Friday January 1st - Tuesday May 24th 2016

Firstly...photo credit goes to the amazing Liz Chaffey for this sick photo from the top of Goats Eye mountain! Sums up my whole winter right there!

Its been a while...the last five months have been pretty full on!!

I'll start with the New Year....Liz 'accidentally' put me on the 6 am start, so being an 'adult' I decided not to go out and go to bed early. I actually was passed out at 10 pm that night! It was the best sleep I had all week! I throughly enjoyed watching everyone come in hungover to work at 7:30 am. That was actually my highlight of my week! Plus it was the start of my three days off a week! HURRAY! I made it without killing myself!!

Mackenzie came to visit, that was an awesome week! We did managed to do Sunday Funday right and I don't remember much of the night, but had to get up at 7 am to get to Sunshine to go to Panorama day trip! It was a huge struggle for all of us that went out! I took everyone down the bowls at Pano, I think they all hated me after that! I enjoyed it all!

I purchased a new snowboard, finally...! I'm in love! I've also taken up skiing now! That has been great fun, I had the best day out with Hannah teaching me! I didn't actually managed to kill myself! I've had a few 'elegant' stacks with my skis! My mission for next season is to do my level 1 ski instructor, so I'm going to get on some lessons at the beginning of the season and plan to do it in February/March time.

Had our PHP (post holiday party) with the gondola squad...that was a loose night, don't remember much of that! The speeches were hilarious...as normal! The dinner was amazing, I actually remembered it, and got dessert unlike last year sitting with Nick and Dingo...!

Went on a helicopter tour...again! It was awesome, left from the casino East of Canmore on the border of the mountains and the prairies. It was pretty awesome seeing where the mountains start, went over barrier lake, then landed on a mountain...yes the helicopter LANDED on a mountain?! We went for a walk around the top to get some good views in! Still can't believe it landed on the mountain!

Went out to Nakiska with someone of the operators...I was doing pretty well practicing my switch riding and I was getting pretty cocky about it all switching between the two. I managed to catch my edge and I don't even know what happened but body slammed myself into the ground! Dean has a video of the whole thing! The first thing I did was put my arms round my head, fear of getting another concussion! I have never been in so much pain, I could barely walk! I think I compressed all my nerves in my back and side as I was as useless as a sack of potatoes! The bus ride home was not comfortable! But it was only down the road from Banff at least!! That took about two weeks before I could walk without limping and about two months before I could actually feel the nerves in my side again!

Work was all good, I had some challenging days at time, it was always when I was in everything went to s***...! Crazy busy days, haul rope being all iced up on the gondola, incidents happening on hill. Most of this happened on Wednesdays or Friday mornings when I was alone. If it wasn't for Dean on those Wednesdays, I don't think I could of dealt with everything!

I am especially grateful for all those days when I got super drunk (by 'accident') on a Tuesday AKA accidental Tuesdays, for everyone who knows me. The habits still haven't changed from last year, the only difference is that I don't have Wednesdays off this year! And accidentally slept in on Wednesdays, or couldn't function in general! We actually went for breakfast once in the hotel with Joey as it was spring and there was nothing to do! Those were the good days! I'm already excited for summer and next season with Dean!

Andrew came to visit in March, it was so good to see him again and actually have some days off too!! We did Fernie, Marmot and Revelstoke! Fernie was a pretty sweet hill, it has five bowls to chose from with all different kinds of riding to be had! There was some epic tree runs that we went through and some sweet powder! The town itself is much smaller than Banff and not so touristy, which was lovely! Managed to find some delicious food to eat in town, can't beat a good piece of BC salmon!

Marmot was not so good, it was pretty icy and the conditions weren't amazing. However I love Jasper as the drive to Jasper is spectacular! We stopped at the Icefields as Andrew wanted to find this glacier cave. After a short hike up through the snow and wind that I felt like I was on an expedition to the North Pole, we found the entrance of the glacier cave inside the Athabasca glacier.

