A taste of the mountain life.

No words.  Just visuals.  For full effect, make sure you click to enlarge them.

Bobsledding - so fast that even if you don't blink, you'll still miss it.

A few weeks back, I went to the Women's Bobsleigh World Cup at the Whistler Sliding Centre.  My boss gave me free tickets so I decided to check it out.  The venue was pretty cool.  You enter at the lowest point of the track which is located at the last major turn on the course (Thunderbird).  As soon as I got the tickets, I had my mind set on getting up to the beginning of the track to watch a start (not realizing how long it would actually take and how much energy I would need to exert to get there).  I later found out that I walked all the way up and and back down a 1450 metre track with a total vertical drop of 152 metres (this was all after an incredibly tiring day of work).  On top of that, it was snowing like mad all day which created a whole lot of ice, snow and slush to try and treck through.  Literally, an uphill battle.  By the time I got to the top, I wanted to slide down the track myself but I refrained.  I figured death by bobsled would be a crappy way to go out... and the track would get all goopy with my splattered insides everywhere (and the sweeper men who clean the track aren't really equipped to deal with that).  Anywho, it was a very impressive event to watch live.  I would definitely recommend it if you get the chance.  The speed is truly incredible.  Those athletes have to be insane to willingly slide down an icy track at ridiculous speeds, knowing that one wrong move could mean the end.  Unfortunately, sliding sports aren't really something you can capture with photos.  However, I did try my best.  Check it out:

Pretty cool, eh?  Yeah... you kinda had to be there.

That's all for now.

Nat.

A simple formula...

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Happy Natasha

Two more days of boarding

This one starts off a little wordy so if you're like me and need to be visually entertained - there are pictures if you keep scrolling past those annoying letters...  Here's a couple photos of my new socks to give you the strength to push through:

How cute are these?

If you're unsure of what to get me for Christmas, snowboard socks are never a bad choice...

I consider myself very lucky because I get to be on the mountain seven days a week.  However, until work ski-outs start, I only get to be on my board for two out of the seven days.  So I've decided to take full advantage of the two days a week I do have off.  Up until Tuesday, I had been working for the past six days straight.  Needless to say, I was ready for some riding.  I woke up early-ish.  I did let myself sleep in until about 8:30... and yes I am fully aware of how sad it is that I consider not waking up until 8:30, sleeping in.  I got up, got ready, walked outside, and realized that it was raining.  Not really what I was hoping for on my first day off.  But I figure - no worries, it'll be better once I get to the alpine.  I walk the 8 minutes it takes to get to the village and arrive at the Whistler gondola.  My jacket is a bit wet but nothing too serious.  I take the gondola up to the midstation at which point a skier boards.  He was absolutely soaked.  The guy was even wearing Gore-tex outerwear (supposedly "guaranteed to keep you dry").  I was kind of worried at this point but I figured it was alright because I wanted to go up to the peak of the mountain and it couldn't possibly be raining there.  I started chatting with the drenched skier and he informed me that the lifts I wanted to take were closed for the day.  So I was thinking, screw it.  It doesn't matter.  It was my day off and dammit I was gonna get a full day of boarding in.  I did one run on Whistler and didn't like the snow (it was perfect packing snow which is not nice to ski or board on) so I decided to take the Peak 2 Peak (a $51 million gondola that spans 4.4km and connects Whistler and Blackcomb).  On a sidenote, I really do like Blackcomb better than Whistler so if you come and visit you know which one I'll be taking you on.  Here are some pictures from the Peak 2 Peak:

These aren't the best pictures.  Hopefully one of these days I'll get to go out on a clear day and snap a few sweet ones.

It also doesn't help that I'm using the camera on my blackberry.  There's no way my good camera would have survived the conditions of the past two days.

This is for my fellow blackberry users who play the game Pixelated.  I want these pants.

There was one recently opened lift (Crystal chair) on Blackcomb so I decided to go explore some new runs.  It was a good decision.  Although it was still wet, the snow was better than the stuff I was riding on Whistler.  So far, the Crystal runs are definitely my favourites.  After about four straight runs from the Crystal chair, the lifty at the bottom told me I was crazy to still be out boarding because I was soaking wet.  My jacket, my pants, my gloves, my neck-warmer, my sweatshirt, my base layer, my undies - all drenched.  Riding the lift was the worst part because I just had to sit there in my wet gear which made me even colder.  You don't notice it so much while you're boarding though so I kept going until the lifts closed. 

Chili + hot chocolate = the best way to warm up on a cold day.

