27 February 2006
weekend at boy-oy-oy-oy-oyne
Thursday my weekend plans fell through, so I asked Eric if I could tag along on his ski weekend. He was headed up with a couple guys from work and was a little concerned about logistics. After some discussion, it turned out that I knew the guy who had an extra seat in his truck and an extra bed in his room. Sweet.
Rob picked me up from work. We stopped at Shumaker's in Flint - I got a new tocque and some goggles. Then we had dinner at Culvers in Birch Run, mmm.. butter burgers, frozen custard. sooo yummy.
Saturday morning after a greasy spoon breakfast we hit the hill. I rode by myself in the morning, listening to a snowboarding mix on the ipod. The first song that came on was Crooked Fingers' New Drink for the Old Drunk - a good omen (thanks Sean!). They'd gotten 10 inches over the previous 2 days, so the hill was nice and fluffy. The weather was crazy, though. One minute it was scald your retinas sunny, the next minute the light was flat, and it was snowing so hard you couldn't see your boots. After a very patchy morning, feeling out the hill - exploring the greens and blues, trying not to find myself in mogul fields - Roby called about lunch. Pizza and beer, luncheon of champions.
In the afternoon I rode with the guys (Eric and Roby) until we split up a bit more. Roby and I found a crease in the hill, it was like a gentle half-pipe. I pulled off some moves I didn't think I could do. I was all proud of myself.
Saturday night was some drinkin, dinner, and more drinkin. We also shot the shit a bit. Sunday we were at the hill by 9:30 so Rob could do his work detail on the racecourse. I got a couple of runs in by myself. The weather was better, but the hill and the crease I'd been riding had been groomed into solid corduroy. Much harder to maneuver in.
I caught up with the guys, we rode some blue and green runs. Roby led the way in getting me off the groomed runs and riding in the in-between spaces. Fluffy loose snow, very different. I rode down a steep, narrow lift line. It was easier to manage because of the fluffiness of the snow. I fell once, a faceplant into the snowbank. Getting up from that, as I set myself up for the next turn, I must have hit my ipod button, because Interpol Lengths of Love came on. The rest of the run was swoopy and sweet. Made better by good tunes.
All told, good weekend. My calves are screamin, I did more than I thought I could on the hill, reinforced some friendships, met new people. It was a good time. Hopefully, it's helping to get me ready for Alyeska.
Rob picked me up from work. We stopped at Shumaker's in Flint - I got a new tocque and some goggles. Then we had dinner at Culvers in Birch Run, mmm.. butter burgers, frozen custard. sooo yummy.
Saturday morning after a greasy spoon breakfast we hit the hill. I rode by myself in the morning, listening to a snowboarding mix on the ipod. The first song that came on was Crooked Fingers' New Drink for the Old Drunk - a good omen (thanks Sean!). They'd gotten 10 inches over the previous 2 days, so the hill was nice and fluffy. The weather was crazy, though. One minute it was scald your retinas sunny, the next minute the light was flat, and it was snowing so hard you couldn't see your boots. After a very patchy morning, feeling out the hill - exploring the greens and blues, trying not to find myself in mogul fields - Roby called about lunch. Pizza and beer, luncheon of champions.
In the afternoon I rode with the guys (Eric and Roby) until we split up a bit more. Roby and I found a crease in the hill, it was like a gentle half-pipe. I pulled off some moves I didn't think I could do. I was all proud of myself.
Saturday night was some drinkin, dinner, and more drinkin. We also shot the shit a bit. Sunday we were at the hill by 9:30 so Rob could do his work detail on the racecourse. I got a couple of runs in by myself. The weather was better, but the hill and the crease I'd been riding had been groomed into solid corduroy. Much harder to maneuver in.
I caught up with the guys, we rode some blue and green runs. Roby led the way in getting me off the groomed runs and riding in the in-between spaces. Fluffy loose snow, very different. I rode down a steep, narrow lift line. It was easier to manage because of the fluffiness of the snow. I fell once, a faceplant into the snowbank. Getting up from that, as I set myself up for the next turn, I must have hit my ipod button, because Interpol Lengths of Love came on. The rest of the run was swoopy and sweet. Made better by good tunes.
All told, good weekend. My calves are screamin, I did more than I thought I could on the hill, reinforced some friendships, met new people. It was a good time. Hopefully, it's helping to get me ready for Alyeska.
