As we wave good-bye to those heading for the airport, another chapter of the YES NZ Adventures has drawn to a close. As always it has gone by way to quickly. It’s hard to believe that it was only 16 days ago that the coaches gathered together in Queenstown. This year crew included seasoned veterans Barry and Rich, along with 5 timer Meesh, sophomore Linc and rookie Erin.
The Coaches – clothing provided by Rich Parry.
The first week started with much promise. The snow was sparse in the Home Basin but was in great condition in the Saddle. The Mototapu chutes were open and the skiing was great. The clients started to arrive and so did the weather. A storm brought in some fresh snow but with it came lo-visibility. In some cases the light was so flat it sent skiers into the lodge with feelings of vertigo. It was a full group that braved the challenging Treble Cone conditions but we were rewarded with great skiing. Relishes was the spot for Tuesday night dinner and the group was once again in fine form. The weather cleared for the latter part of the week as the groups played in the Saddle Basin and explored the Powder Bowl Chutes. As hard as he tried, one nameless group couldn’t seem to find Saddleback. The bus ride up was without incident expect for the one pair of skis that were forgotten one morning. Heidi and Helga summed up the week in song and good-byes were said to those leaving us after week 1.
The class list.
Saturday saw some new arrivals to join the 2 weekers. The second week started much the same as week 1 with some fresh snow and Chris having to put chains on the bus. For the rest of the week however, blue skies and sunshine was the order of the day. Despite the smaller groups, Meesh still managed to “misplace” his students on a daily basis, while other groups managed to break poles and fly through fences. With a flu bug going around, class sizes fluctuated (and the bus grew roomier) while people tried to recover. The bus rides were a little calmer than the first week (Angela?), but we did have a whole herd of cattle on road one morning. The week wrapped up with a tour veteran threatening to chain herself to the bus.
Our home away from home.
Once again the Edgewater were fantastic hosts, putting up with all our shenanigans. As we pack our bags, the rain is falling and the wind is howling. A good day not to be on the hill. The remaining coaches head off to the airport tomorrow but not before one last rugby game between the All Blacks and Stralia. Sad to be leaving but look forward to many more YES adventures in the future.
