Ski Bumming the Rockies

Reminiscences mid term.

2006-02-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

So, I guess it is coming to an end, but what a climax. Tomorrow I am off to Lake Louise, and on Friday we head out on the back country ski trip to Kaslo, at Empire hut. Google for it, I am sure you will find it in British Columbia.

You know, I am truly the luckiest bloke in Canada, I am being loaned a Subaru Outback, not a Liberty (be jealous Leisa) with seat warmers, a CD player, a gear shift and left hand drive. I am heading out early-ish, it is a holiday after all.

I'll probably not get a chance to update the blog for a week or so. But I am still amazed at where I am. I have been cross country skiing in and around the town area, it is wonderful. temperatures have been down to -25C in the last few days and it is still liveable, I have learnt to be careful about layering, and I am being a bit slack about drinking water, you dehydrate so quickly here.

I will be back in Sydney on the tenth BTW. I don't want to work as an auto technician anymore. I have a life in Sydney, and I miss my friends and home lots.

But I love this place too. I love the colours and the changes, I love looking at the mountains whenever I get outside, I love the pinks and the crimsons and mauves in the sunsets as the Rockies greet the last of the sun rays every day. I love skating in the park, on perfect dry snow, groomed trails, in the embrace of the tall fir and pine trees, I love the sense of rushing cold air as you breathe in deeply while going up a hill. I love the bite of the air as you go outside. I love the crystals of ice forming and melting on the windows. I love the feeling of improving my tele turns on every run downhill, I love the feeling of the snow when I fall, tingling and cold, yet soft and gone.

I love the people and their generousity, I love the town, and the quiet. I love the life that embraces everyone, a smile, like you are part of a secret. I love being here with Adrian. We are very connected in many ways, similar experiences and times in our lives parallel. He is teaching me a lot about community spirit and participation, he is out tonight on a search and rescue, and Thursday he will be at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. Ryan was here on the weekend. He is a wonderful person who is going to make a fine teacher. I'll get a website where some of his music is uploaded. They are a great couple and so comfortable with me being here. Ryan lives in Edmonton, and that is about 7 hours form here. So they see each other only occasionally.

Adrian is back now so I am off! See you all soon.
Love Warren.

Granny's cook book and cash crop, Kooteney style...

2006-02-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hey you guys, Vera-Lyn (sic); was telling me about her "Mom" last Saturday night. After the "Big-Air" competition on the hill...
Seems "Mom" had been in need of a hip replacement for some time, being high risk the doctors had procrastinated for a long time about the operation.
Junior (the nameless son) had got fed up with mom complaining about the pain, so he suggested some green herbal analgesics, 1960's style. "Mom" loved it.

In fact she loved it so much she became a bit of a dab hand at doing rolled joints, durries, bongs, cookies, tea and found she had so much need she decided to cut out the middle man and, well, utilise her legendary 'green thumb'. Apparently a small thicket is growing quite healthily in the garden over the summer, and like all good subsistence farmers, "Mom" has a good working knowledge of tilling the land and letting it lie fallow.

She sells the stuff on the open market now, and the competition, or what is left of it, has to contest with the Law, while "Mom" looks so innocent no self respecting Mountie would even suspect she has more form than Macybie Diva and Phar Lap in the same race.

Apparently she is experimenting with various new recipes, and has a literal oven full already. Stay tuned for the highest herbal cook book since Woodstock days...

Oh, well; you may ask, how old is "Mom". Over 70 of course. And the hip? Replaced a couple of years ago, but who's counting steps now "Mom" is 'flying' along on life's journey?

"I'm NOT THAT GUY"

2006-02-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Montana/British Columbia Border. Early, cold. good humoured, humourless customs officers and a wanted American on their database ('Google' Sacramento's most wanted, look at Marcus Walker).

Mark Walker, our illustrious leader is asked to place his hands on the dashboard while the rest of the bus trip is to put their hands on the ceiling of the vehicle. We laugh. Mark yells out:

"I'm not that guy"

And the other customs officer, the supercillious looking cove wearing a larger than average daggy moustache, with his finger on the trigger, pistol still in his holster, even more humourless and stupid looking than usual, wanders around the bus looking in as though he is important and knows what he is doing. Eyes truly are a window into a man's soul. Fear, terror, scared of a bus full of middle aged or retired pensioners and a couple of white guys... Thank GOD the idiot kept his frigging pop gun (.45 calibre) in his holster, close enough to his balls so he could finger them... Actually, he probably would have shot his own foot...