That was Tuesday.  Wednesday was a completely different ball game.  Picture this: winds so strong that a chair lift carriage came inches from smashing into the support beam, white-outs so bad at times you couldn't see 20 feet in front of you and pine tree branches being blown off trees and onto the runs.  That sums up Wednesday in a nutshell.  There was a fair bit of fresh powder.  After the hell that was my last powder day, I got some tips on how to survive the next one.  Basically, keep your nose up and cruise; don't try to do too much... just float.  I had a bit more success than my last time out, although the snow was not nearly as deep.  After a couple runs down Wishbone and Zigzag (here's a trail run map in case you want to know which runs I'm talking about: http://media.intrawest.com/whistler/maps/trailmap1011.pdf ) I decided to go back to Crystal because of how much I enjoyed it on Tuesday.  I boarded the lift with two skiers (one of whom was sporting these skis http://www.altrec.com/images/shop/detail/swatches/HEA/29074.72976_d.jpg .  The lift was moving at a snail's pace.  It probably took a good 25 to 30 minutes (the chair lifts automatically slow down when the winds are high) to get to the top when it normally takes 5 in ideal conditions.  Thankfully I've started bringing my ipod when I go boarding.  It's nice to have a soundtrack to my day.  The winds were so bad at this point that we were getting pounded with snow that was being blown off the trees.  It was quite cold.  What was worse was actually how much we were swinging side to side.  When we were approaching the top of the lift, the winds picked up even more and the chair came quite close to crashing into the support beam.  Thankfully that didn't happen.  We arrived at the top relatively unscathed but were met with white out conditions.  After you make it past the first bit of the run you're alright because everything's a bit more sheltered.  I enjoyed the snow in the main run but did not appreciate the 2km of severely icy cat tracks (very narrow, flat runs designed for skiers) that I was forced to use at the bottom to get back to the lift... falling on hard ice is no fun.

The conditions mid-run in the Crystal zone.

I found this funny.  I was sitting in the exact same place when I took this picture and the previous one.  There was this one patch of blue sky and the rest was gray.

I had to snap a photo of these pants.  The picture doesn't really capture how incredibly florescent they were... but trust me - they were blinding.  Pants don't need to be that bright unless you're using them to help land an airplane.

So after seven days on the mountain, I'm getting much more confident on my board.  I've gone from a hesitant falling leaf on greens to carving with good speed on blues.  I might give a black run a shot in the next couple weeks. 

Stay tuned for more blogs... if the black diamonds don't destroy me.

Nat

ps. Keep commenting, but leave your names!  I can't always tell who the anonymous folk are... except if your name is Moira because it's pretty obvious ;)

OMG BROWNIES!!!

I figured a title like that was the best way to get your attention.  If you didn't click on "OMG BROWNIES!!!" immediately after reading it - there is obviously something wrong with you. Please, go see a doctor.

So I'm in Whistler... and how did I spend my Friday night?  Making chocolate peanut butter brownies while wearing pajamas and listening to Counting Crows.  That's how.  I'd been having some serious chocolate cravings over the last little while.  I went grocery shopping and bought some Reese peanut butter cups but decided that they just wouldn't cut it.  I'd been without a chocolate fix for so long that I needed to go big.  So I pulled up my no-fail brownie recipe and went to it.  I'll post the link at the bottom for anyone who wants to make the best brownies you'll ever eat.  Also, the last blog was a bit wordy, so it's going to be more of a visual display this time.  I figure I lost half my audience with the excessive use of text last time.  So, for my 3 remaining readers, here's how it went down:

Because I take food safety incredibly serious, I washed my f**king hands thoroughly before I began the preparation (that's a joke for all my fellow WB staff who experienced the same food safe training I did)... but I really did wash them.  To start, you melt butter and mix it with some cocoa... how can you not love making brownies when that's how the recipe begins.

The start of something amazing.

The result - chocolatey goodness.

A cup of sugar couldn't hurt...

Add in the eggs, flour, salt and vanilla and now we're getting somewhere.

The magical Reese Chipits to satisfy the peanut butter craving.

Throw a few in...

and a few more...

All ready to bake...

Like any sane person, I scraped the bowl and licked the spoon... well I scraped the pot.  Unfortunately I no longer have a mixing bowl so the pot did just fine.

The finished product.

Why my co-workers will love me forever.

I'm off now.  It's a Saturday night, which naturally means it's oatmeal chocolate chip cookie time.

ps.  My new roommate Christina (who is from Spain) had never tried chocolate and peanut butter together until three weeks ago.  Seriously Spain - what the hell. 

http://www.food.com/recipe/whatever-floats-your-boat-brownies-32204

My new motto: Lose fear. Gain freedom.

Sunday was an epic day.  I'll talk about that a little bit later, but first: what's working at an elevation of 6102 feet like you ask?  A little something like this:

Please click on me to expand to full view and get the full effect of how lucky I am.

