Skiing in Canada

Imagine the scene – I was gracefully gliding down a beautiful mountain, over several feet of crisp white snow, with the sun shining in a clear blue sky, with perfect parallel skies and knee bending technique, ski poles tight against my stream-lined body and coming to a swift and exhilarating stop at the bottom for some delicious après ski refreshments……and then I woke up!

Lydia and I left Yorkshire on (19^th) Wednesday after work and drove 5 hours to stay overnight in Weybridge. Dad drove us to Heathrow on Thursday by 10.30am for our 1pm Air Canada flight, arriving at Toronto for a stopover for a few hours (very boring) and then getting another flight to Calgary, arriving after 10pm Canada time where Mia and house-mate Andrew were greeting us by holding a sign “Fuzzygill’s Party” and then driving us back to Banff where we got to bed at 1am on Friday morning – or 7am UK time! Talk about feeling jet lagged!! (how far away is Switzerland??).

We had decided not to attempt the 7am start for skiing lessons on Friday, and so while Mia went to work, Liddi and I explored the charming town of Banff, with the help of Mia’s ‘scavenger hunt’. This was a list of things for us to find and see, a bit like a treasure hunt, and we had to show evidence of completing the tasks – this was mostly achieved by taking photos. Items included: find the tackiest souvenir; find the 2 old fashioned sweet shops; find the wild flour café (had a great lunch there); find the shop selling homemade cakes; find a deer; find someone with a broken limb (it is a ski resort after all!); find the Bow Valley falls. We were given no hints or clues only that we could look for a tourist map or ask people. Mia’s work colleagues had laughed at her, saying surely no-one would bother completing all these tasks? Indeed they said they would rather go to the nearest bar for the day. However, knowing Mia as well as I do, I was not surprised at her setting us these tasks, and with Mia knowing me as well as she does, she wasn’t surprised that I was delighted with the challenge. (In fact, I think I might try something similar for future visitors to Driffield – you have been warned!!). We managed to complete all except find someone with a broken limb. Oh, and we could only find a stuffed deer (although we did see some the next day wandering about in Mia’s road).

The Bow Valley falls were great, and well worth the walk just out of town. It was a woodland walk alongside a partly frozen river, with a few rapids along the way. The snow there was deep and fresh and nothing like we ever get in England. It was beautiful. We were aware that there were wild animals, so we were being vigilent. Bears were starting to wake for spring, wolves were native to these parts, and a cougar had been spotted locally. In fact, Lydia thought she spotted some cougar footprints! (although I suppose they could have been made by the golden Labrador that passed us a while before?).

Mia took us out to a bar that evening where we met with a friend of hers who was a snowboard instructor at her ski resort. His 2 sisters were visiting him also, and they were all originally from Woking! Mia persuaded Liddi to indulge in a couple of weirdly named shots. Judging by the expressions I don’t think they were very tasty, and knowing that neither Liddi nor Mia drink alcohol, I suspect they were just strangely coloured juice flavours. I stuck to my pint of shandy and tried to keep my eyelids open when I was talking to me.

Mia was very kindly letting us stay with her. In fact, giving us her room, where Liddi and I shared a double bed (with much teenage wincing!). She shared a flat with 4 other girls, and then downstairs were another 4 or 5 guys. I’m not sure how many really because there were also a number of visitors – some just passing through (couch surfers) and some staying for a bit longer. Some of the guys shared rooms with the girls, and sometimes they swopped around a bit. They live in Beaver Street so they are the Beaver crew or Beaver massive.

It must be a young person’s thing. I have never tried communal living, and I wasn’t sure how I’d like it, but it was actually quite relaxing and liberating (for a short stay). The age range was between 19 – 26, with Mia being the old one at 33 – until I arrived. I realised I was old enough to be everyone’s mother! However, everyone is equal under several layers of ski clothing, so it didn’t really worry me.

By Saturday we were ready to try some skiing and Mia had booked us lessons. We headed towards Sunshine Village (great name for a ski resort – and it was sunny most of the time!). The other resort nearby where a few of her house-mates/friends work is Lake Louise. There is a friendly rivalry between the 2 resorts – Lake Disease and Sunshite Village. Mia very kindly managed to pull a few strings to save us some money (skiing can be a very expensive hobby!) – its all about who you know and if you happen to know people who issue ski lift passes, hire skies and boots and have access to lost property, have spare ski suits and goggles, issue tickets for the bus, then it’s very useful indeed!!

