Chad Is Everywhere

This should be white with snow in winter After Salzburg the plan for my holiday this year was to make a trip to a place called Grünau Im Amtel. Part of the Kasberg Ski Resort area of Austria. I in part chose this as a different location from the standard resorts I had previously visited in France. Their cheap french wine which I never drink for fear of headaches, and because it's crap was just not appealing. And because it would be cool to have a small ski resort experience in Austria. So plans had been set for months. This was to be the centrepiece of my trip. 4 days in the middle of Austria. Except it didn't end up this way. Before I had left Australia I had already heard that it had been a poor start to the winter. Europe had been having it's warmest winter in ages. The ski reports from the internet were reading optimism and hope whereas the snow reports were reading tragedy on the cards. But I persisted in the belief it would work out. After all this plan was to s...

Looking back on the week in Val d'Isere it's hard to knock anything about the mountains. They big and up high. The worst negative really would be that the majority of green runs are up top. Which makes for an interesting ride home on a red or blue. But during the day that makes it great for beginners normally assigned to sloppy slopes lower down. In January there are no slushy afternoons. It only warmed up to a balmy -3 at best. This meant by the end of the week I could still walk, and ski out an afternoon if it was good. Negative though was there was a day with -34 degree wind chill. Importantly with Val d'Isere even when it's a poor snow season it still has it. Enclosed into the mountains protects what it gets for longer. Getting to the mountain via an English all inclusive tour company meant the accommodation felt like "Little Britain". But I wouldn't try to manage it any other way for convenience.

In the week before travelling I realised we could book hire skis online cheaper. So I went about this in my nonchalant way on the net. However true to form I made a mistake. After pressing back to add in. Ski helmet the date changed. My booking went to starting the week before I arrived. In the days preceding departure I madly tried to send emails to France asking it be corrected. After a flurry of emails I was initially informed the booked couldn't change as it had already started. Eventually I got a response saying it had been corrected and the ski helmet cancelled. So I gave up... Who knew what I would get. So it was not such a surprise that when I did collect the skis eventually it tweeked that ahh, you're Chad, and the assistant pointed to a sticky taped message on the cash register. They had been waiting for 3 days for my arrival. My futility was famous.

Well here I am at the peak of the snow hills, Lake Louise. I've been skiing a few of the runs here today. What a great way to lead upto xmas. News is that I will be in backwater Canada for Xmas. Working the ski hill I suspect that day. Then the plan is for a huge Xmas dinner. Some of the chefs are preparing a huge meal for us. should be good. Anyway gotta run. Everyone enjoy xmas. have a great time. Chad

We're here in Vancouver. Still. We're not supposed to be but we are. Thanks to Air Canada, and the most snow in Vancouver in over 7 years. All I can say is watch out for flying spanners. There's nothing like throwing a few spanners into the machinery to ruin the plans. We had it all worked out yesterday afternoon. Not an easy situation when considering that we had to: - fly to Calgary Tuesday at 12 noon, - get shuttle from airport to hostel accommodation (which was not booked yet) - Wed afternoon car hire with drop off in Banff Thursday. We'd drive to Nakiska for the Wednesday night. - Thursday I start work, while Craig would drive to Banff, return car, pick stuff up off ex, and then stay in Banff the night to catch early Friday bus back to Nakiska. As complex as it sounds things all worked in theory. And then Air Canada called with the news. They had canceled our flight. The plane scheduled doesn't like too much snow. Next available flight they could get ...

There's no business like snow business.... Well it's snowing in Vancouver. And not like the travel guides describe it 'as it snows in Vancouver but never settles'. This snow is settled. And it's not stopping any time soon. And its now officially cold. And it's only going to get colder cause unless something happens tomorrow I'll be up at Nakiska Ski Resort working there for a while. Yeah, of all things I've ended up getting that ski job. Doesn't pay anything but hey it's not about the money. I'll be employed by the mountain so have subsidized accommodation, and a ski pass for 5 mountains. The biggest issue for anyone thinking of working the ski fields is the accommodation issue. Only negative is that I've been hired as Trail Crew. Yeah, I that means I'll be shoveling snow. Oh well it should be fun, at least for a bit. And I'll get to ski, and ski, and ski. In the few days before the snow CJ and I didn't do anything ext...

After several days of threatening finer weather the day has again turned nasty. Oh well. Last few days I've been kept busy with applying for jobs, and then showing CJ around town. Then sometimes its just a case of getting out to avoid cabin fever. We managed to hire some bikes today and have fine-ish weather for the entire ride around Stanley park. But true to form it rain on us as we walked back to the hostel. In my last post I mentioned that I'd add some more photos. Anyway here goes for those waiting: First off we have False Creek and the view to Yaletown. If anyone had of subscribed to the Chad Holiday Fund prospectus then the Fund Manager would be making executive decisions from here. Unfortunately the fund closed under-subscribed and the manager therefore still resides at the hostel. The other photo is that of North Vancouver. This area north of Vancouver is where the locals go to ski after work. On the news front CJ leaves in a couple of days. The Nakiska Ski...

Hey all Not much news to report here really. Oh, except for the fact I may now end up working the ski fields after all. Well the issue is to ski or not to ski? This whole concept is due to my frield CJ who until Saturday was at Lake Louise. Basically he's now going through a crisis having had his girlfriend call off their relationship a week into their working ski holiday. Not a good situation so he got out of there. Anyway it seems that CJ has organised a job up at Nakiska and has strongly suggested I join him. And well I'm now at one of those pressure junctions where I'm just under the gun. The Do I or Don't I? Without there being any harm I've applied. Nothing ventured nothing lost yet. They may come back and say there is nothing suitable for me and they're not interest. Meanwhile for all you back home just to make you jealous, we're having to drink bottled water. There has been too much rain which has over run the water supplies and made it a bit...