8/5/08

New Zealand rocks!

So this is day three and my legs needed a break from all the shralping!!! The day after arriving I woke up at the bottom of the road to Mt. Cheeseman. I tried to put my chains on but they kinda suck...one of them came off like ten times before I was even half way to the mountain, so I hitched a ride form a Scottish fellow the rest of the way. Once I got up there it was super sporadic weather from so cloudy that I couldn't see the rope tow like 10 feet away, to sunny, to dumping huge flakes. It was a good first day back on my skis plus with nothing but rope tows it was a good workout for my legs. I met this nice couple in the lodge who gave me a ride back down to my van and let come by there cabin the next day for a shower. That night I drove up to Broken River and parked at the lot for vans. It was snowing when I went to bed and blue bird when I woke up...but my van door was frozen shut!!! It really freaked me out..but after a few strong tugs and a couple well placed kicks it came open. I got my gear together and started the hike towards the lodge...this is like no ski area I have ever been! I skinned up the road for like 20 min. till I got to their car park which is a good 30 min. walk from the ticket office which is still like 10 min. from the first "nut cracker" their version of a rope tow. Because I was there early and the clubs depend on volunteer workers I had to help shovel the stairs...then I finally got my first attempt at these nut cracker things!!! I was stoked that I wasn't a beginner because these things were difficult! It is just a metal cable that you grab onto with one hand and swing this metal clamp around with the other and off you go. Its kinda hard to describe but trust me they are crazy! This was probably one of the best powder days of my life!!! Sick little mountain, knee to thigh deep light powder and only about 20 people! I skiied a couple super sick lines on what they call nervous knob...one was a chute that was super sick! After I finally got on top of it which took me a couple tries I realized there was like a 5 foot drop into the chute, it scared me away the first time but the next time I got on top of it I dropped it and it was super sick, fast and gnarly! I came flying out the bottom into nice fresh pow! It was sick!!! Then I went over to this other cliff area to hit another line I was scouting. It was way more mellow but I caught on a rock under the snow at the top, then my right ski got stuck behind me and I started tumbling towards a cliff, all I remember is saying to myself was "go limp". I tomahawked three times and missed a huge rock by about two feet. Once I stopped sliding I did I quick inventory of myself and gear...totally alright!!! So then I just rode the freshies the rest of the day until my legs were dead. Such a good day! Today I slept in up by Castle Hill and went on a photo mission, shot some nice time lapses and took a couple 4x5 shots then drove to Christchurch to take care of some stuff like this! So yea that's my trip so far! Hope ya'all doing good!

1 comment:

Tamina Quinto-Penkova said...

Hey Al,
This is Tamina. I must say your post had me glued to the computer from start to finish. It's awesome you're finally in NZ. Your story reminded me of my first ever solo trip to India when I was 18 and fresh out of high school. To this day, there is nothing that quite compares to that trip, it is the best schooling I have ever received. It is nice to read words of someone who is finally in his element. Keep chasing that snow! Good luck, and be safe!
Tamina