I was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario.  We have some hills, bits of farmland and a lake.  All of this mountain business is new to me.  I honestly can't get over how gorgeous everything is every single time I walk outside.  Everyday seems like I just arrived.  The sense of awe just doesn't wear off.  If you don't believe me you should come and see for yourself... and if you do believe me you should come and see it anyway.

This is the first of two open face chair lifts I take to get to work at 7:15 in the morning.

Sunday was a key day in my development as a snowboarder.  For the last little while, I had been feeling like I was plateauing and kind of just spinning my wheels.  I wasn't really getting anywhere in terms of skill progression.  I was still enjoying myself on the mountain but was slightly frustrated as well.  My first run on Sunday, I decided to stop using my brain so much.  In trying to learn snowboarding (as in every other area of my life) I was over-thinking it.  I got some great advice from some good boarders basically telling me to just go with it.  Turn off your brain and start feeling it rather than thinking it.  As hard as that was for me to do, it was so incredibly worth it.  The moment I let myself go was the moment I was carving (something I had never had much success with before).  I thought it was a fluke but I just kept on doing it. 

In addition to being a great day for developing my boarding skills, Sunday was also a very quiet day on the mountain.  There were a few times where I could not see or hear another person around me (and if you read my laundry blog then you know I enjoy my quiet time).  As awesome as the quiet I associate with laundry day is, there's just no comparison to being in the alpine.  At one point, I sat down at the crest of a slope (as I often do because my legs are still getting into boarding shape) and just completely embraced the beauty of the nature that surrounded me.  Wind whispering.  Sun shining.  Perfection.

Love at first sight exists.

Tuesday was a whole different can of worms.  It had snowed overnight which meant 30cm of fresh powder to ride.  Being an easterner - I'm used to riding icy, flat hills.  But out west, it snows like nothing else.  I had heard about the "pow" (what the cool kids call powder) and how awesome it is from experienced riders.  I rode the chairlift Tuesday morning eager to get out there on a fresh powder day.  However, I was not fully prepared for the experience that would follow.  We get off the chairlift at the top of the mountain and clipped in.  We ride down a gentle slope on the way to the main run.  At this point I am having an awesome time; I'm only riding on a bit of fresh snow so I'm gliding over it and carving like a pro.  Then we get into the main run.  Bursting with confidence from the previous 30 seconds of riding and fresh off two solid days of improvement, I'm messing around in the snow and getting far too cocky for my own good.  I decided to try riding switch (unsuccessfully) which lead to a complete wipeout/faceplant into the snow.  Normally this would not be a big deal.  It's happened many times before.  However, I was apparently far too excited about riding powder that I forgot to clip my helmet strap on.  So instead of a regular bail - I hit my head on the ground but my helmet and goggles go flying 50 feet down the slope (I was lucky it was still pretty flat terrain or they would have rolled much further).  I was a bit shaken up but I have a pretty thick skull so I was feeling just fine after a few minutes.  After grabbing my wet goggles and snow-filled helmet, I proceeded down the mountain... or tried to.  Powder is a difficult beast for a novice, eastern-bred snowboarder such as myself to conquer.  I was riding with a more experienced friend that day so we went down a run that was barely touched since the previous night's snowfall (I'm talking snow up to my butt).  Basically, the next hour went a little something like this:

Natasha rides for 5 seconds.
Natasha falls down because the powder is too deep and she lost her balance.
Natasha sits in the snow for 30 seconds.
Natasha attempts to get up unsuccessfully.
Natasha repeats the previous step.
After much effort and cursing, Natasha gets up and rides for 4 seconds.
Natasha falls again.
Natasha whines a bit or a lot depending on how stuck she is.

Repeat these steps for about an hour or so, but with the time spent sitting getting longer, the riding time getting shorter and the whining getting increasingly annoying you have Natasha's first powder experience.

Supposedly it gets easier...  I'm looking forward to riding when I can fully appreciate a powder day.  It seems impossible now, but then again - carving seemed impossible a couple days ago.  And look where I am now.

Lose fear.  Gain freedom.

Nat

New blog about the mountain coming soon... for now - a frightening teddy bear.

This big fella sits outside a chocolate shop in the village.  I'm not sure what his purpose is.  He'd be kinda cute if not for the weird wrinkly eyes.

Is it weird that I like scraping out the lint trap?

I love laundry night for a couple reasons:

1.  I enjoy scooping out the lint blanket that the dryer makes.  I don't know why.  I just do...  (to all my fellow psychology majors - analyze away).

