ski bum practice

Last week was a bit of a reality check. I spent the majority of the week studying for an upcoming math test that I just took. I realized that for the first 6 weeks of class, although I went to class, I hadn't learned much and I only had a week to straighten things out. After much studying and trips to my profs. office hours I took the test this mon. night. I actually think I did fair and it will be interesting to get my grade. This week will be another academic week with a paper due on Fri. and another test next tues. in my Eng. class.

I had to to do all my studying mid week so that my weekend would be free for skiing. I went up with the club to Temple this weekend. Not to many of us this weekend, just a dozen or so. Real good times though. Temple is a small club field that runs on a lot of volunteers. As a member of the ski club I get the opportunity to volunteer at the field in order to get free food, accommodation, and a bit of skiing. So all weekend I was working in the rental shop. Business was pretty slow since the majority of the people that go to the field have their own equipment. Sat. was clubs weekend when the temple club and the uni club have races against each other. This took place in the back basin. Absolutely no one was in the front basin around the ski shop on sat. afternoon. Just me and one volunteer ski patroller who was stuck at the front basin. We did some chilling and since no one was around, I go to take a couple of runs. Turns out he is from interior British Columbia, strongly suggested I do some skiing out that way.

Sat. night was a bit of a rager with a good feed and all the staff and club critters parting through the night. Sun I again worked in the rentals shop. Same as before, not to much business but a bit. Mid day I got relief so that I got to go out and take some runs. I took a nice long one from the top of bill's basin to the lodge. It was some great spring snow with smooth heavy wet snow. It was an extremely warm weekend. I was pretty sad to be leaving Temple Basin. I'm not sure if ill make it back up there this season. I really enjoyed my time up there, it is by far one of the greatest places anyone could every want to be or ski. Everyone up there strongly encouraged me to take a true season up there and live at least one season there. working up there definitely gained myself some respect among everyone up there. As soon as everyone knows your name, it seems like its time to say goodbye. I may get a chance to get up there in the summer. The club pres. talked to me a bit about coming up over the summer to help renovate the lodge. In exchange they hook you up with food and a bed. Plus you get to be in the mountains, what else could you ask for. I will def. follow up with him on that.

Anyways, spring is in full force here. Shorts and t-shirts type of weather. Everything is growing and its almost always sunny. I will go skiing at least one day this weekend. Just as I worried the following weekend I am obligated to go on my volunteer trip to quail island. It may be the last weekend of skiing and I'll have to miss it. It looks like the ski season is winding down fast with this warm weather, but the kiwis encouraged me that the unpredictable NZ weather may still have another dump in store, guess we will just have to wait and see. Either way I have started to think of other things such as the great salmon and trout fishing that is in store for me.

T