The weekend in Massey Hut at Turoa

Hi

We left work on Friday and got a bit distracted by beer and chips at Husk with Momo, Jo and Andrew.  But eventually Mike and I got home and got burgers for Toby.  The weather for Saturday was supposed to be awful at Turoa so we changed our 4am getaway to a 7am getaway.

Daffodils in the garden

Toby was critical-path boy and we were a bit late collecting Jo from her house.  We were more like 7.20 than 7am.  We got maccas from around the corner from her house and ate that int he car to varying success as we drove up SH1.

A leisurely drive up - we got to Massey Hut on Turoa around 11.30am.  Found ourselves a bed and emptied the car.  Janine and Bre were trying to turn on the generator which wasn't straight forward.  But that was nothing compared to turning on the water.  Mike and Andrew arrived in Jacqui's car and set to shoveling snow off where they think the water tanks were located.

After furious digging (there was a lot of snow and I think the designers had no brain) they found the tanks, opened the trapdoor and sent Andrew down 2m to turn on the water.

Meanwhile, Jo put her fire-making skills to good use and started the one inside the hut.  It burned coal - a bit different to the usual hut fires.  She got pretty dirty - so she was happy once they turned on the generator for the water pump and the water itself.  Hahah.  

Tip to anyone:  carry wet wipes when you are with Jo.

Anyway, the weather was awful - windy and snowing off and on.  But some decided to try the skiing.  Others (without seasons passes etc) decided that was dumb.  There were times when I think the ones that stayed in the hut called it right.

Long queues and a short run, in dodgy weather.

I think she's faking that smile - the queues were so long

My view for most of Saturday

We had 3 runs on Park Lane, the only lift running, in 2.5 hours.  The queue was so slow.  It was a triple, and non-detachable.  So it could not keep up.  The snow was good.  But the run took 15 minutes, if you really dawdled.  Lots.

However, at 3.30pm, we decided to re-locate to the cafe.  When we were scoffing a scrumptious hot chocolate in the cafe (thanks Jo!), Jo noticed that Movenpick had opened at about 3.50pm.  We threw our gear back on, skulled the hot chocolate, and leapt on.  Got two runs in before they closed the lift.

Yay!

Back to Massey Hut and cooked tea.  The dinner was a great chicken fajitas meal - brilliant.  I had a vege one - mushrooms, capsicum and onions.  Mmmm.  I think Toby ate 3 chicken ones.  I must do them!

I managed to squash a shower into the gap between dinner and dessert.  The womens shower was a trickle so I went into the mens.  That was a little better. 

After dessert and a lazy lounge in front of the fire I headed up to bed.  The hut was an old A frame style building.  With the sleeping above the main area, I thought it was be so warm up there.  Nope.  ice box conditions.  And Jo, Jase and Toby were in the top attic.  Above all the other sleeping bunks.  I think they were the coldest.

 Anyway, with Mike and I in our double sleeping bag, and his other one on top, we were toastie pie warm.

Up to eat and pack up.  Which didn't go so well and had me grumpy with it all.  But, anyway, we got away.  Mike took Jase and Toby initially to sort out lift passes, ski gear and anything else.

I went skiing with Jo, Momo, Janine, Ana and Jacqui.  Did Nga Wai Heke first up and the snow was gorgeous.  Not a cloud in the sky, either.  Bit windy, but the wind died down during the day.

Eventually I caught up with Mike and Toby.  After lunch we switched and I skied with Toby.  We had such fun.  Skied Park Lane - too easy.  Then Movenpick.  Too easy.  Giant kept us busy for a bit.

Toby chilling with me

Start of some selfies

Let me try and get the mountain in the frame, Toby

Pump drinking model

View!

Selfie time!

Andrew chilling in Massey hut

Helmet hair

Jase after his second lesson for the day!  With a massive grin!

Jase had two lessons - one at 10am and one at 2pm.  He loved his 2pm lesson!  Oosshh!  Took him up Park Lane and he did well.  Hopefully he can make the weekend for Jo's leaving party on Sept 28th weekend.

Ana had a huge fall while out with Jo, Bre and Mike, Andrew and Momo.  They ended up on an icy slope that they couldn't traverse out of on their board (Jo and Bre - Mike was delayed entering this part of the field by a call of nature and the snow patrol told him not to go down, so he walked out), so they both went down on their bottoms, and took a bit of a hammering.  But Ana started down the same way despite Jo shouting to avoid it, and she slipped and fell over 100m down the slope, lost her skis and ended up cartwheeling.

However, she ended up with massive bruises - the doctor cleared her for the drive back.  Momo drove - Ana was still very shaken.  She will be very sore for a while.  Lucky she got away with the little damage she got.  What a nightmare.

Anyway, we got away ok at 5pm.  Got to Jo's house at 9pm.  So not too bad at all.  Ate maccas on the way at Levin.  Jo has had more maccas in this weekend than in her previous life.  She doesn't like that.

Unpacked a bit at home.  Mike and Andrew got dropped off by Jacqui (she has a new Forester, so they took that in preference over the Corolla) not long after us. 