We headed up to the beginners lessons meeting place and awaited instructions from our extremely cheery Canadian ski instructor, Andrew. All was going ok on the ‘magic carpet’ (nursery slope) so he took us up on a chair lift (very scary) to our first green run. Standing on what felt like very large slipper clown shoes, on very slippery uncontrollable pretty white stuff, we were feeling less than confident. Snow plough. Take it slow. Liddi lost her bottle and had to be walked down every step with Andrew skiing backwards and holding on. I was a bit better, but still nowhere near confident. Lunch was good. By now we were feeling how crippled our ski boots were on our feet, and feeling apprehensive about getting back on the snow, what with not having any control at all. I suppose the over-riding fear is that we would fall over – and we all did, but at least the landing was fairly soft, It was just that feeling of not knowing how to stop yourself sliding all the way down the mountain, which (being the Easter weekend) was full of other skiers, and wildly confident children and young people whizzing past on snowboards. I’m not sure why we felt so scared – I think I was worried about breaking limbs, but Liddi should have been as confident and fearless as most of the other teenagers, but then that’s never been her way.

By the 2^nd day, we got to Sunshine and got all our gear on, but then Liddi couldn’t go through with the thought of another day’s lessons, so we agreed that I would go alone and she eventually went to spend some time with Mia in her office at Guest Services. I must admit it was slightly liberating only to have myself to worry about, but I still couldn’t say that I mastered the art of skiing. I did get down several green runs, and without falling over today, but I think I was officially the slowest skier on the slopes!

By the 3^rd day, Mia has the day off and we decided to take time out from skiing (even though they had 15 cm of fresh powder snow overnight and the whole household was very excited about getting out on the slopes). We had a bit of a tidy up from cooking Easter dinner for Mia’s friends and various housemates and couch surfers, and then we headed towards Sulphur mountain for the gondola ride up towards the top of the mountain, with spectacular views, and then the climb to the peak. It was probably minus 10 degrees or more, and loads of snow, but the views all across the Rocky Mountains were stunning.

Some old relative of ours once said, after a trip to Switzerland, well – when you’ve seen one mountain, you’ve seen them all. That is SO NOT true!! Every mountain is wonderful, and each is different. A bit like people – you know what they are and they have similar features but every one is an individual (and some look very different indeed!). The town of Banff is surrounded by majestic mountains and you can never tire of a great view. Cascade mountain towers over the end of the main street and is an unmissable sight.

After our walking (phew) trip up the mountain, we came back to sample the natural hot springs. A pool at 40 degrees where we could just sit and gently simmer. We got changed into our swimming costumes and then made the quick dash outside in the freezing temperatures (the horrible bit) and quickly dipped into the lovely warm water (aaaah). We met Mia’s friends Megan & Craig who had been warming up nicely for an hour or so already, and then just sat and did some fascinating people watching. It was gorgeous!

The next day, we were back to Sunshine Village for more skiing. Mia was off work, and since she has now qualified as a Level 1 ski instructor (very handy in Weybridge), we were able to save money on more skiing lessons and head for the green runs. Mia’s housemate, Kate, also came with us for some skiing lessons. She is usually a snowboarder (as most of the young people are), but wanted to try skiing. So with my 2 days lessons ahead of her, but her confidence on the snow, we were about equal. Liddi needed a bit more help from Mia, but Kate and I managed several goes down the green run, before Mia suggested that with our newly found confidence, we try a blue run. It seemed very steep, but I trusted her judgement (remind me not to be so trusting!). I fell over a couple of times near the top and was unable to stand up on my slidy sticks without just falling further down the run. I looked over at Kate to see her upside down in the trees, and so we both decided to take off our skies and slide the rest of the way down on our bottoms. Much safer. I decided no more blue runs for me. Stick to what I feel happy with!

Day 4 and I was still a very slow skier but progressing well down a few green runs, and trying a few parallel ski manoeuvres. By now, Liddi had given up and decided to end her skiing career, so Mia and I sent her off to the coffee house and tried a few runs before it was time for me to hang my skies up for this holiday. A couple more days and I’d have looked like a seasoned pro! Oh well, maybe next time.

Not only is it physically exhausting, tough on the knees, but the boots are crippling and bruising, and it’s also mentally exhausting trying to learn a new skill and not kill yourself. Not to mention the jet lag. Not much energy left for après ski – sorry Mia!

We were leaving on Thursday 28^th, so we had the morning to catch up back in the lovely town of Banff and gather a few souvenirs, before heading back on the bus to Calgary for our flight back to Heathrow. A direct flight this time – goody! Arrived back Friday morning (UK time) and was greeted by dad at the airport, back for tea and toast and then set off for the drive back to Yorkshire. Another holiday over, another new experience, and a collection of photos and memories.