Day 4 Tofino and Ucluelet* Appologies for my incorrect spelling in previous blogs. Woops!
We spent a really nice day exploring the surfer towns of Tofino and Ucluelet. We had a look around the shops and a delicious lunch at Sobo in Tofino. I had a wild lingcod fillet on a potato cake with carrot and broccolini and Zane had prawns on a green salad with satay sauce and roti bread.
We stopped in at Chocolate Tofino, a store that makes all their own chocolates and ice-creams. Due to the large amount of Aussies in the area they are even doing chocolate bilbies this Easter! We continued our day of splurging and had ice creams Belgian Chocolate and Lavender Honey for me, Hazelnut Chocolate and Maple Pecan for Zane. Delish!
We went for some walks through the Pacific Rim National Park, one through a dense, temperate rainforest and one through a bog wetland area. Truly amazing to have two completely different habitats so close together. We walked around the point of Ucluelet in the afternoon, past the lighthouse and along the coast.
Day 5 Ucluelet to Victoria
Victoria is Vancouvers largest city, and home to some family friends of Zane's who are generously housing us for two nights. It was bliss to have a shower today and not have to take coins and worry about running out of hot water when you're all sudsy. We had spaghetti Bolognaise with fresh made pasta for dinner, Banana and Chocolate cake for desert and wine out of a real wine glass! Also looking forward to a sleep on a proper bed tonight!
Tomorrow we're going for a big walk around Victoria, through the park down to the water and to see all the sights, and hopefully some seals!
Much back-to-comfortable-living-for-a-brief-amount-of-time love,
T and Z
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Day 3: Nanaimo to Ecluelet
We have had some bad luck over the past day or two. A number of times we have lost our way. But it hasn't been our fault every time. When we first arrived at Nanaimo the boat dropped us off at a different port to the one we were expecting and thus our campgrounds were north, and we went south. For a long time. Eventually we realised and had to go all the way back to the port, to find that the grounds were literally a 2 minute drive from where we had started, but in the other direction. Then we got lost on the way to Walmart. Then the next day we got lost on the way to Walmart again. Then I was driving to Ecluelet and we missed the turn-off. I was overtaking a car and Zane was telling me to do things and it was just all too much and all of a sudden we had missed the turn-off. Then when we got to the Tofino-Ecluelet highway between the two towns we got lost again. We took the wrong turn and our destination once again was just beyond where we'd turned off. And once again it took us a while to realise. Oh well. All fun and games. I think the moral of this story is that we should buy a navman but we are tight. And maps and a keen sense of direction is less reliable but also more fun way to travel.
As I have mentioned, I drove to Ecluelet. I could not have picked a more windy, narrow highway to drive on. It was all white knuckles and tense shoulders for Zane and I. But we got through unscathed and with no tears shed (just). Despite the sheer terror it was a really pretty drive and good practice for me.
Yesterday we went to the grocery store and they had some in-house smoked meats so we got a big ham sausage and a nice slab of lean bacon. We had spicy Mexican rice for dinner last night and this morning we had yummy perfectly boiled eggs (the yolk was a little runny, not rock hard like my attempt the day prior. Clearly Zane is now BBQ AND egg man), big thick slices of smokey bacon and sliced tomato on yummy toast. It was so good. The best thing was I had a lazy morning in bed reading and Zane brought me a coffee and the announcement that breakfast was almost ready! Bliss!
We are going to treat ourselves to a nice seafood lunch in Tofino and then we are going to do some walks in the National Park this afternoon. It is a beautiful sunny day and we are starting to get feeling back in our feet after a chilly morning.
Much love,
T and Z
We have had some bad luck over the past day or two. A number of times we have lost our way. But it hasn't been our fault every time. When we first arrived at Nanaimo the boat dropped us off at a different port to the one we were expecting and thus our campgrounds were north, and we went south. For a long time. Eventually we realised and had to go all the way back to the port, to find that the grounds were literally a 2 minute drive from where we had started, but in the other direction. Then we got lost on the way to Walmart. Then the next day we got lost on the way to Walmart again. Then I was driving to Ecluelet and we missed the turn-off. I was overtaking a car and Zane was telling me to do things and it was just all too much and all of a sudden we had missed the turn-off. Then when we got to the Tofino-Ecluelet highway between the two towns we got lost again. We took the wrong turn and our destination once again was just beyond where we'd turned off. And once again it took us a while to realise. Oh well. All fun and games. I think the moral of this story is that we should buy a navman but we are tight. And maps and a keen sense of direction is less reliable but also more fun way to travel.
As I have mentioned, I drove to Ecluelet. I could not have picked a more windy, narrow highway to drive on. It was all white knuckles and tense shoulders for Zane and I. But we got through unscathed and with no tears shed (just). Despite the sheer terror it was a really pretty drive and good practice for me.
Yesterday we went to the grocery store and they had some in-house smoked meats so we got a big ham sausage and a nice slab of lean bacon. We had spicy Mexican rice for dinner last night and this morning we had yummy perfectly boiled eggs (the yolk was a little runny, not rock hard like my attempt the day prior. Clearly Zane is now BBQ AND egg man), big thick slices of smokey bacon and sliced tomato on yummy toast. It was so good. The best thing was I had a lazy morning in bed reading and Zane brought me a coffee and the announcement that breakfast was almost ready! Bliss!
We are going to treat ourselves to a nice seafood lunch in Tofino and then we are going to do some walks in the National Park this afternoon. It is a beautiful sunny day and we are starting to get feeling back in our feet after a chilly morning.
