So to go back and cover the Craigeburn action! After the full day of not being able to see the mountain the clouds opened up and I took a few runs with the resident ski instructor, a ripping English girl named Sophie...she took me to a chute named 210. It was sweet and she skied it beautifully. After a few more runs we went to the lodge for some apres, which in our case was whiskey and coke in the boiler room. So then I ended up staying there for dinner and the rest of the next week. I just chilled there Saturday then Sunday came some serious riding...Hamilton peak which was a short 15 minute hike had the best powder on the mountain and made quick laps back to the nutcrackers. After thoroughly shralping that area out it was time for lunch on the sun deck and a ice cold beer, ummm beer. After lunch I took a couple easy runs then went for a nice 30 min hike to get this chute I had been eying. It was so fun and really good snow. I even remembered to take a lower resolution photo of it so I could share with ya'll. It is the fast long turns in the middle of the frame...YEA!
The next couple of days are kind of a blur of sickness, storm events, drinking, shoveling and riding. Some eventful things to note are Monday nights attack of the stomach bug
that left me praying to the toilet goddess through-out the night and leaving me so dehydrated that I was dreaming about chugging water, but couldn't even keep any down till late Tuesday night. Wednesday I wanted to go skiing but was so extremely tired that by the time I walked from the car park I was exhausted. I had booked heli skiing for Thursday but started to push it back on Wednesday because of weather and stability issues. Thursday and Friday absolutely dumped snow!!! They opened some of the mountain on Thursday in gale force winds that were loading this area above the access tow. So at the start of the day they asked us to ski there often to make sure it doesn't slide to big! Got to love it. I dropped into a little cliff and kicked off the whole slap to skiers left of the cliff, not huge but exciting. Then the very next run I got on top of the only chute that hadn't slid yet. Standing at the top I knew it was going to go, so I dropped in and pointed 'em. It was like surfing, the whole chute broke above me about two feet deep and started cruzing down, I quickly out ran it but it was kinda fun. Then I met up with my new Canadian buddy Jim just as they opened the center cliffs and bowls. There was a cliff I had been eying all week there, a solid 20 footer with what looked like a decent landing...not really though. I gave her first and made a nice size hot tub out of the semi-flat landing. Jim slapped into the backseat and pulled away from it. I was fired up and wanted to give another go, this time I tried a different angle trying to hit the steeper part. I absolutely exploded on landing! A double ejection that sent my skis flying! It was kind of frustrating cause now the landing was ruined I hadn't landed it and I wanted lunch. So that night it opened up and puked snow! There was like a meter and a half at the bottom lodge. So while we were digging the stairs out and the snow saftey team was doing control on Kea ridge opposite of Hamiliton trying to get the mountain open, all of Hamiliton went! I heard a rumble and people started to yell so I looked up as the clouds of snow ripped down the avanalche path! Hands down the biggest slide I have ever seen! It was a solid 3.5 or 4 which is based on the avalanche system of 5!!! Go to the Craigeburn map and check out the mountain to see the area I'm talking about. So the wind from this slide blew out there access tow. So now the road is closed because of Avalanche danger and debre, as is the mountain because of danage and danger. Blue bird day, 2 meters of fresh...and were stuck in the lodge watching ski porn!!! Plus I wanted to be at Mt. Potts getting ready to shralp on a heli! The next morning a heli comes in to do some control work and puts a huge slide across the road...so now were simply waiting on the road to be cleared, which involved getting a grader from another mountain to come over and help. After being told it was open and getting all ampted the manager/plow driver informed us it might not happen that dat, which was Saturday. The whole time I am calling M.C. (a super sweet lady) at helipark to see if we were going to fly the next day. My Canadian friend who is doing about the same as me, traveling solo finding snow and shralping it, decided he was going to join me at helipark. So were both going nuts trying to get the F out of Craigeburn, finally they open the road at like 5 as the sun is going down! So we book-it to the bottom take our chains off and start the three hour drive. We have to drop some bags off for some people at the Springfield pub, so we decide to have dinner there. Being in Springfield guess what they have on tap...Duff beer! Cheasy but fun. Watched the first olympic action I have seen, it was rowing, and then drove on to Methven about an hour from Helipark. We strugled to find a room there because all the gas stations were closed, finally we found two beds in a youth hostel...sleep was difficult: A) because we were going heliskiing in the morning! B) because I didn't have an alarm and Jim was in another room and I was woried about sleeping to late and C) the german dude snored like no one I have ever heard!!! We woke up to snow in Methven which is uncommon and called helipark...they said that they we still going to fly even though it was cloudy. We ate breakfast and called them back to make our decision, they said it was clearing up as we spoke. So we got gas and booked it up there! It was blue bird and no wind when we got there!!!! So stoked! Got our gear on and proceded to have one of the best days of my life! Jim and I skied some great stuff, he nailed a steep, narrow chute that he eyed our first flight up; it was appropriately already named the Canadian. After 6 totally epic heli runs it was time to head back to the lodge because the clouds came back in and the visability sucked. The apres were amazing, a free shot of shanaps, sauage rolls, beer and skeet shooting!!! As M.C. said later she has created man land! Skeet shooting was way too much fun, round one I went 6 out of 12, which was good because the Aussie guys before us went 1 and 2 out of 12 so I was nervious. But the round two I went 9 out of 12! Dinner was great, actually the best meal I have had in New Zealand. Great people and good times! Jim and I hadn't decided if were going to fly the next day and figured we would wait and see the weather. We woke up to another perfect day! So we couldn't help ourelves but give'er another go. This time up I scouted a sweet chute that we had to hike to and was of questionable stability, I convinced the guide to let us go up there when I told him I wouldn't be turning. A few more sweet runs and the day was over...time for skeet shooting and beer!!!What a life!!! Ohh yea I went 11 out of 12, all you clay pigions better watch out! Today was mellow I paid my bill at Helipark and went and took some photos. Also I became aware that not all of you are keen to the skier lingo, so sorry if this does not make complete sence but maybe you should read more freeskier or powder magazines!!! Peace and snow love!
Jim hiking to the Canadian!!!
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