2.  Because of the supposed "clothing bandits" (see above) I sit upstairs in the hall outside the laundry room for a good two hours and listen to music, the low humming of the washer and the soft tumbling of the clothes in the dryer.  It's truly therapeutic when your days are filled with noise and all you want is peace and time to yourself.  While all the crazy kids are partying, I find comfort in the quiet.  Tonight's playlist went a little something like this:

Death Cab For Cutie
The Arkells
Counting Crows
Dashboard Confessional
The Weakerthans
Tegan and Sara
The Trews
Onelinedrawing
Jack's Mannequin
Matchbox Twenty
Bloc Party
Damien Rice
Nine Inch Nails
Pilate
Coldplay
Jack Johnson

If you have any laundry night music recommendations for me, just leave them in the comments section below.  I think I need to refresh my ipod a bit and I'm always looking for new artists/bands to get into.

This is the Blenz hot chocolate that I am in love with.  Does it belong in this blog?  Probably not.  But doesn't it look delicious?  Can you tell I'm craving chocolate?  Can I still call this a caption if it's this long?  Have I asked too many questions?  I think the sleep deprivation of the last two days is catching up with me.

In other news, after two days of training at Rendezvous (the restaurant I work at on Blackcomb Mountain), I've been promoted to lead hand (more responsibility and hopefully a pay raise to go along with it).  I'm quite excited about it.  The members of the management team have been awesome and it seems like a really great work environment.  I'm going to be learning the role as I go.  So it appears that just like my last job, it'll be initiation by fire... and that's the way I've come to like it.  After three months of unemployment, I'm ready to embrace a new challenge; I'm really itching to get going.  We open up for business tomorrow.  So with a bunch of snow in the forecast for the next few days, it looks like it'll be a crazy weekend.  Wish me luck; I'll let you know if I make it out alive.

This photo is here because I didn't have a segue from the last paragraph to the next one... and because i like this photo.

Coming to Whistler this year was probably the best decision I could have made.  I've been here three weeks now but it feels like I've been here a lot longer than that.  Everybody who lives in or visits Whistler chose to be here, so it's such a friendly place.  I've met some awesome people, made some great friends and hope to make many more.  I can see why so many people who come here find it too difficult to leave and just end up staying.  For now though, I need to leave this blog and go get a cookie... or four.

Nat

Really Vancouver? I could have seen that in Toronto.

I'm part of an employee social club program called Club Shred.  They offer tons of different discounts around town and one of the best is the $50 tickets to Vancouver Canucks games.  That includes transportation down there and back so it's a great deal.  When I looked at the schedule of games they offer the deal for, the Canucks vs. Blackhawks game immediately caught my attention.  For the past two years Chicago has kicked Vancouver out of the playoffs so it's a pretty big rivalry.  The Blackhawks are the defending Stanley Cup champs and both teams are up there with the best in the league.  So I'm thinking this is going to be a hard-fought, evenly matched, well played game.  So me and Dave grabbed tickets.

I was excited to see the Canucks play.  After the Leafs, they're my favourite Canadian team.  I was expecting some Sedin twin magic, amazing saves from Luongo, and an overall impressive performance from a potential Stanley Cup contender.  Unfortunately I was wrong on all counts.  The first period was disappointing as both teams were sloppy and did not play well.  I might as well have been watching the Leafs play... well, the Leafs.  I had hope going into the second that both teams would hit their stride.  I was half right.  Chicago picked up their play and scored 4 unanswered goals.  Toews started it all off with a goal assisted by Kane and Hossa (what a scary line that is) and it all went downhill from there.  It was 4-0 by the end of the second.  Luongo had been pulled.  Half of the fans were leaving.  Very disappointing.  But, having previously been to hockey games where crazier things had happened - I was still hanging on to hope for a comeback in the third.  No such luck though.  This is what happened:

At this point, the guys beside us who we had been chatting with throughout the game said that they were going down to get better seats for the end of the game since everyone was leaving.  We decided to do the same.  Just as we were entering the lower bowl to grab seats - the Canucks scored their first and only goal of the game.  I literally walked in the second that the lamp was lit. Dave unfortunately was not so lucky.  On top of that, the jumbo tron malfunctioned so we didn't get to see the replay.  You would think they would have wanted to play it seven times over to make up for the goals scored against them.

me (in my "authentic" $25 Canucks jersey I purchased from a "trustworthy" gentleman in China) and Dave in our original seats.

our seats after the switch.

Even though the Canucks played terrible - I still got to see the green men mocking the Blackhawks when they took penalties.

And have a delicious double double burger from Triple O's.

This is pure happiness on a bun.

And see Ryan Kesler.

Ryan Kesler: almost as yummy as the burger.

Here's hoping the next game we attend goes down a bit (read: completely) different.

Nat