The weekend with me skiing and Mike recovering

Hi,

Mike had his operation on Friday and I got updates during the day.  He was recovering by 10.30am Friday and by all accounts it had gone well.  I suspect I was stressed, as about 15 minutes after he told me he was ok and out of surgery, i got a migraine.  And I hardly ever get those anymore.  Doh!

My weekend was a different story to Mike's - all go for me.  Road trip.  Skiing.  I dropped Mike at the hospital at 7am and then drove into town with the car and all my ski gear (and others' gear too).  I couldn't park at Clifton Terrace with the roofbox on - I clanged the height restriction sign as I approached and had to back out and figure out another car park to use for the day.  One without a height restriction.  Behind the Beehive on Bowen was it.  $22 later.  Ouch.

Anyway, after sorting out the logistics around meeting the road trip punters, I left work on time at 4pm and walked to the car.  I met Momo there and drove to the Z on Taranki (just down from Toby's school ) to meet Jo, Denny and Melissa.  They were all on time and we squashed in the remaining gear.  Luckily Melissa had decided to rent on the mountain.  Woot!

We were off.  We hit the usual SH1 traffic on the urban motorway and read on the road signs about a traffic incident at Paremata.  So, over Paekakariki Hill Road we went - and possibly not a bad option.  Not sure it saved much time, but given Melissa's exclamation of joy as she saw the view from the top of the hill, it was worth it for that.

Stopped at Bulls for tea.  I had a sandwich from the BP - and it wasn't bad.  We got back on the road and someone suggested listening to a podcast.  The podcast was "My Dad wrote a porno" and it was the funniest thing I have heard in ages.  I had to get them to stop the podcast at one point as I could barely drive.  My eyes were watering and my abs were working hard with all the laughing.   We got up to the lodge lateish.  We got our gear up and realised we also had to get the food up from the storage place with the others in our group.  It didn't take too long, and after Momo's lodge welcome talk, I was ready for bed around midnight.  However, someone was in my bed and had left me the bottom double bunk.  I was supposed to be in a single bunk.  Weird.  Ok.  I didn't mind getting a bigger bed.

Saturday morning

Sunrise looking at Mt Taranaki

Saturday was the best day ever.  Good snow and not a breath of wind.  I skied all day with Jo, Momo, Melissa, Anna and Daniel.  Jo taught me the finer points of queue jumping without actually annoying anymore.  It helps that she is small.  She especially figured out how to cut the first queue at 9am down from a 40 min wait to just 15 mins.  Skills!  As soon as we got up Waterfall, we headed west.  Skied all day out Far West - but the queues were so long.  The longest I spent in a queue was 23 minutes.  Which in the scheme of things, isn't long.  I mean, I have regular work meetings that last far longer than that.  But when the run only takes 3 minutes to do, it is a ratio that is a tad frustrating.  But it is what it is.  Busiest day of the year for them.  And the skiing was just grand.

I didn't take my skis off all day.  Such a good day.  At 3pm we wandered over to the Valley T and there was no queue.  I didn't want the day to end.

And sunset - with drinks on the deck

Sunset

Almost gone!

Sunday was a rinse and repeat.  I have never skied in such primo conditions for two days in a row at Whakapapa.  Amazing.  Makes me think my life pass was a fine idea.

The hard packed icy snow wasn't great on my skis - the new ones don't do ice that well.  They chatter.  I think I need to be super aggressive on ice to make them work - and ice makes me cautious.  Oops.  But, by 10.30am the snow was soft and you could ski anywhere.  And I did.

In the heavy off-piste snow my skis are great.  And I ski much faster.  I think that extra momentum helps me absorb bumps too - I never fell over the entire weekend.  Yet I skied much faster than normal.  I did catch bumps every now and then, but caught my balance as I flew over the bumps and kept going.

Ok.  Maybe this weekend really was my most favourite time skiing.  Except - I say that a lot after my ski days.

Sunday selfie

Where is Melissa?

Lift queue before the hordes also got up here

Something isn't right here.  Lyndsey was staying at the lodge and we finally skied with her Sunday

Jo and Melissa enjoy the day!

As we finished the day (I also didn't want to stop skiing), I walked back to the car (which was down the hill a little ways) in my ski gear.  Jo's feet were killing her, so I took her snowboard too.  She went back to the lodge with Momo.

I walked happily down to the car in my gear, carrying my skis on my shoulder and Jo's board in my other arm.  This random young chap talked to me and said I had a lot of gear and did I do both?  Hahahah.  I said I was carrying it for a friend that had sore feet.  And that I had a great day.  And how was his day.  He said I must have been the strongest person in my group.  And I don't know about that, but he kinda made my day with his throw away comment to a stranger.  So thank you to the unknown young man.

I stashed the gear in the car and switched to my walking boots and went back to the lodge.  Got my bag and came back.  Momo helped get the gear stored in the roofbox (ok - that was tricky.  The gear jammed the mechanism - it needs to be closed and free from anything to close properly).

The drive back was good fun.  More podcast and laughter all the way back.  We were in Wellington just after 8.30pm.  I dropped people off and got home around 9.15pm.  Saw Mike - he looks absolutely fine. But his nose is all snuffly.  Like he has a cold.

He hurts my heart.  I big piece of me wishes I had been home to look after him.  But I am sure he will be fine soon.

The week beckons - here's hoping it is a good one.

Love,
Angela