However, if the weather doesn't look too promising or someone has another committment on the other day of the weekend then a day trip may be in order. If that is the case, the plan goes something like this, get up around 4:30am, make a large mug of tea, climb into a car, arrive at the mountain by 9am, ski the whole day, get back into a car and drive 4 hours back to Wellington. A couple of weeks ago, the weather didn't look too promising, but one of my friends hadn't been up the mountain yet and was super keen for a Saturday road trip. Naturally, I decided to join in. (How could I say no to a mountain expedition? What if the weather cleared and they had a fabulous day without me?)
Well, the weather forcast was correct. It was raining, cold, and you could barely see your own feet due to the fog, but the snow was good (at least by NZ standards) and there were no crowds despite being in the middle of the school holidays. At about 3:00pm we decided that we had enough and getting back to Wellington a bit earlier than normal would be nice so we started the trip home.
Not long after starting the trip home I had a text from my flatmate Neil asking how it was. Apparently he was considering a trip up the mountain on Sunday. I replied that the weather was poor but the crowds were good, but keep me posted on your plans. By the time I got back to Wellington Neil had scrutinized the weather forecast and had decided that it was going to improve by Sunday. So, the first question I was met with when I walked in the door was, "are you coming?" Let me think about this one. I got up at 4:30am, spent 8 hours in a vehicle and most of the day trying to not ski off the side of the mountain due to whiteout conditions and all my ski clothes were wet enough to ring out. Of course I am coming. I wouldn't miss a trip to the mountain.
Having looked at my pile of gear and quickly calculated that there was only 8 hours until I needed to get back in a vehicle headed to the mountain I realised drastic action was needed if I wanted my stuff to be dry. Soon the bathroom was filled thermals, a fleece top, a jacket, ski pants, helmet, 3 pairs of gloves, toque, neck warmer, snow board boots, wool socks and boot liners with a heater turned to max. When I opened the door to use the toilet in the middle of the night I was met by a wall of warm steamy air. Thankfully I have flatmates that "get it" when it comes to wet gear and outdoor activities. They thought my accessorization of the bathroom improved its appearance.
Sunday was sunny and clear up the mountain; it was a great day. It was hard to believe that it had been so miserable the previous day. Would I recommend spending 16 hours in a car and 2 days skiing within one weekend? No. Did I have a good time? Yes. Would I be insane enough to do it again? Probably.
Since I can't seem to get enough of the snow I am heading down to the South Island for a week long ski holiday/road trip next week. I can already see you rollling your eyes and groaning, "does Natasha ever work?" Let me assure you that I actually do. I am quite busy at the moment, or as my boss would put it, flatout. I even went into the office yesterday (Saturday) and spent a while today doing work at home.
On another note, for anyone who hasn't heard I will be in Vancouver for a holiday from Thursday, October 7 to Sunday, October 24. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone in less than 8 weeks time. Let me know when you are free and we'll try to set something up.
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