Snow Wednesday

Dan and Jemma both sick and in bed.
The weather has taken a turn for the worse.
After two glorious sunny days where our biggest worry was that the snow would melt we are now faced with the prospect that it will wash away.  It's raining.

Swapped my skis and poles for a snow board.  Chris tells me the reason there is animosity between skiers and snowboarders is not the agressive nature of snow boarders or the fact that skiers can use their poles to push up hill.  It is simply that ski boots are so dam ucomfortable and skiers spend all day walking around in agony.  I think it's true.  Snow board boots are quite comfortable.  Paul in the hire shop suggested a helmet and wrist guards.  Un beknownst to me at the time, helpful suggestions the importance of which would become valued sometime later.  (I am sure you know my distain for bicycle helmets).

So off to the slopes.  Jacob and Marcus disapeared and Chris took me to the beginners area and gave me a few pointers.  I managed to stand up and fall down and stand up again.

9:00am Chris went off to his lesson.  His parting comment was "you did pretty well for an adult".

9:30 lined up for my beginners snow board lesson.  This went really well.  We learned to hop and walk and drag that appendage strapped to one foot and to skate.  That is where you only have the front foot strapped in and the other rests on the board and sort of steers.  This is needed for example when getting off the chair lift.  By the end of the lesson I could do turns back and forth down the learners area.

12:00 Met Megan after her ski lesson and drove back to Sponners to check on Dan and Jemma.  They awoke as we arrived so we had sandwiches in our bed room.  Had a snooze and then drove back up to Perisher.

3:00 picked up Chris and took the V8 chairlift to the top of front valley.  Rode the board down slowly.  Gained skill and confidence.  Our teacher in the morning had emphasised the need to lean to the front of the board and although the rest of my brain wanted to lean back, I followed this advice and seemed to do well.  Too well in fact.

Megan, Chris, Jacob and I continued to ride the V8 chair and ski / board down front valley while Marcus, cold and with his boots full of water, had a sulk and went to catch the bus back to Sponners.

By 7:00pm, Dan and Jemma had arisen and joined us for dinner. Ended up playing cards and relaxing after dinner.