Much love,
T and Z
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Day 2: Kelowna to Nanaimo
After a disturbed and chilly sleep we weren't really in the mood to cook brekky so we hit the road around 7 and popped into Starbucks to use their wi-fi and have some coffee and we were onthe road by 8.
We were aiming to get the 12:45 ferry from Tsawasson Terminal in Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. We had just decided to skip staying the night in Van and head straight over to the island as it was a pretty cold and wet day in Kelowna. So we had roughly 4 hours and 45 minutes to get to a place that was 4 hours and 37 minutes away. Don't worry Mum, we didn't speed, we just drove efficiently. We also stopped for breakfast and filled the tank and washed the windows, all efficiently. We have it down to a fine art. Zane fills and I squeegee.
We were around 40 exits before our exit when we saw a sign directing us off the highway onto another road and towards the ferry terminal. We thought we'd better follow the sign but it took us to a road laden with red lights and slow drivers. We were previously making good time, having stopped at Hope for fuel and food and all ready to do the last dash to the terminal. Well, I had left my hope in Hope and it was a nailbiting last 30kms through traffic to finally get to the terminal only to be told that the next boat to Nanaimo would be at 3:15, roughly 2 and a half hours away. Damnit! Should have trusted Google directions all along!
So we paid and pulled in and followed the man's directions onto a waiting boat, on which there were already lots of cars and trucks. We thought nothing of it until we started to pull away and we realised that as luck would have it, we were the very last car allowed on the 12:45 boat. Hoorah!
So here we are at Living Forest Campgrounds. We have a nice little spot, from which we can see the ocean and the mountains. In the morning we're going to go for a walk around the campground and then I'm going to drive to Tofino. Zane did all the driving today as he is a more efficient driver.
You know what really grinds my gears? Shitty showers. There is a myriad of attributes a shower can have that make it shitty, and I've experienced all of them. The shower here has perfunctory heat but unalterable pressure, so initially I was jetted right up against the icky wall by the sheer force of the water spraying at me. And the shower curtain was harbouring some pretty festy mould and the curtain would brush up against my leg eeeeew.
I also don't like having to stretch in strange angles and perform complex yoga positions to adequately wet my hair. I'm 6 foot and I can't touch my toes. My inflexibility sometimes hinders my shower enjoyment.
Not since our travels before settling in Fernie have we had the chance to experience such vast and various amenities and, while sometimes hit and miss, make me appreciate a nice, hot, well-placed showerhead and a nice warm bed. On that note, we stocked up at WalMart and now have a sleeping bag. Here's hoping tonight is a bit warmer!
To Tofino and Ucluelet tomorrow!
Much camping love,
T and Z
After a disturbed and chilly sleep we weren't really in the mood to cook brekky so we hit the road around 7 and popped into Starbucks to use their wi-fi and have some coffee and we were onthe road by 8.
We were aiming to get the 12:45 ferry from Tsawasson Terminal in Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. We had just decided to skip staying the night in Van and head straight over to the island as it was a pretty cold and wet day in Kelowna. So we had roughly 4 hours and 45 minutes to get to a place that was 4 hours and 37 minutes away. Don't worry Mum, we didn't speed, we just drove efficiently. We also stopped for breakfast and filled the tank and washed the windows, all efficiently. We have it down to a fine art. Zane fills and I squeegee.
We were around 40 exits before our exit when we saw a sign directing us off the highway onto another road and towards the ferry terminal. We thought we'd better follow the sign but it took us to a road laden with red lights and slow drivers. We were previously making good time, having stopped at Hope for fuel and food and all ready to do the last dash to the terminal. Well, I had left my hope in Hope and it was a nailbiting last 30kms through traffic to finally get to the terminal only to be told that the next boat to Nanaimo would be at 3:15, roughly 2 and a half hours away. Damnit! Should have trusted Google directions all along!
So we paid and pulled in and followed the man's directions onto a waiting boat, on which there were already lots of cars and trucks. We thought nothing of it until we started to pull away and we realised that as luck would have it, we were the very last car allowed on the 12:45 boat. Hoorah!
So here we are at Living Forest Campgrounds. We have a nice little spot, from which we can see the ocean and the mountains. In the morning we're going to go for a walk around the campground and then I'm going to drive to Tofino. Zane did all the driving today as he is a more efficient driver.
You know what really grinds my gears? Shitty showers. There is a myriad of attributes a shower can have that make it shitty, and I've experienced all of them. The shower here has perfunctory heat but unalterable pressure, so initially I was jetted right up against the icky wall by the sheer force of the water spraying at me. And the shower curtain was harbouring some pretty festy mould and the curtain would brush up against my leg eeeeew.
I also don't like having to stretch in strange angles and perform complex yoga positions to adequately wet my hair. I'm 6 foot and I can't touch my toes. My inflexibility sometimes hinders my shower enjoyment.
Not since our travels before settling in Fernie have we had the chance to experience such vast and various amenities and, while sometimes hit and miss, make me appreciate a nice, hot, well-placed showerhead and a nice warm bed. On that note, we stocked up at WalMart and now have a sleeping bag. Here's hoping tonight is a bit warmer!
To Tofino and Ucluelet tomorrow!
Much camping love,
T and Z
Day 1: Fernie to Kelowna
We got up early this morning, 6am to be exact, and after some last minute cleaning and a farewell to SilverRock we were off on the road. It was a nice ride through Cranbrook and surrounds but unfortunately the greasy A&W brekky wasn't sitting too well so Zane and I were feeling a bit queasy. We powered on nonetheless and soon enough it was my turn to drive!