It was stunning! I was scared going inside, but after wading in waist deep snow we managed to get into the cave! It was all smooth and wavy from the wind carving into it. Apparently there was another cave deeper you could go in but I couldn't find it, plus I think I would have been way too scared to head inside there!! The Maligne lake road was open all the way to the lake which is normally not open this time of the year. So we went out adventuring on the frozen lake.

Our last hill we went to was Revelstoke, the last time we went it was really bad conditions, this time it was honestly the best two days of riding I've ever had! Blue bird days and the snow was on point! Ben, Andrew and myself headed into the trees where we were jumping off logs, rocks and everything else! My riding improved ten folds that day! Best day of my 2015/16 season for sure! We also hiked up to the high peak and made some fresh tracks back to the groomers. Its bloody hard work hiking up in ankle deep snow!

It was a pretty good three weeks Andrew being around and having my riding, drinking and adventure buddy back in town. Feels horrible him not being around any more! I have plenty of people to keep me busy and distracted!

Went out chasing Northern lights with Liz several times, however this is never fun when you have literally crawled into bed and not 30 seconds later Liz calls to get you to take pictures. The sensible me was no, I have the 6 am start, but I've gotten myself into this say yes to everything to do with adventures (it's a curse now, I can't stop...I believe this has led to my now drinking habits most nights...) The Northern lights were pretty awesome, we we're out at Lake Minnewanka, I always enjoy putting all my layers on, which is 90% of my work gear to go rolling around in the snow and dark to try and get the best pictures! My next camera investment is a tripod...!

Got myself nominated for supervisor of the week and won for the month too! I was pretty stoked as the dinner had some awesome people. Got myself four trail signs that I need to ship home at some point! Had two of the gondola kids, plus maintenance and Chips too. It was actually a really good night. Stayed on the hill for the night too in the hotel which is always good (and free as it is a 'duty' room!). Working on the Saturdays after these dinners are always a struggle, but Liz is awesome and lets me come in whenever I want, which is still generally before 9 am!

Another Friday night dinner, I was working and Mike did the speeches....the girls left their stuff in the office which is generally what they all do. However they brought me a visitor....a non expected one. The owner of the hill...HOLY...I was half asleep on the desk, luckily they had warned me as they came into the office. I was wide awake then, couldn't sleep for the rest of the night when I got home!

Got into the dive this year, which was pretty sweet on the first day it opened! Whoop! Managed to do two runs before it killed me! Went down a harder route, which was actually s*** scary thinking about it now! I think it made it worse the fact that at one point I was sliding down the mountain, head first, towards the cliffs...! I managed to stop myself before flying over them! My best moment was watching one of the skiers we were with double ejected and landing head first in the deepest amount of snow! I died!

My next challenge is to try it on ski's, I don't know if I'll have the balls to do that, but I'll get my practicing next season started early! Had some sketchy moments on my ski's, almost falling over but managing to keep my ski's on, plus fall with a little bit of grace and able to get up too!

Spring was good, time to wind down a little, get some riding and skiing in and get into mischief around the hill! Mike and I were the worse working together for it!

Moved into a new place on May 1st...my own little studio apartment...cheaper rent including all bills etc. I can't believe I actually have my own place I'm such an adult! I have actually been out more with friends since living on my own than when I did with people!

Slush cup was a great day, considering last year I was white girl wasted, with the biggest cut across my chin from an epic stack while participating in a piggy back race....cheers Dingo! Working was actually pretty fun, got to hang out with Liz, Dean and Mike all day at the top while watching all the failed attempts of trying to make it across the ice cold water! I did enjoy being at the base, watching all of the drunk people getting off the gondola. Most of them I knew...! Made for some hilarious memories and stories to remind them all in the morning!

Ended up in hoodoos till some ridiculous time on the Monday, felt on point on Tuesday...! Was the longest shift of my life, even worse than any Goats Eye shift!

Can't believe that my second season is over! It has gone by so damn fast...! I knew being a supervisor was going to be a challenge, some days more than others, but I have all that experience for this next winter so it should be smooth sailing, right? I had an awesome time, so many memories and good times, it has helped me grow in so many ways that I didn't even realize I had! Here's to a great summer season!