Monday - Aw, man! Who Knows?!

I'm trying to remember - I really am, folks! According to http://www.vancouver2010.com/, there were no alpine events, so I guess I wasn't on duty - but I do know that I went to the mountain, because that was the day I got a ride in with a couple of RCMP officers - I KNOW! Weird, eh? They're renting a chalet just a couple away from Loraine's and Leo's, and when they saw me coming down the road in my "Smurf" regalia, offered me a lift - okay, okay, I might have sped up, flitted up the driveway, and asked if they were headed to Creekside and they very generously said they were, and offered me a lift.

Actually, hitch-hiking is very common out here. A lot of people don't have cars, and just get around by hitching rides. I'm told though, that it only works so well, due to the fact that most drivers know most hitchers - you hear that kids? This is a small mountain community - very different from "The Big Smoke"!

So, the interesting part of this lift was when the officer who was driving...out of uniform, in a civilian vehicle...got pulled over for speeding! We stopped chatting instantly, and I just sat back in the rear of the vehicle, and said, "Look, do what you have to do. I'm invisible. " I mean, it's not like I'm going to write about it in the public eye, like a newspaper, a magazine, or perhaps...a blog? (hee! hee!) Well, it was a very notable encounter from my perspective. There was little cop doing the stopping, and big cop doing the driving (remember, out of uniform, and little cop hadn't taken the time to look up the plate, he just came straight up to the window). The little cop was so obnoxious, sarcastic, and confrontational, I simply couldn't believe it. The driver cop was quiet, compliant, and indulging. It made me so mad, but I guess he didn't need me to fight his battles, so I had to stay quiet. He just received a warning (I was told today that they've been directed not to give out tickets - strange), and we proceeded on our way.

Skiing was probably great, as the sun shone for several days in a row earlier this week.

I'm pretty sure this was the day I skied "Peak to Creek". I believe this is the longest alpine run in North America, and at over 7km long - believe me - it's LOOONG! See: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/media/news/season_2005-06/060121.htm for a description. This is a run that everyone was telling me was a must run before I came out here. They said it had the greatest variety of terrain, the longest descent, and the best scenery. Best? The scenery is spectacular in every direction! So, here's the thing...there's no one skiing Peak to Creek (except to halfway down - Midstation - because they can't ride the gondola at the bottom back up.) It's within the Secure Area, and for the exclusive use of olympic alpine skiing athletes, their coaches, and their crew - Hello! No problem there, so away I went. Just to give you an idea of where it starts: you ride the Creekside Gondola up for about 15mins, you offload, then ski over to the Red Chair, which you ride up to above the treeline. That takes about 10mins. Then you ski off from its top, down a little dip (that "dip" is the size of some Southern Ontario complet runs!), to the Peak Chair. You upload there for about another 10mins, and now you've arrived - you're at Whistler's Peak - and my words just aren't acurately expressive enough to do it justice. Probably best for those of you who are interested to just google photos of it. It will be worth it, I assure you.

So, I start this run (having done it to Midstation a few times already during my stay), and 20 mins later, with a few "view breaks" (definately not for leg-recovery breaks! :), I'm still not at the bottom! Holy hanna - how long is this thing?? Then I see a sign: "3.5km to Dusty's" - that's the bar (currently Athlete's Lounge) at the Creekside Base. 3.5km???!!! I'm only half way?! So I keep skiing, my legs keep aching, I'm almost at the bottom, and what's that? An out? A side trail back to the route below the Finish Area, where we Crew and many athletes and coaches ski out all the time. Only one tiny problem... "Trail Closed". Now, I ask you...if they really wanted it closed, wouldn't they have lifted the rope and sign back up off the ground from where it was flattened, and wouldn't they have posted a "Steward Smurf" (blue jacketed volunteers who keep people away from race course runs and access trails.) Yea, I thought so too. So, over the rope I ski, and while "uh-oh", was my first feeling, it was soon followed by "Holy Crap!", and finally, "How the heck am I going to get out of this mess?"

You see, this trail was more like a very narrow access road, with icy ruts from some kind of vehicle, rocks, and crevaces which leads right under the gondola for all to see, how embarassing, and oh yea, it's a dead end, but not just any dead end - it's totally fenced in with our triple safety fencing, and what's this? An RCMP officer stationed RIGHT THERE to prevent exactly this - people sneaking on to the bottom of the race course illegally, WITH a police camera up in the tree which he quickly pointed out. Now, since this is getting a bit long, and since you all know that the good Lord (thank Him and praise Him!) blessed me with award-winning communication and negotiation skills, 5mins later (I pulled out all the stops - he was pointing out that I was in the "dirty" area, ie. not secure), he was picking up my skis and poles from off the snow, as I wiggled under one, two, three, crash fences!

Weasel house, back to some of the crew's townhouse, stayed too late, missed last bus, crashed, got no sleep, got up for first bus at 5:00am, was on the bus by 6, home by 7:15am, and oh! I guess I'm into Tuesday now, so moving right along.

(I sure hope you all know this is not the life I lead in Unionville, Ontario - let's remember, I'm just a simple ski bum on my days off - this is aaaall par for the course out here - well, par for the course for me out here, anyway - reminds me of my summer in Ireland bike touring actually - free as a bird - mmmm....!)