So after the interlude of the interesting spider reactions to drugs, back to reality with a bump - I am currently sat in Calgary international airport waiting for my flight which is not for about another 3 ½ hours.

On the plus side however I have just been upgraded to world traveller plus - Score! No idea what the difference is but I’m much closer to the front of the plane which must be a good thing.

So back to Banff and back to last weekend - we said a fair well to Jacko. So that has left Matt, Chris (who up to this point I had only seen twice since base camp split) and me. Matt has been having some private lessons in preparation for his retake of his riding for the level 2. So I have been cruising around the mountain trying to spin a 3 (60). Managed to end most day in a bit of a mood. And then on Saturday I realised why I snowboard and why I want to do it as a job. And my mood wheat very quickly from being ready to leave to really not wanting to go, it’s a funny old world.

Saturday I went to Sunshine (eeeuuurgh!) to ride with Alex, Natasha and Nolan (guys from the SameSun) Still no luck with the 3 it was still a good day.

It was going to be my last day on the hill so I could relax on Sunday and then pack on Monday because I thought it was going to be a long job. Turns out I then went back to Louise (Harrah!) on Sunday and then again on Monday.

Saturday evening we went out for Chris’ leaving do. Matt and I where going to go for some drinks anyway as Matt’s level 2 was over my final night he didn’t want to drink. We went to the Rose and Crown for some pool and some jars and there was a group of guys there from Edmington who have known each other from school and go out together each year. They where in their 40’s and were hammered - they were really good fun and we had a few drinks with them before we moved onto Mel’s to meet up with Chris. More drinks at Mel’s resulted in both of us still being hammered when we meet for a final breakfast in Mel’s (damn its good!). Really relaxed breakfast as there are now only two buses to Louise each morning. Thought I was fine before I stood up - turns out I was still drunk! - Sunday on the hill got ride of that though - the mountain air really is awesome!

I spent Sunday trying to spin the 3 again. I though it was going to be my day because the first spin was really close. Still no luck as I just seemed to get worse and worse. On a plus note my 180s are a lot better and than include me getting over my inability to spin backside spins. I think I have over come that both regular and switch (again Harrah!). Monday, as it turned out was disserted - it wasn’t as sunny as well which means by the end of the day the snow was still snow and not slush. Also another really good thing was that as it is getting towards the end of the season and it is really quite they have closed the glacier quad (which just so happens to run right over the top of the park). So not only was the park really quite but there was nobody watching. I took this opportunity to sessoin the rails a bit and ended up having an awesome day.

Rails sessioned: Beginners box
{Front side broad slide;
Front side broad slide, switch out;
Front side broad slide nose press}
Jump on flat box
{50-50;
front side shifty}
Rainbow rail
{50-50}
Jump on up box
{50-50}
Up-flat-down box
{50-50;
Tried a 50-50 on the up and the flat and then an back side broad slide on the down - didn’t work - ended up winded!}

Also rolled over the bin at the top of a spin and also managed a nose press on the bin and rode out switch the way I came in

Tried one 3 - didn’t work but at least it looked like a sweet 180

It was awesome fun so hopefully I will be a bit more willing to go in the park next season.

On the front of the next season, apparently Lake Louise has a list of who they want to come back next year - no news yet but that is from both Jamie and Anna - finger crossed.



So that has killed a bit of time writing this - only 3 hours to wait!

See you on home soil

Peace