Fell into a deep sleep.  Need more tonight.  Hahah.

Thank you to Janine for organising it.  And the company.  Thank you Toby for skiing with me.  I enjoyed it.

Love,
Angela

The weekend skiing at Turoa

Hi,

What a great weekend - so busy.  Mike left Friday to drive up to the mountain.  I caught an Uber from my work to his at 4pm, and he finished packing and collected his punters.  There was a crash on SH1 at Paekakariki so there was no rush.  In the end, he went to Ruapehu via SH2 and Masterton.  Wow!

Meanwhile, I caught up with Christine and not-so-wee Tom for burgers at our house.  It was so good to chat to her again - she is very well and hitting some pretty awesome goals.

She headed away and I went grocery shopping with Toby before heading to bed.  Up at 3.30am to shower and get ready for our day trip to Turoa.

Automat with Sally

Jo picked up Momo and then me.  She would have been at my place around 4.30am I guess.  From there, we collected Andrew and headed  over Haywards back to SH1.  An episode with some tea that spilled out of Jo's cup was unfortunate.

Mike and Jo

Anyway, Mike was up at Turoa ahead of us.  He drove there from Whakapapa.  And our trip up was slow - we did buy some stuff from the outdoor shop in Taihape and that delayed us a wee bit.

But I was skiing by 10am.  Andrew - not so much.  He had to queue to get a lift ticket and then his gear.  Mike got him a cheap ticket though - and then we found Mike and I enjoyed skiing with him.

Jo and Momo

Once we all got together, it was the last time we saw Andrew.  I think he skied High Noon the entire time.  The snow was good and the weather superb.  The team tried to get me to ski into a gully with sheet ice on my side and it took a while for me to go and try that as they shouted at me from the other side.  Helpful things like "You can do it".  And when the person in front of me fell and slid into the gully, shouts came "Not like that!".  Advice to sidle to my left was ignored as it was sheet ice that way too.  After the fallen comrades cleared from the bottom of the gully, I actually went down.  And although I lacked the grace of my companions, I didn't fall.  Phew.  They had mostly given up waiting by then though.  Story of my day - playing catch up.

But - I was using my new skis for the first time.  And possibly I needed to tighten my boots a bit more.  But the skis were awesome!  They just want to go fast.  I loved them.

And the mountain as we come onto the plateau

Ok - daylight now for the drive up

Dawn on the drive up Saturday

An offline guide to how to use Google.  What?  Can't you Google that?

I think I've died and gone to Lewis Road Creamery iced coffee heaven

City Gallery - kiwiana

Sally (from work) took me to see the City gallery exhibition on Friday at lunchtime.  An excellent use of my lunch break.

With Celia at Machete

With Reimer at Verve

The skiing was so good.  I followed Mike, Momo and Jo most of the day.  We didn't stop for lunch and I think we got pretty good value for our ten hour driving effort for the day.  Enjoyed Nga Wai Heke a lot - the black run wasn't too icy and my skis are so good at gripping.

Mike actually said I was skiing better than I normally do.  Said he recalls watching me ski a gully and being aggressive enough to make it all work.  Hopefully my first day rustiness goes away for the rest of the season.  And I tighten those boots a tad more.

Andrew had sussed out there was an option to stay with Mike at Whakapapa - Mike had a spare seat back in his car and space at Grads.  A blanket and Mike's sleeping bag inner ensured Andrew was good to go.

I lost everyone on the last run and headed back down to base on my own.  Found everyone there and I caught a lift down the hill with Mike in our car and met everyone else at the Powder Keg.  They had my shoes, so I had to wear Mike's huge shoes to the pub from our car.  That was funny.  Fortunately they had the foresight to bring my sneakers to the pub from the car.  After a few drinks we headed home.  Andrew with Mike to Whakapapa and a roast pork meal at Grads.  And me in the back seat and Momo driving.

I drove from Levin (or was it Foxton - wherever that cheap petrol station is that Jo knows about) and enjoyed Jo's slightly old, but very capable Mazda station wagon.  Back home by 9.30pm and had the best sleep in ages.

Up at 7.30am and got ready to meet Sally for brunch at Automat.  Enjoyed their food and Sally came over to meet Moxley (and cuddle with Smudge).

Dropped Jase at work at 3pm and took Toby over to see Aunty Sally and enjoy a Zany Zeus thickshake.  Checked out Sally's new sideboard (very nice) and the filing she had done while Andrew was gallivanting around Ruapehu.

Back home and cooked tea (butter chicken) and timed it perfectly for Mike's arrival back.  Yum!  I cooked mine with paneer from Zany Zeus.  It was so good.

And now I am at work.  The bus timetables and routes all changed yesterday so this morning was the first time in the new regime.  Our driver was happy until he took a wrong turn and we ended up in Kelburn.  He  negotiated some tight roads and got us back on track - just made us a wee bit late.  We applauded when he got us back to the right road.

Spin after work.  And lots more this week to make up for 2 weeks of not very much.  Hope you have a good week ahead.  Toby is off for another week with school hols.

Love,
Angela