I don't want to toot my own horn (pun intended) but I think I am doing pretty well for someone of my limited driving experience. Living on Hamo and driving the golf buggies has certainly helped and despite getting a bit confused every now and then about what lane I'm meant to be in, Zane thinks I'm doing pretty well. Today I changed lanes, overtook TWO cars, turned at intersections and even drove through some treacherous snowy conditions. (*Read: about 1mmm of snow dusted on the road).
Zane eventually relaxed, but I don't think he will ever get used to my crooning along with the tunes. I sing in the chord of strangled cat.
So we made it through the beautiful Kootenay Pass and, thanks largely due to my awesome navigational skills, we made it to Kelowna in record time (thanks also to the time difference, we gained an hour).
And now I'm sitting at our little table in our litle campsite and tapping away while the friendly little birds and big duckies get closer and closer. This orange juice is MINE wildlife!
We're staying in the Bear Creek Provincial Park tonight and it's a really pretty campsite, right on Okanagan Lake. We got fairly lost in downtown Kelowna but we managed to find a Safeway and a Liquour Store so we are just about to cook up some Tuna Pasta and have a nice glass of wine and watch Anchorman. It seems fitting that we should know the movie back to front, seeing as we have named our car Veronica Corningstone after one of the characters.
It's our first night trying out the van-bed so I hope it is comfy and my make-shift curtains stay up during the night. It is actually my very first night camping ever so I'm pretty excited. I'm betting I'll wake up pretty often, thinking bears are coming to eat our food and/or faces.
Tomorrow, on to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island!
Much outdoor love,
T and Z.
UPDATE. OMG We got up an hour ago and I am only just getting feeling back in my feet. It was SOOO cold last night! It as 2 degrees when we got up this morning with a flat air-mattress and moderate frostbite. All good fun though. In Starbucks using wi-fi and having a coffee and then it's off to Walmart to get an eggshell mattress. Note to self... unpack sleeping bag and wear extra thermal layers at night!
We got up early this morning, 6am to be exact, and after some last minute cleaning and a farewell to SilverRock we were off on the road. It was a nice ride through Cranbrook and surrounds but unfortunately the greasy A&W brekky wasn't sitting too well so Zane and I were feeling a bit queasy. We powered on nonetheless and soon enough it was my turn to drive!
I don't want to toot my own horn (pun intended) but I think I am doing pretty well for someone of my limited driving experience. Living on Hamo and driving the golf buggies has certainly helped and despite getting a bit confused every now and then about what lane I'm meant to be in, Zane thinks I'm doing pretty well. Today I changed lanes, overtook TWO cars, turned at intersections and even drove through some treacherous snowy conditions. (*Read: about 1mmm of snow dusted on the road).
Zane eventually relaxed, but I don't think he will ever get used to my crooning along with the tunes. I sing in the chord of strangled cat.
So we made it through the beautiful Kootenay Pass and, thanks largely due to my awesome navigational skills, we made it to Kelowna in record time (thanks also to the time difference, we gained an hour).
And now I'm sitting at our little table in our litle campsite and tapping away while the friendly little birds and big duckies get closer and closer. This orange juice is MINE wildlife!
We're staying in the Bear Creek Provincial Park tonight and it's a really pretty campsite, right on Okanagan Lake. We got fairly lost in downtown Kelowna but we managed to find a Safeway and a Liquour Store so we are just about to cook up some Tuna Pasta and have a nice glass of wine and watch Anchorman. It seems fitting that we should know the movie back to front, seeing as we have named our car Veronica Corningstone after one of the characters.
It's our first night trying out the van-bed so I hope it is comfy and my make-shift curtains stay up during the night. It is actually my very first night camping ever so I'm pretty excited. I'm betting I'll wake up pretty often, thinking bears are coming to eat our food and/or faces.
Tomorrow, on to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island!
Much outdoor love,
T and Z.
UPDATE. OMG We got up an hour ago and I am only just getting feeling back in my feet. It was SOOO cold last night! It as 2 degrees when we got up this morning with a flat air-mattress and moderate frostbite. All good fun though. In Starbucks using wi-fi and having a coffee and then it's off to Walmart to get an eggshell mattress. Note to self... unpack sleeping bag and wear extra thermal layers at night!
Friday, April 15, 2011
It has been an epic fortnight of closing down our work, cleaning, getting some final tracks on the mountain and drinking. Probably more drinking than all the other activities combined. Hot Dog day was awesome fun, with most of the mountain dressed up in rad 80's gear and congregating around the Wallaby run. A jump was built and many hours were spent drinking and laughing at some spectacular stacks. Myself and some mates built a fairly impressive snow bar, which was later to become a sweet fort to protect us from the incoming snowballs from the creators of a rival snow bar.
On the weekend Zane and I had our final days of work and went back up on Monday to do some cleaning and organising. After that we went out for some drinks and shots and shots and shots and I had a nice little nap on the couch and then more shots. It was great fun hanging out with the work crew but after that, and then the staff day my liver needs some serious detoxification. Staff day was another beautiful sunny day and we made the most of it, skiing all day and having an occasional beer in the sunshine.
Today Zane and I went down to the states in our pretty new car (I even drove!... Part of the way...) Whitefish is a really pretty little town and I hope next Winter we will get the chance to take full advantage of the reciprocal agreement with RCR and go down riding for a day or two. I've heard the mountain is heaps of fun and the drinks are cheap and plentiful.
