Ski Trip

We went to Banff and went skiing at Sunshine for two days this week. It was pretty crowded, but there was lots of fluffy snow, and it wasn't too cold.


Andy and Sam took a lesson the first day, and Sam was very excited that his instructor said he should get some poles to start getting a feel for them. So the day after this picture was taken, he had poles, too.
Me taking a rest at the bottom of Strawberry.

This was at the top of Goat's Eye. I had never been on this run before; it was pretty good, but at the top there was limited visibility, and it was deceivingly fast. It was blowing snow like crazy! Andy and Otto went the second day, and apparently conditions had deteriorated at the top from the day before. Sam and I went on some easier runs while they went on Goat's Eye.

On the gondola on the way back down after a LONG day of skiing. The second day we left a couple hours earlier. I think the first day we were super-excited because it was our first trip of the season. The second day we were a little sore. :o)

After dinner one night. It snowed the whole time we were there!

You can see more of the lights in the background without the flash, but you can't see the snowflakes!


Sam checking out a grizzly bear ice sculpture by The Wildflour Bakery yesterday morning before we left.

The drive home.

Weekend Getaway

We took a trip over to the mountains this past weekend, primarily to learn to ski and snowboard at Sunshine Ski Village. I have no action shots, as we were all in our respective lessons at the same time, and weren't anywhere near each other. I would have taken a self portrait, but I was too busy trying to keep from wiping out. Andy and Sam really enjoyed the program they were in, and Otto has so much fun he started trying to figure out when we could go back before we even returned home. I actually enjoyed myself, too. I far surpassed the expectations I had about what I might accomplish in one lesson. That's not to say I don't need a few more lessons; I think I had a little thought in the back of my head that I wouldn't get it, at all, ever.

Here the boys were after we picked them up from their lessons. Going down on the gondola.
Sam was wiped out! And on the way back to the hotel, they both took a snooze.
The next day we stopped by the Banff Springs Hotel to see all the pretty decorations, and to walk around a little because we had never been inside before.
This was a candy/food replica of the hotel. Pretty cool. The boys just wanted to eat it. We found some snowy areas in the back of the hotel to run around in. After working up an appetite we and had lunch at Magpie&Stump. I had eaten here many years ago. I like the food, and they play groovy music - Coldplay and Crowded House's live album while we were there. Sippin' on a Coke. We've cut back on soda consumption around here, so I think they were both savoring their beverages. We strolled a little more up and down Banff avenue after lunch. Here were some ice sculptures advertising the annual ice sculpture event they have at Lake Louise. And here was a parting shot of the mountains from the front seat of the car as we rolled out of town. Otto already found a way to go back. Some fellas from work are driving over for the day on Friday to ski and invited him along. He's ready! My tailbone, on the other hand, needs a little more recuperation time.