Into the Flow

2009-10-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

8/30/2009

Into the flow

Christchurch (Chch)----Jet lag is at bay for the moment. I was up for nearly 48 hours straight. Dozed only a little on the flight. 6 1/2 hours of sleep last night.

Flow 1

I will base myself in a little ski town/farming community called Methven. http://www.amazingspace.co.nz/
Black Diamond Safaris (BDS) http://www.blackdiamondsafaris.co.nz/ is located here. They are the guide service I used last year to orient me to the Club Fields. Methven is about an hour from Chch. I called the Methven i-site (information center/chamber of commerce) http://www.methveninfo.co.nz/ to set up transport from Chch airport to Methven and accommodation for the night. Just so happened that the person who answered the phone was Karyn. Karyn is ¼ of the DREAM TEAM I skied with last year when I first went to the club field of Craigieburn with Black Diamond Safairs.

(Fashback to 2008) The DREAM TEAM-2008 was made up of; 1. Heather- BDS guide/owner, 2. Charlotte-tail guide, 3. Karyn who was on a familiarization trip with BDS, and 4. me. When I got into the truck to go to the Craigieburn club field and saw that I was the only guy with three fit and beautiful women, I commented that I seemed to have been put on the dream team for skiing that day (especially since the other truck was full of guys going to Mt Olympus). My comment set a fun and slightly suggestive tone for our banter throughout the day. Karyn skied her first untracked powder line of her life that day. The banter continued as we skied untracked, heli quality runs all day and the DREAM TEAM was immortalized!

(back to present) Karyn is surprised to hear from me. We reminisce a bit about the dream team and she sets up my transport and accommodation. We agree to get toghether for a ski before the season ends. (depending on snow conditions, the season will end between Oct. 4 and Oct. 26.)

Flow 2

I hire a car to drive from Chch to Springfield to pick up my Chill pass. http://www.chillout.co.nz/home.asp

It’s always a bit eerie adjusting to driving on the left side of the road but it comes back pretty quick. The Chill pass office is in Ned’s Café. I meet Paul who owns the cafe and we chat a while. Turns out he grew up in Methven and his parents still live there. Just so happens they have a little “sleepout” apartment attached to their garage. It rents for $150NZD/wk (about $15USD/night). He calls his folks and yes, it is available for the rest of the season. I arrange to stop by and check it out later that evening.

Flow 3

I arrive in Methven. Karyn has set me up at a nice B&B (Skibo House) http://www.skibohouse.com/ . It's empty so I get upgraded to a nicer room w/ensuite at no charge. Wander down to BDS office and catch up with Symon Dent., Owner. All I need is transport, a harness and a nutcracker, not guiding. Symon and Heather are both injured and not guiding this year so the guiding is being handled by Duane (Sloppy), Mark (Golly) and Kazoo (from Japan). Its storming and this first precip to hit this the area in nearly a month. Expectations for tomorrow are muted due to nor’west wind. I catch up with Sloppy and will meet with them at 8:00 am and hop in the truck to go to whatever field they are going to.

Flow 4

7:30 pm , walked to 35 Allen Street. Meet Phil and Sarah, Paul’s parents. They are nice, show me the sleepout. I agree to take it on a week-by-week basis. It is a small, not too flash, apt. About 10’ wide and 20’ long. Shower, toilet, sink, hot plate, microwave, hot pot, kitchen utensils, fridge/freezer, double bed, bedding TV, Stereo, closet and dresser. Big window looking east for morning sun. Propane heater. I will do quite nicely for my purposes. Other options are to pay as much or more for a bunk in a backpacker lodge or hostel and share bathroom and kitchen facilities. This will make for a nice soft landing in Methven for the rest of the season.

Reflection on 8/30. What a day! Being in the flow, so much fell into place so easily. Good to talk to and see folks I know from last year. Like coming home in a way. What a positive departure from the stress and drama of the last few weeks and months.

8/27-28-29/2009

2009-10-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

8/27-28-29

Leave LAX on Air NZ @ 10:30 pm on 8/27. Arrive in Auckland @ 5:30 am on the 29th. Take a taxi to meet Kristy and Viv, They are friends of Barb, my friend and colleague in Cortez. We have breakfast and they open their shop/café Bella Pacific bellapacific@xtra.co.nz . Nice little place. Bohemian atmosphere, textiles and trinkets imported from around the pacific. Back to their house, Kristy sets me up with internet access, a place to nap and regroup. I book a flight to Christchurch leaving a 8 that evening and a motel for the night.
Many thanks to Kristy and Viv for their hospitality to a jet lagged friend of a friend!!!!!!

Test Blog

2009-07-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Learning to blog with Ken

powder2corn

Into the Flow

8/27-28-29/2009

Test Blog