Eurgh I can't even think about drinking. And yet it is the final weekend up on the hill tomorrow, known as Fernieval, therefore there will be heaps of beers and drinking and bands and eurgh more liver poisoning! When will it end??
Sunday, April 3, 2011
It was a nice spring day today so I went for a walk around Annex park and took some photos. Spring has sprung! No one has told the Grizz it seems, as we have received over 60cms of fresh snow over the past couple of days. It takes the base snow pack to over 4 metres!
Our new car!
Only a few weeks until we begin our road trip!
Much love, T and Z
Our new car!
Only a few weeks until we begin our road trip!
Much love, T and Z
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wow it's been a while...
Our sweet little netbook computer broke down around a month ago. One day it just wouldn't turn on and that was the demise of our communication abilities.
I was particularly frustrated that it had broken down, as it was less than six months old and my Mum had gotten it for us as a going-away present. Also, despite being well aware that we were shortly leaving the country with our new purchase for an indefinite amount of time, the saleslady neglected to suggest to us that the international warranty might be a good idea. So we were all the way over in Canada with a broken computer and the option of either paying $150 an hour to get it looked at in town and potentially void the warranty, or spend similar money sending it home and being computer-less for our next adventures.
Then another possibility appeared. Adam and Robyn's friend Trent was over visiting and staying on our couch. He was flying home to Brisbane and thankfully would be happy to take our poor little computer home to my Mum to get either fixed or replaced under warranty, after which we will sell it online.
So this explains our lack of communication over the recent weeks. In this time we took the opportunity to get a laptop from down in the States, where they are much cheaper than back home. So here I am, tapping away on our brand, shiny, new 14 inch HP pavilion dm4 laptop.
The season is almost over. There are only 11 days left until the season ends, but the weekend after that, the hill is reopening for a final final weekend. Between the final weekend and then the final final weekend, there's a staff day up on the hill, during which the staff of Fernie Alpine Resort will be the only ones allowed onto the hill for a day of drunkenness and debauchery. There's also a staff party this Friday night, which should be much of the same, as staff parties tend to be.
One of the biggest events of the year is the annual 80's weekend, which gives all the Calgary and Alberta out-of-towners the chance to dust of the onesies and run around like fools getting all liquored up. It was fun for all us poor sods working as well, as we all got into the spirit and rocked side-ponies and fluoro colours. The weekend includes a Hot Tub Time Machine party, celebrating the movie that was filmed in Fernie and is about a group of friends that are taken back in time due to a faulty hot tub and get to enjoy a bodacious weekend in the 80's. It's pretty trashy but it's fun picking out all the Fernie hotspots.
While 80's weekend is held fairly specifically for the out-of-towners, Hot Dog Day is purely for the locals. It is a well-kept local secret and held mid-week to deter cranky Calgarians from making the trip. It is in a similar vein, with everyone getting oot and aboot in their finest 80's ski suits and caking on the blue eyeshadow. I have managed to find a delightful baby blue pair of ski pants with particularly fetching suspender straps. Only $6 from the Op-Shop so not too shabby I reckon!
On a completely unrelated, yet super exciting topic, we bought a car today! It is bluey-green and SO pretty. It is a 1996 Dodge Caravan and it is the first car I've ever owned so I'm pretty excited about that! The previous owner has made up a wooden insert that slides into the back and has storage area that will be perfect for our suitcases and an esky. It has a queen size blow up mattress and also comes with a propane cooker and all the utensils we will need. It is all set up so we can go camping and be sufficient for a decent amount of time.
This will be perfect for us, as we are planning a big road trip once our lease here in Fernie runs out. From here we will head to Kelowna and the Okanagan lake region, then Vancouver Island before heading down the west coast America through Washington, Oregon and California. In California we want to go to San Fransisco and LA and San Diego before heading to Las Vegas. After that we will go to the Grand Canyon, before making our way back to Canada through Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. If we leave in mid-April we will have two months before we need to be back in Fernie.
The Summer season up on the hill starts in the last week of June and runs through until the end of September and Zane and I are in talks to work up at Lost Boy's, which is open on the weekends for BBQs.
We are both so excited about the road trip. Even though this season has been awesome, we're pretty ready for some sunshine and warm weather. I envision us camping next to lakes and in forests and cooking up meals on our little cooker and cruising down the highways with the windows down, serenading Zane with my amazing singing voice. Oh it is going to be great.
Only 7 days of work left, this season has just flown by!
Much anticipatory planning and road-trip dreaming,
Love T and Z
I was particularly frustrated that it had broken down, as it was less than six months old and my Mum had gotten it for us as a going-away present. Also, despite being well aware that we were shortly leaving the country with our new purchase for an indefinite amount of time, the saleslady neglected to suggest to us that the international warranty might be a good idea. So we were all the way over in Canada with a broken computer and the option of either paying $150 an hour to get it looked at in town and potentially void the warranty, or spend similar money sending it home and being computer-less for our next adventures.
Then another possibility appeared. Adam and Robyn's friend Trent was over visiting and staying on our couch. He was flying home to Brisbane and thankfully would be happy to take our poor little computer home to my Mum to get either fixed or replaced under warranty, after which we will sell it online.
So this explains our lack of communication over the recent weeks. In this time we took the opportunity to get a laptop from down in the States, where they are much cheaper than back home. So here I am, tapping away on our brand, shiny, new 14 inch HP pavilion dm4 laptop.
