Lets Split

How Do All! It's time to recant a few more tales from the chateau Williams:
Life has been speeding us by as we already race into February, lessons at work are being completed now which should really have been done in November and the winter is half gone (but in the optimistic sense at least there is still half the winter left!). The temps began to rise today as it reached the giddy heights of 9 degrees in Cochrane - I've not been privvy to such a balmy day for months - although it's back to normal tomorrow as the high is forecast at minus 13 with oodles of snow, followed by minus 17 for Wed, Thur and Friday highs - and snow every day!!!!!!!

Now it's down to the gritty stuff! Saturday was one of those priceless days where you think "bloody hell, it's great this place". Brad and I cruised up the Banff/Jasper highway (Icefield's Parkway) armed with split boards (snowboards that come in two pieces to be used as skis to slide uphill for those of you unfamiliar with winter accessories) and the usual avalanche regalia, searching for big mountains and deep powder. The southern flank of Cirque Peak was our just rewards - snow deep enough to drown in, no other tracks, no other people, clear blue sky, views across the vally to Bow glacier, Crowfoot glacier and the icefields. Skinning up the hill on the split boards was entertaining enough, and certainly well worth it for the decent:

In the glee of picking our own lines all day, I neglected to get the camera out apart from the shot above. Each hour or so skin up was well worth the ride down (even after becoming burried in a tree well for several minutes after a close call with one of the pines - snow way above my head as I tumbled down to the base of the tree only to be covered by more snow following me into the hole). I was thinking I was becoming a bit fitter, but playing around between 8 and 9000 feet makes you gasp like a steam engine - and calls for extra concentration when putting the board together at the top of the hill - you don't wont one half of the split to go skittering off downslope - it's a long walk to the bottom:

And that's just Saturday! Sunday saw a stint to Sunshine with Yankie Brad and Portland Ken. Being Brad's (different to Canuck Brad of Saturday) first day on skis at a big resort, we were expecting some serious wipeout humour - but alas, he hung onto the black diamonds rather well and the day was a treat! It was great fun to be riding the slopes with them both - even though they are skiers - and American. (I'll make the coffee stronger next time).

All in all, the weekend was ace and fuelled me well for the arduous week ahead - had a cancer check at hospital today and it would seem that my blood, chest, lungs, liver and testicle are all in good health (so there's even more to smile about),

Here's to the second half of winter,

Make every turn count,

Big smiles to you all,

S&S.