4 weeks!!

Woodsy - 4 weeks from tonight, we will be tired from a day of travelling on both plane and bus. We will be settling in to our home away from home in Creekside. It is all starting to become a reality. It is very exciting!! Both Beadraich and I have started our lists of things we need to remember to take and things we need to buy still.
I am meeting with our travel companion next week. She is getting excited too! I'll have to figure out what her nickname for the blog will be.
My niece is coming skiing with us this weekend. This is the second year she has done this. It is a fun filled weekend of skiing, watching movies, listening to Top 40 music and good food (she loves a good Caesar salad and steak). It is fun to spend quality time with her. In a couple of years, my nephew will be able to come with us for his own ski weekend.

The hill will soon be alive with the sound of shoosh, shoosh, shoosh, shoosh!

Beadraich - Our skis are now at Kenmark Snow Sports for their pre-season tuneups. This annual ritual means that there is some white stuff about to fall from the sky and turn our favourite hills into a winter wonderland of morning corduroy and afternoon moguls. Some other sure signs that ski season is imminent are that Glen Eden was blowing snow this weekend, and I've received 5 weather updates from the Weather Network to warn of possible snow squalls in Collingwood this afternoon.

I've just checked the Blue Mountain conditions and they are making snow on two runs. Not exactly my favourite runs, but they are runs, and if all goes well, they will be able to open in a week. Woodsy and I are planning on spending the next two weekends in Collingwood should there be snow, and we can work to once again get comfortable on skis and work out the kinks of the summer.

With snow conditions soon to improve, Christmas almost upon us, and less that 70 days until we depart, it's hard not to get to excited.

Anniversary, Weather

Woodsy - December 5...it is the anniversary of our "in person interview" at Downsview last year. Hard to believe we are celebrating anniversaries of this adventure!!


There is finally snow in our long range forecast! It looks like there could be up to 10 cm of snow on Wednesday. If that is the case, we will be grabbing first tracks next Saturday! In preparation, Beadraich is getting our skiis tuned at our local ski store. Let it snow.

71 Days - But I'm not counting!

Beadraich - I'm starting to get excited, people are subscribing to this little blog which is just a place for us to share our stories and misadventures while realizing a lifelong dream. So, thank you to everyone who is subscribing, and following us. Woodsy and I both appreciate all of the encouragement and support. It's a huge cliche, but for me that encouragement and support really makes it easier and more enjoyable each step of the way.

I have been put in touch with a fellow volunteer who is the self described "Older/Ski Bum Brother" of one of my colleagues in KW. This Ski Bum has spent his life chasing snow, and finding ways to work in the industry so he can ski for free. (Yes, I'm jealous) Sounds like a great guy who is volunteering to learn more about the Weasels, Whistler's very own group of volunteers who make each and every world cup race and now the olympics possible. I'm looking forward to grabbing a few runs with this new friend and hearing some stories of Big White and some of the other BC resorts.

Reflecting on why I want to do this, I keep coming back to the people I'm going to meet. The pints that will be drank at the volunteer pub, and the opportunity to help showcase what a great country I'm blessed to live in.

75 Days away!

Beadraich - WOW, in 75 days Woodsy and I will be boarding an Air Canada plane to Vancouver and preparing to experience something that I know I never really dreamed I would be able to.

I woke up this morning and was loading my snow tires into the car to get them changed and it was snowing. So, I naturally started thinking of the snow they are experiencing in Whistler and how much I want to go skiing tomorrow, But I'm in Ontario and we have only seen flurries.

I must say, it seems like so long ago that the casual mention of volunteering sent us down this road, but it has already been an amazing experience. and now it feels like the last 25 days have just flown by.