The season is almost over. There are only 11 days left until the season ends, but the weekend after that, the hill is reopening for a final final weekend. Between the final weekend and then the final final weekend, there's a staff day up on the hill, during which the staff of Fernie Alpine Resort will be the only ones allowed onto the hill for a day of drunkenness and debauchery. There's also a staff party this Friday night, which should be much of the same, as staff parties tend to be.
One of the biggest events of the year is the annual 80's weekend, which gives all the Calgary and Alberta out-of-towners the chance to dust of the onesies and run around like fools getting all liquored up. It was fun for all us poor sods working as well, as we all got into the spirit and rocked side-ponies and fluoro colours. The weekend includes a Hot Tub Time Machine party, celebrating the movie that was filmed in Fernie and is about a group of friends that are taken back in time due to a faulty hot tub and get to enjoy a bodacious weekend in the 80's. It's pretty trashy but it's fun picking out all the Fernie hotspots.
While 80's weekend is held fairly specifically for the out-of-towners, Hot Dog Day is purely for the locals. It is a well-kept local secret and held mid-week to deter cranky Calgarians from making the trip. It is in a similar vein, with everyone getting oot and aboot in their finest 80's ski suits and caking on the blue eyeshadow. I have managed to find a delightful baby blue pair of ski pants with particularly fetching suspender straps. Only $6 from the Op-Shop so not too shabby I reckon!
On a completely unrelated, yet super exciting topic, we bought a car today! It is bluey-green and SO pretty. It is a 1996 Dodge Caravan and it is the first car I've ever owned so I'm pretty excited about that! The previous owner has made up a wooden insert that slides into the back and has storage area that will be perfect for our suitcases and an esky. It has a queen size blow up mattress and also comes with a propane cooker and all the utensils we will need. It is all set up so we can go camping and be sufficient for a decent amount of time.
This will be perfect for us, as we are planning a big road trip once our lease here in Fernie runs out. From here we will head to Kelowna and the Okanagan lake region, then Vancouver Island before heading down the west coast America through Washington, Oregon and California. In California we want to go to San Fransisco and LA and San Diego before heading to Las Vegas. After that we will go to the Grand Canyon, before making our way back to Canada through Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Montana. If we leave in mid-April we will have two months before we need to be back in Fernie.
The Summer season up on the hill starts in the last week of June and runs through until the end of September and Zane and I are in talks to work up at Lost Boy's, which is open on the weekends for BBQs.
We are both so excited about the road trip. Even though this season has been awesome, we're pretty ready for some sunshine and warm weather. I envision us camping next to lakes and in forests and cooking up meals on our little cooker and cruising down the highways with the windows down, serenading Zane with my amazing singing voice. Oh it is going to be great.
Only 7 days of work left, this season has just flown by!
Much anticipatory planning and road-trip dreaming,
Love T and Z
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Close Encounters of the Fir Kind
On Friday, Jake, Todd and Emma came to visit and the cursed weekend began. Todd and Emma were coming from Calgary where they have been living for the past 3 years and Jake was coming from Lake Louise, where he is living and working for the Winter. They were just outside of Sparwood, about half an hour from Fernie, when smoke began billowing out from under the hood of their 2009 Subaru and all acceleration powers ceased to exist. Zane was luckily just finishing work and was able to borrow Crystal to go and save them from the truck stop in which they were stranded.
But that wasn’t the end of it. As the car is still under warranty, it had to be towed to the Subaru dealer in Calgary, a short $800 tow-ride away. Regardless of the drama, they checked into their hotel with their optimism reinstalled. It is Fernie, after all, and we were in the midst of the BEST snowfall of the season, but more on that later.
Overlooking the drama of the day, we headed out to the Pub for dinner before the hockey game. As usual, our dinner and drinks extended beyond our time expectations and we missed the game. But it was a great night of catching up.
The next morning the doom deepened. Todd was sick, Zane was sick, Jake was sick. All with the flu. Zane had to work and went off with a hacking cough, to stand in the balmy -24 degree Celsius temperatures of the Bear’s Den. It was a chilly weekend, with temperatures averaging below -30 with windchill. I was nice and toasty up at work, but I don’t think the cold winds were good for the out-of-towners.
We headed out for dinner that night, minus Todd, whose health had deteriorated during the day. This time we managed to make it to the game, but without Jake and Emma, who had decided on an early night given that they weren’t feeling too good either. Further evidence of the doom, the Ghostrider’s lost! They played valiantly but couldn’t overcome the players from Creston.
The next morning I woke up super keen to hit the slopes, I had the day off and I was going to show Jake the mountain! But then I realised I was feeling ill. And not alcohol ill, as I hadn’t drunk the night before. “Suck it up Tenille, you’ll be fine” I thought to myself, but then I talked to Robyn. Her and Adam had been up sick most of the morning, with a really bad tummy bug. I certainly didn’t want to be stranded up on the hill when the inclination to vom hit, so I stayed home with Robyn and Adam in, as it has now become, the house of illness. It was not a nice day. The worst thing was that I missed out on my friends Hen’s night! Apparently it was full of drinking, penis-paraphernalia and high-pitched girly giggling and I’m so sad I couldn’t be there
Todd and Emma headed back to Calgary that day, on an exorbitant airport shuttle, ending their expensive weekend of doom. Jake stayed on, keen to get the most out of the snow that had been steadily falling for the past couple of days.
