I've made a few changes to my weblog---first, I moved the entire thing off of blogspot and onto my actual website. I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place--probably because I didn't think sFTP was available...so change your bookmarks! I also added nifty little comments...so...make your comments!



Whistler was a really awesome trip. As I mentioned last, I ended up driving up there with Nick and Laurel on Wednesday night (although the original driver, Chris, changed his mind last minute and drove up on his own..arriving only 45 minutes after I did)---the roads were great and we got there by 11 or so, only to arrive with snowballs getting thrown at my car by giddy happy friends in the hot tub. Idylwood Inn is a really huge place---pretty much two townhomes mushed together. We pretty much took up both the "Deluxe Chalet" and "Executive Chalet" with 5 bedrooms and 5-6 bathrooms. 2 kitchens, 2 living rooms..it was great and super spacious for all 17 of us. Thursday morning, we headed for the slopes for a full day on Blackcomb mountain. Oh what a mountain it is. The group got split up mid-day and I ended up leading Gray & Aileen through a blinding yet ridiculously fun run down Blackcomb Glacier in the afternoon. The entire day it was snowing and snowing and snowing, making it rather difficult for all drivers. We had to park 2 blocks away from the chalet cuz' we couldn't make it back up the small road...as did Kutta's car. Later on that evening, Joe arrived with the two Brendans---their drive took nearly 7 hours as they also fought the slippery roads. We kept thinking "man, I wonder how much snow is falling down". The next morning, we woke up---



45 centimeters of fresh powdery snow had fallen. We had been dumped on.



It was amazing. My car was completely buried in snow and the mountain was full of crazy skiers & boarders with absolutely no fear, screaming with joy at the fresh powder. Sandra, Aileen, Andrew & I all happened to have decided to take advanced lessons that day to increase our skills...so I spent all day doing that. The morning was really unchallenging. Aron, our New Zealander instructor, kept insisting on going on a green run and watching me take really slow, wide turns so he could comment on my general form...things I've always known I needed to work on (bend my knees, don't turn my body so much on toe turns). After lunch, when Aron asked what we wanted to do, Andrew said "Audrey wants powder". Hell yeah I did--I wasn't going to spend a gorgeous powdery day like this just making wide turns on green runs. Our afternoon was completely opposite from our morning as Aron essentially took us on black diamond moguls the entire time, practicing going around those, going up banks and making mini-jumps. Much better.



In the evening, we headed back for another chill night of hot tubbing and good food. That night, Huat, Jigna & Matt arrived...completing our entire group of 17. Saturday was very painful for me as it was my third day straight for heading up to the mountain. The entire morning I complained of spasming arches and weary quad muscles. We had an early lunch and all headed to the Horstman's T-Bar where I was the only one to fall, of course (I did fine on Thursday!), causing me to go back in line and wait again. The second time was a charm, making it all the way up, but only finding the two Brendans there waiting for me. The three of us just enjoyed the Glacier with the sun cutting through the clouds, revealing the still soft and deep powder there. Man oh man it was amazing. We took our time coming down, just enjoying and reveling every moment of that day. Eventually, we got down, took our boards off, called it a day and got a drink together at the Amsterdam Pub & Cafe. That night, the group split up to get dinner (I went to the Sushi Village) and reconvened in the evening for another chill night of hanging out and shisha, thanks to Jigna.



On Sunday, only a few of us went up to the mountain--the rest of us (I included) had brunch at Crepe Montagne and headed into Vancouver for an hour or so of walking along Robson. Miraculously, most of the group got back together for a dinner at Vij's (13 or us), one of Jigna & Matt's favorite restaurants. Yummy yummy. I ended up only having to drive Nick back and we got into Seattle around 10:30pm. Nice.



I just had a great weekend--it was fun meeting all the new folks and hanging out with all those I already knew.