I Swear My Life Is Perfect

The last 4 days have been epic. In the full sense of the word.

In Panorama, after a 3 week dry spell of no snow whatsoever with -20 degree and below weather systems we finally got a dump of snow! Over 40cm in 48 hours - which is unheard of for this resort. Instructors who have been teaching here for decades were calling it some of the best conditions they can remember. I certainly made the most of it.

It started Friday afternoon when we had a slight deposit of fresh snow. Which made my weekly Friday training super fun. Leading into Saturday, a work day where I had the sweetest little boy all day for a 1 on 1 lesson in the 8cm deep soft snow on his birthday! Lots of playing and falling in the fresh stuff as it doesn't hurt at all! Although it does make teaching beginner lessons rather challenging as freshly fallen snow provides fantastic grip - at high speeds and on steep terrain this is perfect. However it is not ideal for side slipping - you just don't move! So my day involved a lot of walking, pulling and physical aid to keep the kid on his feet, moving and learning all at once.
My favourite part of the job is making up games to play with the children so they learn and have fun. Todays theme was police, security guards and SWAT teams. He had already been in lessons and had customised his name badge with a security emblem and wore it proudly. It seemed all the other instructors and lift operators (liftys) could remember him and he was undoubtedly popular! Babbly, fun kid who gave me a big hug before he left after the day. I love my job.

Sunday: normally another work day but as Alberta and British Colombia (BC) family week is coming up, the Ski and Ride Centre (ski school) needs all hands on deck. So instead of training the next 2 Fridays we could have the Sunday and Monday to train instead. Ha! "Train" With the forecast looking so good and snow falling heavily all day Saturday with no signs of letting up - Sunday/Monday was going to be amazing.

We rode hard all day, visiting the best places to find fresh powder. Guidance was conscience and preferably on chairlifts, so we could do as many laps round the mountain as possible. Josh our instructor knew all the best places to go, to avoid the traffic and find fresh, untracked spots. Unfortunately the famous backcountry runs in Tayton Bowl (a massive natural bowl created by the mountain containing around 7 runs and 3 ridges completely open to shred however you want to) was closed due to avalanche control. Instead we rode choppy lift lines to hit bumps, jumps off rocks and a fallen tree was even made into a jib (a all-natural rail to grind over! It was epic! I may not have stuck the landing as well as I wanted but boy did I hit it SSX Tricky style! Dream come true.)
Then onto glades where we arced between tight tree lines in waist deep powder so that we could jump a 6ft cliff drops back down onto the CAT track (a flat road made by the groomers) to get back to the resort for lunch. It was insane. The best riding I have ever done was over this weekend; thanks to the tuition and guidance of my instructor for both terrain and rider improvement. Plus it only got better into Monday.

Monday: Another training day in over 60cm of powder. Despite being in Canada, even the day to day life was affected. Buses running late, cars and even snowploughs sliding into snow banks! It got a little crazy but everyone knew how to cope and business went on as usual... kinda.With this much snow schools had a snow day and even businesses had a mandatory noon. Which meant a lot of locals flocked to the hill for a morning on the snow before work - not bad eh?
Same deal as Sunday, less jibba-jabba more shredding! This time Tayton Bowl was open so we trekked to the top of the mountain to find the best spot to drop into the back country. Josh introduced the squad to a run called Devils Drop.
To think, I had never rode powder before coming to Canada; and now I not only drop into double-black diamonds (expert riders only!) but I look for lines (routes down the mountain) to make it the most fun! That shows competency and a speaks volumes about my progression in confidence and riding ability since becoming a snowboard instructor.
So Devils Drop, immediately we took a high line round the peak of the ridge. Slicing through deep powder, winding carefully past windswept trees, protruding at odd angles. Then Josh halts and points at a gap between two said trees and exclaims "There's a great 10ft drop here! Its 15ft if you really send it or 8ft if you go thata way." We all exchange stupefied expressions and raised eyebrows. "Just follow me!" And with a WOOooopp! He vanished over the sheer edge. Anxiety and adrenaline coursed through my body as I waited for my turn. I knew that a soft cushion of snow waited for me and that there was nothing to worry about. But logic like that had no dent in my brain screaming 'cliff drop?!' As I forced myself towards my first cliff drop I felt a kind of numbness, panic, and exhilaration. Then I was on cloud nine. Pure joy and sense of pride that I had done it. Now I could enjoy fresh tracks down the mountain, jumping off anything I could, cutting through the snow, in completely control of my explosive decent.
The rest of the day followed in similar fashion, and it was incredibly tiring work. You have to work extra hard to turn your board as you must unweight it to change edges by lifting up your legs to breach the snow and then sink back down. Not to mention the fact you must absorb all kinks in the terrain or risk being knocked off balance and ejected into the snow banks! Which takes even more effort to escape from. The trick is to stay in the fall-line and don't lose speed, or at least have a someone track next to you to hop in if you get into trouble.

Aching all over, jelly legs and a big grin. 3 signs that someone has had a fun powder day!


Tuesday/Today. Now my body was screaming for a day off, and my timetable delivered. No work, but there wasn't a chance in hell I would miss a day in heaven. I rode dreamy snow all day under a blue ski and bright sun followed by a glass of beer with my best mates. Sometimes you have to sit back and appreciate what life has given you, how fortunate you really are, and how much you love life. Sitting there today with a cool beverage I contemplated this.

I want to thank everyone who helped me get here and enabled me to live my dream of being a snowboard instructor in Canada. Whether they are with us or not, I love every one of you and couldn't of asked for anymore love and support that you have showed me. I just hope some of these pictures live up to the feeling and memories I have made. *experiencing technical difficulties*

Ps. I really am working on a massive CatchUp blog I promised! I just like sleep, socialising and snowboarding too much! I will finish it soon.. There is still hope!