And so it begins… New Zealand season 2010

So it begins. After returning from Utah in April, I have spent most of my time thinking about the snow. And finally, the Southern Hemisphere season in New Zealand starts.

Coronet Peak in Queenstown was the first of the resorts to open on the 5th of June. So we thought we’d head on down and celebrate. Turns out, we weren’t the only ones. Many of the
regular riders at my hill also made the 7 hour drive down for the weekend.

We knew it would be a busy day on the hill with only one main chair and one beginner chair
open. But it didn’t matter. We were riding and riding with friends in the sun. Life was looking pretty damn good. And to be honest, the 20 minute lift lines were a good opportunity to rest. By the end of the day, my legs were like jelly.

The following days at Coronet weren’t so hot. The low tree lines means that there is no tree riding and so despite there being new snow, visibility was pretty much non-existant. Wind and ice caused many of the chairlifts to be iced over and unable to operate.

So we drove home.

The next weekend everyone was just as excited because Mt Hutt, my local hill, was opening.
The abysmal weather forecast didn’t dampen any of our spirits. Saturday’s gale force winds kept away most people. But the park was up and running and the lower mountain trails had some fun little side hits which kept us entertained.

Sunday afternoon was beautiful with clear, blue, sunny skies. It was just so good being able to get back into riding again! I’ve gotten my old tricks back down and my new list of things-to-learn is already growing longer and longer…