CANADA DAY 2

ORIGINALLY JEFF AND I HAD DECIDED THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO THE SKI RESORTS ON  THE OTHER SIDE OF THE KOOTENAY MOUNTAIN RANGE, BUT  FOR SOME REASON, AND I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD NEVER SKIED AT SUNSHINE SKI RESORT, JEFF THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO GO THERE.  SO ONTO THE "ROAD THAT NEVER ENDS"  WE GO. (My name for this road because the view doesn't change much from the beginning to the end)

 HE THOUGHT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SKI THERE, BUT THE ODDS WERE AGAINST ME TODAY.  THE DRIVE OVER WAS NICE AND WE EVEN SAW SUN PEAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS, I WAS OPTIMISTIC, BUT THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN WE TURNED UP THE ROAD TO THE RESORT.  CLOUDS, WIND, SNOW AND FLAT LIGHT IT WAS THE MAKINGS OF A DIFFICULT DAY FOR ME. 



ANYTIME YOU SEE A FLAG STANDING STRAIGHT OUT AND SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT AT THIS RESORT THEY PUT SNOW FENCES UP TO KEEP THE SNOW FROM BLOWING OFF THE MOUTAIN, IT IS A LITTLE CONCERNING.  GENERALLY  I TRY TO KEEP MY MELTDOWNS ON THE SKI HILL TO A MINIMUM, AND I HAVENT HAD ONE SINCE ITALY LAST YEAR, BUT I HAD ONE TODAY.  WE TOOK THE GONDOLA TO THE TOP OF THE MOUTAIN AND IMMEDIATELY BETWEEN THE WIND, SNOW AND MY LACK OF ABILITY TO SEE I WAS A MESS.  NOTHING WAS GROOMED, BUT THAT WASN'T REALLY MY BIGGEST PROBLEM.  I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A BLACK HOLE ONLY WHITE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.  IT WASN'T FOGGY, BUT THE LIGHT WAS SO FLAT I COULDN'T SEE AND I JUST COULDN'T FEEL EITHER, IT WAS ROUGH.  WE SKIED IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES TRYING TO FIND A BETTER PLACE AND FINALLY WE DID.  BUT UNFORTUNATELY I WAS BACK IN A PLACE THAT I HATE TO BE,  FEELING A TOTAL LACK OF CONFIDENCE AND INSECURE. 

SUNSHINE IS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE TO SKI,  I AM SO ACUSTOM TO RIDING A LIFT TO THE TOP OF THE HILL AND SKIING DOWN, THIS PLACE HOWEVER, IS NOT LIKE THAT, THERE WILL BE A  SMALL HILL AND JUST AS YOU START MAKING SOME TURNS THE TERRAIN GOES FLAT AND YOU HAVE TO GLIDE TO FIND THE NEXT HILL, SO HARD TO EXPLAIN BUT I REALLY WASN'T LOVING THIS RESORT.  WE WENT IN FOR LUNCH AND VISITED WITH A COUPLE THAT WE MET ON THE GONDOLA RIDE UP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND THEY SUGGESTED A COUPLE PLACES TO CHECK OUT AND AGAIN IT WAS THESE LITTLE SHORT RUNS, BUT WE DID FIND ONE AT THE TOP OF GOATS EYE.  THE PROBLEM HERE WAS THE WIND, IT WAS SO WICKED AND I DONT USE THAT WORD LIGHTLY, IT WAS SERIOUSLY BRUTAL.  WE WERE BEING SANDBLASTED WITH SNOW AND IT WAS SO STRONG THAT HELD YOU BACK ON THE MOUTAIN.  BUT WHEN WE GOT BELOW THAT, WE FOUND THE FIRST LONG RUN OF THE DAY AND IT WAS SO GOOD THAT WE BRAVED IT MORE THAN ONCE.  EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THE SUN WOULD TRY TO PEAK OUT FROM BEHIND THE CLOUDS BUT NEVER QUITE MADE IT.

THIS WASNT THE LONGEST DAY WE'VE EVER SKIED AND AT THE COST IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LONGER DAY BUT I JUST COULDN'T ENDURE ANY MORE.  THE WEATHER ITSELF WORE ME OUT.  I AM HOPING FOR A BETTER DAY TOMORROW BUT THE REPORTS AREN'T PROMISING, WE ARE SEEING RAIN IN THE FORCAST EVEN AT KICKING HORSE. UGH!!



ONE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS TRIP IS THE VIEWS OF THE MOUNTAINS ARE ALWAYS SPECTACULAR.

                                                                                      
 WE DECIDED ON THE WAY HOME AND FOR OLD TIMES SAKE WE WOULD STOP AT STORM MOUNTAIN FOR OUR TRADITIONAL PICTURE, BUT ALAS, IT WAS CLOSED. (See the fine print at the bottom of the sign, closed on Mondays) 

ONE MORE THING, WE FOUND TWINKIES IN CANADA,  AND NO MATTER THE NAME, A TWINKIE BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL A TWINKIE, BUT THEY NEED A LITTLE MORE FILLING IN CANADA.

WHEN WE FINALLY MADE IT HOME, WE HAD OUR USUALLY GUESTS THERE TO GREAT US.