The rest of the customs people were terrific. Clearly this guy was only let out of his cage when there might be an emergency... As if he would be part of the solution...

You know they actually take a finger print of you now using an IF camera, a pretty trick piece of kit, unless of course you forget to bring $6.00 US for the privelege. Then they take your finger. Off. I need my index finger to type entries onto the blog. I paid $6.00. US.

This reminds me of my entrance into Vancouver. The hall for customs is awesome. No, nothing like the sterile, languid and peuse stuff at Sydney. Oh no, they have waterfalls, and big flying things in the ceiling, and beautiful wood finishes, and signs saying 'Welcome' or 'bienven...some frog word'. Oh, the customs people even play scissors, rock or paper to determine who gets the next person in the queue. I got the bloke, not the cute one. Story of my life really...

The People I have met here in Kimberley.

2006-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Adrian has some fabulous friends. I was taken skiing yesterday by some of his friends at the resort here and was given yet more pointers to improve my skiing. Pete and the girls were happy to wait and let me catch up. Golly they are great skiers! Everything is helping and I am enjoying time on the ski's more and more.

What has amazed me is the friendliness of all the crowd I have met. I commented about it to Adrian and he said that everyone wants to make sure I have fun and enjoy myself here. I am.

I cannot compare the experience to any other travelling I have done. Even country towns in Australia lack that special buzz Kimberley people have. I suspect it is down to the location, people here acknowledge the enormity of the surroundings, the natural, grand beauty of everything and it rubs off on them. I could easily fit into the local community here.

Words fail to describe the effervescence and warmth everyone has. It shows in the smiles you get and the hello's you are given when you are walking around town. It is the spirit of place. It is being home.

Febrary 14. Wow

2006-02-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

Friday I went and skied in Montana, at the 'Big Mountain' ski resort. What a magic day. The typical American flat lands and plains country, with lakes and rivers and mountains all around. It looks desolate and lifeless. But it is also pretty in its own way. The mountain itself is beautiful, with snow ghosts and a view of 'Glacier National Park' from the high point on the hill. I was at first quite intimidated by the steepness and height of this resort, but gradually through the day I got more confident. It is easily the most consistently steep place I have skied on, the intermediates here would be considered easy black runs in Australia. Adrian and Mark had a couple of sort of runs with me after lunch. Giving me some pointers I made some more headway and I am still a long way from these guys, and I appreciate the time they spent with me, mostly them waiting... But I am holding my own. on our way home we hit a white tail deer, and they are stupider than kangaroos. Without a doubt. This 'sweetheart' did what they normally do, run then switchback, and straight into the bus we were on. It had broken legs and was thrown across the road, still alive, I helped make sure the bus was right. A local, American and well aware of his right to bare arms, helped deliver mercy to the poor animal. Using his 45 calibre hand gun... America, land of the free.

What a weekend. Saturday I helped Adrain out with some renovating he is doing. This included some tiling and insulating under the house. Saturday night I went to a party with the crowd of people I had met over the previous week. It was a typical country town get together. All loud and happy people, with dogs, children and adults all packed into the one smallish house.

Sunday we went and did some back country skiing. It was an early start and cold. Packing gear the night before was interesting. Extra bits of clothing of course, avalanche beacon and skins etc. We also packed the skidoo (?)... So next morning after a reasonably large breakfast we gathered at the meeting point. Mark, Adrian, John and his son Kyle, and Roy. I was there too by the way. We drove into the 'St Mary's Valley' for about twenty minutes. We stopped and at the same place, were another crowd of skidoo owning people. The next thing you could hear was this perfect stillness, cold white beauty. Then. A CACOPHONY" of overpowered lawnmower engines going unnGGG NNNUUUUNNNNNGGGGG nung nung nung nung in the bloody morning. Adrian commented "Welcome to the Kootenay's." I thought 'F#$k, what am I doing here...'

We piled and stacked and tied gear on to the unloaded, foaming, spitting skidoo's then the dogs were loaded on to the things with us under them. I was told to simply hold on to anything but the rider (Adrian) and off we went. Cold was my first thought, then uncomfortable. We went I suppose maybe 10km up the valley to a place called 'Hell Roaring'. And unloaded the skidoos and put the skins on the skis and up the hill... It was a straight climb, to the highest point I have ever been on a mountain, around 8200 ft or about 2700m. I was so slow, but none of the group complained. Then at the top, I had to take in one of the most spectacular views I have seen in a while, all around me were mountains higher than where we were. Off with the skins and Mark said "Over here, down there." I really did say something unspeakable then. Powder snow, downhill, pretty much 2700m worth. I only made one half decent turn, got wet through, buried twice, straddled a tree, and was the epitomy of the moving snowman. But laugh, I laughed my belly stupid. Fair Dinkum. It was a Beauty...

