn't stand back up!   I was riding so bad that my housemates had to keep stopping and waiting which made me feel bad so then I felt worse.   "How was that Emmie?"  one of them asked me when I caught up to them "Alright I guess.   Not really enjoying it, I really just want to go back."   We were boarding at Gem Lake which is another part to Big White just over on the other side and it takes awhile to get over to.   When they said boarding back over was the only way to get back I wanted to cry...I really just wanted to curl up into a ball until it was time to go to work.   At this point I had already fallen about 3 times.   The first time I was boarding along a cat track and I caught an edge.  I fell face first with my arms splayed out in front of me, my helmet shook around and my goggles actually flew out of the grip on the back of my helmet and flew off.   I checked my shoulder to make sure it wasn't dislocated as it was hurting.    After that it just never stopped....I was not having fun.

It's been two days and I am still in quite a bit of pain and I have a really pretty purple bruise on my right leg that keeps getting darker everyday; it's not the only one that I have but it is the prettiest that's for sure.

Not all my days out have been like this, most of them have been absolutely amazing!!!  I am pretty much up every morning to at least go out for an hour and be home so I can relax, eat lunch and get ready for work.  I am loving it so much I am actually going to bed thinking of riding...haha, I know right?   We all know I am not a winter person and am usually overseas during the winter time but I really can't get enough of it here.    It's been so sunny and warm here that our fresh dump we got last week -30cm over night and it snowed for a week so imagine how much we got - is just melting away.   Don't get me wrong the sunshine and spring like weather is great, however this weather and fresh powder falling don't really go hand in hand, so I have decided to pray for a bit of a drop in temperature so I can have the powder back and accept the spring weather when it's actually spring time.  Besides, I ride so much better in the powder - which I think the melting snow had an effect on my riding during my bad riding day.  If there had been heaps of powder that day I probably wouldn't have the prettiest bruise right now haha.  But no seriously it really changes things, I am not as afraid to fall, and it's really so much nicer and (I find) easier to ride; that is however unless you are going through the trees.

A few Saturday's ago my housemates and I went out pretty much first thing in the morning, and what a morning it was.  The first run we went down was almost untouched and pretty empty, complete open range for us to play, it was an awesome first run and a great way to start off the morning.   Our last run I followed Jocelyn through the trees branches waking my head and face - thank god for goggles and helmets. I'm not as fast as her so she was off to my left and hire up and I was just a bit lower than her.   She was further up ahead and not exactly sure where she was an because of my speed I had to keep going down to the right instead of up to the left. "Fuck...what did I get myself into?" My famous question went through my head. " with my luck if I keep going right I'm gonna end up on a black diamond and then I'm really gonna be screwed.  Shit. Jocelyn!!!!" There was so much powder and it was so heavy on my board. I fell a few times but it was hard to get my momentum after falling.  At one point I was holding onto a tree branch, I was pulling myself as hard as a could - the powder was weighing my board down - I was trying to rock myself so I could get enough momentum to start up again. Another fall. "Ok...this is not fun anymore...this is way to much work...I don't know where Joce is and I want out of the trees!" Lol I was so frustrated and I had started to sweat from all this work and I had had enough.

Finally I see Joce sitting down in the powder waiting for me "sorry, I fell a few times." "That's ok" she replied and got up and kept going.  "No wait up, please don't go ahead of me." But I caught up to her easier this time as she fell.  "Joce do you know how to get out of these trees?"  "Well the hill is right there," she pointed to the left"see, you can see everyone skiing past." I could and I really wanted to get back  there. " We just have to find one of the paths that takes us back". So I followed her.  I picked up speed...I bent my legs...up, down, left, right, left, up, down, small kicker right back onto the run.  High five myself!!! Pretty stoked I'm confident enough to go through the trees and that I manage to go along these little paths that pick up speed an land kickers.  I'm always so proud I land them but there has never been anyone to see me...that was however until the next day.

The next day I went out riding with Pete (Jocelyn's other half).  "I heard you are a pretty good snowboarder." "Really?" I said surprised "who told you that?" "Jocelyn". Well that made me feel good until it came time to get of the lift and I lost my footing and almost took Pete down with me...him saying I was good jinxed me,..it was his fault.  Anyways we were heading down the cat track to Happy Valley for lunch. At one point off to the right there is a small track through a few trees that goes down a bit, then comes up again and the drops a bit steeper and deeper and comes up into a kicker where you can get quit a bit of air.  So I thought I would go that way - I had done it the day before - I bent my knees and basically let my board do the work, I got some good air and landed perfectly.  High five myself!!! Then Pete said "emmie that was really good, you got some nice air and landed that nicely". Finally! Someone saw me! I could actually high five someone instead of myself! Oh happy days :)

A few days later we got Isam out for the first time.  He had a blast, even though he face planted and ended up with a cut on his nose he reacted with "I love it!"  When he got of the chair lift he made it over to us but he fell and started rolling down the hill.  "Your supposes to put your board in first babe!" Lol it was soo funny.

Our friend Daisy (manager from the hostel in Kelowna) was up staying with us then and she is a begginer as well.  After we got them down the small hill a few times we took them to a bigger one " I'm not going down there...I'm going to die." Daisy said from the top "you are not going to die" I reassured her just take your time.  I won't leave you."  She made it...it took awhile but she made it, and in one piece :)

I started writing this over a week ago so I am no longer in pain and my bruise is slowly disappearing.  We had that amazing week of snow but it has been sunny for the last two weeks so everything has melted.  It has been like spring here, it got to 14 degrees.  I know, and all you guys are freezing your butts off back home.  It's gotten icy and the runs have been shitty so I have been waiting patiently. If finally snowed yesterday but not much but today, it's been snowing all morning and we are getting a fresh layer of powder so I am super stoked.  I can't wait to get back out there...two weeks to rest up and feeling fresh to ride :)  One of my favourite things on the slopes is the chair lift.  I know it sounds strange but I have a tendency to go off in a trance.  I look out at everything in front of me, around me and below me, there is snow as far as the eye can see and (after a snow) everything is  pure white, like a winter wonderland and you can ski/board anywhere.   I mean yes there are hills with names but from those hills there are ways through the trees and this hill connects to that,  and that hill connects to that cat track...it really is amazing to see and watch as you are traveling up...it literally is open range out there...so much freedom, its like a playground...and it's all mine.   Watching makes me so calm and riding it fills me with exhilaration. 

Ride safe!!!

                                                                                       - My Beautiful Life -