I was feeling a bit better of Monday so we went up for a ride but (don’t laugh) there was too much snow. I know it sounds ridiculous but there was a good 35cm of fresh snow and it was THICK. I could barely turn and if I went off the track into the fresh stuff I would ski in half a metre, the snow would be above my knees and I would come to a complete stop. Zane was also not having a great time, as his chest was burning from his cold, so we called it a day pretty early.
On Tuesday Zane was feeling too sick to go up on the hill and Robyn and Adam were still pretty spewy so Jake and I left the house of Illness and headed up and we had the BEST DAY EVER! I’ve had to monitor my emotions, so as to not disappoint the others but it was epic! There had been 65cms over the past two days, but the freshest snow was light and fluffy. Jake and I skied all day, finding freshies all day and having some spectacular stacks. I had another tree-straddling moment and on our last run of the day Jake had a full-on tree collision. This piece of doom earned him a huge bruise on his hip and halted his skiing for the trip and despite even more snow falling that night he headed back to Lake Louise the next day.
So despite the coughs, the bruises, the vomiting and the burning muscles and the doom that plagued our weekend, we still had some great, phlegm fun and got to enjoy some really great snow (well, Jake and I did!) More snow is expected for the next couple of days at least, so hopefully the other guys will get their share of powder as well!
Much love, Z and T.
But that wasn’t the end of it. As the car is still under warranty, it had to be towed to the Subaru dealer in Calgary, a short $800 tow-ride away. Regardless of the drama, they checked into their hotel with their optimism reinstalled. It is Fernie, after all, and we were in the midst of the BEST snowfall of the season, but more on that later.
Overlooking the drama of the day, we headed out to the Pub for dinner before the hockey game. As usual, our dinner and drinks extended beyond our time expectations and we missed the game. But it was a great night of catching up.
The next morning the doom deepened. Todd was sick, Zane was sick, Jake was sick. All with the flu. Zane had to work and went off with a hacking cough, to stand in the balmy -24 degree Celsius temperatures of the Bear’s Den. It was a chilly weekend, with temperatures averaging below -30 with windchill. I was nice and toasty up at work, but I don’t think the cold winds were good for the out-of-towners.
We headed out for dinner that night, minus Todd, whose health had deteriorated during the day. This time we managed to make it to the game, but without Jake and Emma, who had decided on an early night given that they weren’t feeling too good either. Further evidence of the doom, the Ghostrider’s lost! They played valiantly but couldn’t overcome the players from Creston.
The next morning I woke up super keen to hit the slopes, I had the day off and I was going to show Jake the mountain! But then I realised I was feeling ill. And not alcohol ill, as I hadn’t drunk the night before. “Suck it up Tenille, you’ll be fine” I thought to myself, but then I talked to Robyn. Her and Adam had been up sick most of the morning, with a really bad tummy bug. I certainly didn’t want to be stranded up on the hill when the inclination to vom hit, so I stayed home with Robyn and Adam in, as it has now become, the house of illness. It was not a nice day. The worst thing was that I missed out on my friends Hen’s night! Apparently it was full of drinking, penis-paraphernalia and high-pitched girly giggling and I’m so sad I couldn’t be there
Todd and Emma headed back to Calgary that day, on an exorbitant airport shuttle, ending their expensive weekend of doom. Jake stayed on, keen to get the most out of the snow that had been steadily falling for the past couple of days.
I was feeling a bit better of Monday so we went up for a ride but (don’t laugh) there was too much snow. I know it sounds ridiculous but there was a good 35cm of fresh snow and it was THICK. I could barely turn and if I went off the track into the fresh stuff I would ski in half a metre, the snow would be above my knees and I would come to a complete stop. Zane was also not having a great time, as his chest was burning from his cold, so we called it a day pretty early.
On Tuesday Zane was feeling too sick to go up on the hill and Robyn and Adam were still pretty spewy so Jake and I left the house of Illness and headed up and we had the BEST DAY EVER! I’ve had to monitor my emotions, so as to not disappoint the others but it was epic! There had been 65cms over the past two days, but the freshest snow was light and fluffy. Jake and I skied all day, finding freshies all day and having some spectacular stacks. I had another tree-straddling moment and on our last run of the day Jake had a full-on tree collision. This piece of doom earned him a huge bruise on his hip and halted his skiing for the trip and despite even more snow falling that night he headed back to Lake Louise the next day.
So despite the coughs, the bruises, the vomiting and the burning muscles and the doom that plagued our weekend, we still had some great, phlegm fun and got to enjoy some really great snow (well, Jake and I did!) More snow is expected for the next couple of days at least, so hopefully the other guys will get their share of powder as well!
Much love, Z and T.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Things I love about Canada
Morning sunrises like this....
Watching the snow fall
Warming up in front of a fire
Cable TV – sooo much Family Guy and Criminal Minds
The Fernie Library. I must have chowed through at least 15 books by now, I can’t get enough.
Nice snugly days at home knitting and reading and staying warm
Ribs cooked on the BBQ by master BBQ-er Zane
Lucky Lager (most delicious cheap beer we’ve tried yet)
Being in another country
My awesome job
Getting tips! I’ve accumulated $900 so far! It’s not the minimum $150 a night that some lucky servers or bartenders make, but I’m happy to get the tips I get for doing a job that I really enjoy
Our new friends
$10 Beer and Burger and Bingo Tuesdays
Hockey games
Winter activities... skiing/snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating (ok so I haven’t actually done many of these, just skiing and one half-day of snowboarding but there’s still time!)