Did I have fun? Yes, I had a smile bigger than when I last had good sex. Was I overwhelmed? A bit yes. Do I want to do it again? You betcha!! bring it on.

February 9 . I feel so; Alive.

2006-02-09T22:18:00.000-08:00

I feel like my life is taking off and soaring finally. After all these last couple of years and the highlights, the lows, and the pushing, trying to stay centred and get balanced. Everything is coming together, I am feeling fit and healthy like my body is responding to the altitude and the cold. Everything is just that bit lighter, tighter, more lean and younger. Tonight on the skating course I did two circuits, 6 km. Not far, but it was an epiphany. The air was cold, -5C and dry, and my lungs took it in and revelled in the joy of it.

I could feel the rythmn and melody of the skating, breathing and stepping on to the left ski with an exhale on the push with the arms, and breathing in on the step and slide with the right ski. It is all about technique, your aerobic capacity makes the rythmn, push it to hard and you crumble, but let the breathing call the pace, and the melody of the stepping and sliding the ski's comes naturally.

For the first time in years, yesterday, I was linking telemark turns on fast downhill, the Rocky Mountains in front of me presenting a magnificent, timeless almost surreal experience while the azure blue sky reflected off perfect packed powder piste snow.
Today we went in to Cranbrook, and the Purcell Mountain range was in the most magnificent view. Another pure blue day, and the mountains in the pure white of fresh snow, that white only mountains have after fresh falls.

Tomorrow, we are going to Big Mountain in Montana. More skiing. This time on my new ski's.

Australia to Japan to Vancouver.

2006-02-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

I feel so. Tired.
This trip has been coming too long. My mind drifts to a song by Annie Lennox, 'The Thousand Beautiful things':

"Even though its hard to see the glass
is full and not half empty...
...I thank you for the air to breathe,
The heart to beat,
The eyes to see again...
The battles won..."

From 'Annie Lennox Bare', 2003.

I have been running empty for a while I guess. Sometimes it was like I was running nowhere fast, with some lack of direction, trying all the time to keep centred.

The last couple of years have been a bit of a struggle and I cannot believe I am going to Canada, finally. To ski and rejoice in the mountains again. After all the drama's with coming back to some semblance of healthy body. And for that matter, mind. Now I can relax and enjoy time to reflect and get really fit doing the things I love most, being in the outdoors, communing with mountain spirits and the high places.

I embarked on the plane this early Sydney summer morning. I sat in the upper deck and the plane was crowded. It was an uneventful flight. The next day and a bit in Japan were cold. REALLY cold. It was also really hard work with the language change too. And I am still feeling tired.

I enjoyed the walk around Narita, and the trip to the temple, where a huge winter festival was on, so I did not go in and spend time there. I really wanted to but time will come again for that. I also had some ramen noodles in a noodle bar frequented by aircrews. This was shown to me by some New Zealandish flight people. The copilot, I forget his name was terrific fun. I also spent the first evening with a couple from England, and a French bloke working oil rigs in Africa and living in Perth! Go figure that one! I think I would like to spend time in Japan but I will learn more about the language before I go. It is not that expensive so far.

The flight to Vancouver was 'Groundhog day time zone style'. An all nighter across the dateline going backwards. I arrived in Vancouver and spent the day trying to stay awake. And fixing the computer that failed me. I went to MEC shop in Vancouver and dropped my rocks. I have never seen so much outdoor adventure gear in one place. The selection was unbelievable. I bought a avalanche beacon, which you wear while travelling in back country regions as a device to signal to rescuers where your body is. The reality is that in an avalanche you barely have time to kiss your arse goodbye.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, in the most amazing location imaginable. Mountains and sea all around. I stayed in a hotel that has a famous restaurant atached. Terrific service, beer (awesome) and great food. the jazz live was excellent too. All in all, brilliant. People in Vancouver are so friendly, and helpful. I went to see the Museum of Anthropology and spent time pouring over the artifacts from the First Nations peoples. They had an amazingly fertile and provident world, the amount and quality of art indicates an easy lifestyle, not constrained to constantly ekeing out a living from the surroundings.