Red and White!!

Yip, we just had the biggest party of the season - the Ski Patrol Red and White... lots of red and white fun had by all - watch this space for more pics!

Cross Country Skiing to the Ice

Well we had to try it, and it was hilarious! One night when the full moon was amazingly bright four of us took up the challenge, hired cross country gear and started up the hill to the lake. Definately took a little bit to get used to - we felt like we were slot cars in a slot car set. Then, just cause they can, someone comes along and sticks their pole between your legs and your on the ground in no time!

We also mastered the art of crossing the road with skis on in the dark - easily the funniest part of the whole night - watching everyone negotiate the slope/surface change and fall abruptly on the ground in a pile of sparks. (Priceless!!)

Ice sculptures

Pretty picturesque!! One nice cold afternoon we took a trip (as well as everyone else in Alberta) up to the Chateau to check out the Ice Sculptures. They were all carved for a competition with 13 solid blocks of ice in about a day (sorry, can't remember the time allowed). There were about seven in total and the texture on some absolutely amazing.

Kiwi girls/guys at the Lake

Michelle, Adrian and her brother came to visit the other day for some powder. Was a crazy day weather wise - massive inversion (you can see the cloud in the back ground) that just let the top of the mountains escape and in the middle you couldn't see a metre away...

Big Sky Montana - Patrol Exchange

This is Lone Peak looking from the other side of Big Sky. Big sky is a massive ski resort that has some chairlifts exclusively so you can 'ski in and out' of your house - hence the real estate market is massive here and they have offices all over the place including at the top of this chairlift where I am taking the photo from!

I still can't believe I got to go on exchange, being a Kiwi rookie at Lake Louise patrol I thought I'd have no change but put my name down anyway because the experience would be amazing. To my surprize I got to go with another rookie (for various reasons no one else was available or put their name down) and we had a ball.

Marty and I drove the 12 hrs down to Montana, USA and had a week of skiing at and around big sky while two of their patrollers came to LL. Just before we got there they had a powder day (they aren't having a very good snow year so these have been few and far between) so we had some nice snow to soften the rocks for the first few days - which were all bluebird by the way. We were taken to all the good spots by the patrol and even went over to the neighbouring ski fields (big sky is between two others - moonlight basin shares lone peak and The Yellowstone Club is a private exclusive area for the rich and famous) to check them out.

This is The Yellowstone Club from the summit at Big Sky. The grooming is imaculate, the cafes are amazingly flash and there are a whole lot of brand new high speed bubble chairlifts that hardly get used at all. Once again, they love to build chairs and bridges/ski roads so they can add $200,000 to a property making it ski in and out! So if you have a minimum of $3 million in your bank account, can afford some land on the property at a couple mil a piece after that and are planing to build your very own manision within the next year you are allowed to join the club with a fee of $250,000 and $65,000 per year.. any takers? No queues.... you may also bump into Bill Gates every now and then :) - his house wasn't even that big! hehe


So with our personal tour guides we skiied our butts off. Its manditory to tire exchangers as much as possible apparently - during and after skiing . After 'work' we were looked after everyday. A different group of the patrollers would be in charge of us and we would go check out the local waterholes etc. They were all soo nice and friendly, we had a great time!

I haven't even mentioned where we were staying... they put us up at the bottom of the ski hill in a hotel with big fat cumfy beds, a great view, hot tubs and a complimentary buffet breakfast with everything included every day. It was amazing, personally cooked omlettes, fresh tropical fruit and bread selection, you name it.. The best thing after yet another night out with the locals!

Not quite enough snow to open the A- Z gullies along the ridge below

This tram takes you to the top of sumit, its a short ride up with panoramic views. We took it into our own hands to leave our mark :). Some great lines off the summit, you have access to moonlight and can book in with patrol to ski the Big Coulour (so its not skied out as fast only two people can go every 15 mins) plus so much terrain to explore.

Imagine if this panoramic view was what you saw from your office window(s)! Not bad up here at the top of challenger looking out over moonlight basin... Notice something missing from the chair? Yip, no safety bars on most of the chairlifts here, and if there is one - no one uses it! Kinda crazy since americans love to sue each other... go figure

A couple of years ago they were out on a control morning and set off an avalanche that decided this tobbogan should be in the tree.. it also took out some towers and the lift hut at the top.

We had an awesome time on exchange at Big Sky - one day I'll go back when there is snow.... but for now, my legs feel like they are falling off.. :)

More exhange pics