Things I miss about Australia
Friends and family
Pure Blonde beer
Getting ready and leaving the house within 15 minutes of waking up (impossible over here due to the amount of clothing and accessories required to prevent frostbite)
Walking on the beach
Shopping
Going for a run outside (a near impossibility over here, again due to chances of frostbite)
My teapot
Sushi
Being paid decent $$$
Things I am looking forward to
Summertime – widely reputed to be more enjoyable than Winter over here and THAT is saying something. I am looking forward to going camping and road-tripping and biking and hiking and enjoying the long days and warm weather.
Getting a car and having the freedom to explore the wide expanse that is Canada. Since arriving in Fernie we haven’t really left, which is fine, but it’ll be nice to go camping and whatnot in the Summer and check out some other mountains next Winter.
Our big South America travels. At this stage we are thinking of staying in Canada until the end of the 2011/2012 Winter season. After that, we will head down to South America for some exploring. I am so excited to travel through and spend a few months absorbing the culture and lifestyle.
All the ice melting so I don’t have to live in fear of slipping over on my ass. It happened the other night and I now have a sore buttock.
On Valentine's Day Zane and I went to the Old Elevator Restaurant, which is pretty much one of the fanciest restaurants in Fernie and it was awesome.
The highlight was definitely the dessert platter. We didn't think we'd be able to eat it all but we managed! The platter had little serves of cheesecake, berry freeform tart, chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce, chocolate semifreddo and FIVE scoops of ice cream! EPIC!
It was nice to get all dressed up and enjoy a romantical evening together.
Lots of Valentine's love, T and Z.
Morning sunrises like this....
Watching the snow fall
Warming up in front of a fire
Cable TV – sooo much Family Guy and Criminal Minds
The Fernie Library. I must have chowed through at least 15 books by now, I can’t get enough.
Nice snugly days at home knitting and reading and staying warm
Ribs cooked on the BBQ by master BBQ-er Zane
Lucky Lager (most delicious cheap beer we’ve tried yet)
Being in another country
My awesome job
Getting tips! I’ve accumulated $900 so far! It’s not the minimum $150 a night that some lucky servers or bartenders make, but I’m happy to get the tips I get for doing a job that I really enjoy
Our new friends
$10 Beer and Burger and Bingo Tuesdays
Hockey games
Winter activities... skiing/snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating (ok so I haven’t actually done many of these, just skiing and one half-day of snowboarding but there’s still time!)
Things I miss about Australia
Friends and family
Pure Blonde beer
Getting ready and leaving the house within 15 minutes of waking up (impossible over here due to the amount of clothing and accessories required to prevent frostbite)
Walking on the beach
Shopping
Going for a run outside (a near impossibility over here, again due to chances of frostbite)
My teapot
Sushi
Being paid decent $$$
Things I am looking forward to
Summertime – widely reputed to be more enjoyable than Winter over here and THAT is saying something. I am looking forward to going camping and road-tripping and biking and hiking and enjoying the long days and warm weather.
Getting a car and having the freedom to explore the wide expanse that is Canada. Since arriving in Fernie we haven’t really left, which is fine, but it’ll be nice to go camping and whatnot in the Summer and check out some other mountains next Winter.
Our big South America travels. At this stage we are thinking of staying in Canada until the end of the 2011/2012 Winter season. After that, we will head down to South America for some exploring. I am so excited to travel through and spend a few months absorbing the culture and lifestyle.
All the ice melting so I don’t have to live in fear of slipping over on my ass. It happened the other night and I now have a sore buttock.
On Valentine's Day Zane and I went to the Old Elevator Restaurant, which is pretty much one of the fanciest restaurants in Fernie and it was awesome.
The highlight was definitely the dessert platter. We didn't think we'd be able to eat it all but we managed! The platter had little serves of cheesecake, berry freeform tart, chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce, chocolate semifreddo and FIVE scoops of ice cream! EPIC!
It was nice to get all dressed up and enjoy a romantical evening together.
Lots of Valentine's love, T and Z.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Snowboarding, Polar Peak and Drinkopoly
On Tuesday I thought I'd give snowboarding a go. I had always resisted the urge, partly because I didn't want to spend a day of precious snowtime falling on my ass, and partly because I was worried I would enjoy it more than skiing. I had no reason to fear. It was fun and all, and the first couple of times I fell over Zane and I laughed but after more falls Zane was still laughing but my giggles were turning into tears. So after being very stubborn and continuously getting up only to fall over again I had a tantrum and we went in for a coffee.
While warming up and calming down we ran into some friends that were planning to hike up Polar Peak, which is the highest point on the mountain (7000ft) and can be reached when the weather is nice. So quick as a flash I swapped the snowboard for my beloved skis and we started the hike up. First you catch the Timber Chair, which takes you up to Lost Boy's and then you ski down to the White Pass Chair which takes you up to the top of Currie Bowl. From there you traverse along as far as you can go and then begin the hike. It took the four of us about 45 minutes to hike the incline and it was grueling. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind was roaring and it was hovering around the -25 Celsius point. The air continued to get thinner and our breaths started to get shorter and my lungs felt like they were freezing from the inside out.
But it was worth it for the view. Only once we'd finally got to the top and I'd had a little lie down to catch my breath could I fully appreciate the view. From the top of Polar Peak we could see all the mountains that completely surrounded us and the sweeping valleys and plains. Unfortunately we had only taken the one photo on the way up before the camera died but luckily Zane managed to get some photos and a video on his phone.
The ski down was pretty good as well, and we even stopped halfway down for a celebratory beer. To top off the day we headed to the Grizz Bar for a Jug of beer and a Taco Salad, we'd sure worked up an appetite!
We managed to get one photo before our camera battery died. Lucky it was a good'un!
The view from Polar Peak!
So I think I will definitely give snowboarding another go, but only on crappy days. We had 15cms of snow last night so there was no way I was going to waste the day falling over and having tantrums! It was skis on and over to snake ridge this morning and it was awesome. Zane and I are trying to ski/board the whole mountain by the end of the season. We've got quite a few to conquer (mainly blacks and double diamonds) but I think we will be able to do it! We ticked off a few today, some good, and some that had Zane cursing and swearing that he'd never go there again but you can't win all the time. He did have a rather spectacular fall off a cliff and is now sporting a large bruise on his arm but he'll heal. I, however, had possibly one of the best runs of the season so far and can't wait to go back, possibly dragging Zane kicking and screaming.
One of the girls I work with has decided to leave Fernie and go back to Sydney to go to uni. I think she decided this on a whim, during one of our rainy days, as when we were skiing fresh pow together on a beautiful day last week she kept wailing "whhhyyy am I leaving???"
Despite my continued efforts to make her change her mind and stay forever like me, my skiing buddy left on Saturday. To farewell her, we had a nice morning tea at work and many drunken nights out on the town.
Working hard at Lost Boy's
Rach and Perchin' Percy
On one of these drunken nights, we played Drinkopoly. This version of Monopoly was created by Belgium, who used to work at Lost Boy's before a groin injury had him relocated to the base of the mountain. Instead of British landmarks, you can buy Fernie drinking establishments, not with money but with certain amounts of drinks consumed. Landing on someone else's establishment incurs a drinking fine on that person. There are also drink cards instead of Chance and Community Chest cards which instruct the player to do any number of shots in various ways, or instructs players to do silly things like create a rule which everyone must obey, or remove one item of clothing. We do have some photographic evidence of the last thing occurring (luckily not to us) but I don't think it's blog-able.
Drinkopoly!
Various drinking methods included ingesting a whole can in one go...
Drinking upside down...
Look no hands!
And it also increased the potential for group hugs
While warming up and calming down we ran into some friends that were planning to hike up Polar Peak, which is the highest point on the mountain (7000ft) and can be reached when the weather is nice. So quick as a flash I swapped the snowboard for my beloved skis and we started the hike up. First you catch the Timber Chair, which takes you up to Lost Boy's and then you ski down to the White Pass Chair which takes you up to the top of Currie Bowl. From there you traverse along as far as you can go and then begin the hike. It took the four of us about 45 minutes to hike the incline and it was grueling. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind was roaring and it was hovering around the -25 Celsius point. The air continued to get thinner and our breaths started to get shorter and my lungs felt like they were freezing from the inside out.
But it was worth it for the view. Only once we'd finally got to the top and I'd had a little lie down to catch my breath could I fully appreciate the view. From the top of Polar Peak we could see all the mountains that completely surrounded us and the sweeping valleys and plains. Unfortunately we had only taken the one photo on the way up before the camera died but luckily Zane managed to get some photos and a video on his phone.
The ski down was pretty good as well, and we even stopped halfway down for a celebratory beer. To top off the day we headed to the Grizz Bar for a Jug of beer and a Taco Salad, we'd sure worked up an appetite!
We managed to get one photo before our camera battery died. Lucky it was a good'un!
The view from Polar Peak!
So I think I will definitely give snowboarding another go, but only on crappy days. We had 15cms of snow last night so there was no way I was going to waste the day falling over and having tantrums! It was skis on and over to snake ridge this morning and it was awesome. Zane and I are trying to ski/board the whole mountain by the end of the season. We've got quite a few to conquer (mainly blacks and double diamonds) but I think we will be able to do it! We ticked off a few today, some good, and some that had Zane cursing and swearing that he'd never go there again but you can't win all the time. He did have a rather spectacular fall off a cliff and is now sporting a large bruise on his arm but he'll heal. I, however, had possibly one of the best runs of the season so far and can't wait to go back, possibly dragging Zane kicking and screaming.
One of the girls I work with has decided to leave Fernie and go back to Sydney to go to uni. I think she decided this on a whim, during one of our rainy days, as when we were skiing fresh pow together on a beautiful day last week she kept wailing "whhhyyy am I leaving???"
Despite my continued efforts to make her change her mind and stay forever like me, my skiing buddy left on Saturday. To farewell her, we had a nice morning tea at work and many drunken nights out on the town.
Working hard at Lost Boy's
Rach and Perchin' Percy
On one of these drunken nights, we played Drinkopoly. This version of Monopoly was created by Belgium, who used to work at Lost Boy's before a groin injury had him relocated to the base of the mountain. Instead of British landmarks, you can buy Fernie drinking establishments, not with money but with certain amounts of drinks consumed. Landing on someone else's establishment incurs a drinking fine on that person. There are also drink cards instead of Chance and Community Chest cards which instruct the player to do any number of shots in various ways, or instructs players to do silly things like create a rule which everyone must obey, or remove one item of clothing. We do have some photographic evidence of the last thing occurring (luckily not to us) but I don't think it's blog-able.
Drinkopoly!
Various drinking methods included ingesting a whole can in one go...
Drinking upside down...
Look no hands!
And it also increased the potential for group hugs
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