Copper Has Now Closed

Well folks the final curtain has fallen on the 05/06 ski season at Copper Mountain Resort and the place has turned into a ghost town in a matter of hours.
I have a day to pack, close bank accounts and hand in my uniform etc. before heading home on tuesday.
Its been a fantastic experiance and I have taught and talked to people from all walks of life and made some great friends along the way. To those who read this "Thank You" for making me so welcome during my stay in the USA and I hope to see you again someday and we can make some turns together again.
I would like to thank Jacqui for trusting me and letting me have my freedom to live my dream. I love you Jac, thank you. You put a note in my luggage that I didn't know about before I left. It said "Do your best and you will be fine" well I did just that and I was.
Finally a thanks to Mam, Dad, Brett, Mark, Claire, Frank, Nichola, Suzanne and Andrew for looking after Jac and the girls while I have been away.
See you all soon.
Ian

Ian & Abby's Grand Day Out

Finaly I get to ski somewhere besides Copper, thanks to Abby taking her old friend for a run out.
We headed for Aspen Snowmass passing through Gypsum. Where they mine gypsum, funny that!. Then it was through Glenwood Springs where Abby pointed out the local haunted hotel where the ghost didn't like the new decor and stripped the new wallpaper overnight, folding it neetly on the floor.
Arriving a little later than we wanted, we changed in the middle of the muddiest car park in America hopping from foot to foot. Then we grapped a quick Sub. (thats a big sandwich) for lunch and headed up the slopes. As we didn't know the mountain we just headed up and down a few easy greens, not really what we professionals were looking for. On checking the piste map a nice black diamond caught our eye which had a 10 minute uphill walk to get to, but it was well worth the effort. Steaper than the "Wall", Frank. and covered in 8" of new snow. Abby was down in a flash, 'cos she is a better skier than I am. Did I tell you I raced her one day down the local Nastar course at Copper and I let her beat me by 3 seconds because I am a true English gentleman. Any way I managed to get down in my own unique style then followed Abby through some trees. Trees and I are like a magnet and steel so I managed to break a few branches as I crashed my way through. The afternoon was slipping away so we headed up again and found some wide open blues to carve down. I was quite pleased when Abby complimented my carving skill compared to the start of the season as she is really good at taking her edges for a ride. We finished our afternoon with a slide down an airial runway. Abby was in charge of the camera for my run and I made a big effort to look like the man from the Milk Tray add. and 007, cool, sophisticated etc. The footage that was cought on camera was fantastic, just that its only me touching the floor at the end is a little disappointing. Only kidding.
All that is left to say is a big THANK YOU to Abby for a grand day out and I hope you all like my photos. I think someone was having a laff (thats one for you Jac) when they named the slopes!

He's Back Soon

Two weeks tomorrow!

Villars Switzerland

Well another bit of skiing, how could I refuse. This time in Villars Switzerland with Frank, Nicola, Isabella, Adrian, Amanda, Sam, Lucy, Mark, India, Sue, Diana and William-Phew
A skiing holiday and no skiing pics, we did ski honest in an awful lot of snow. New camera is so big I don't feel like bombing down the slopes with it strapped to my back. The camera would be fine, it's my back that would give and my mobile phone decided not to play so no mobile pics either. What a photographer. The skiing was good but at times a bit tricky. Am pleased to say I kept up with tradition and did a Jacqui style classic tumble, only Frank was there to appreciate the finesse with which I can land whilst kissing snow big style. I disappeared in powder and so did my ski, took a while to find it too, buried deep in the snow. Now that would have been a long trek off the mountain.

Think Frank has the snowblade bug but Nicola not so sure after an instructor refused to teach her on them. Sounds familiar-Ian!!! Ski instructors, snobs, nah.
Isabella is on the verge of crawling, she keeps trying then get's frustrated, she'll be on baby ski's soon :-)
We all watched crufts one night after a few beers, have to say I never knew crufts could be so entertaining and Ben Vogel was rather cute too. What! A few nights out down the bar and local restaurants was required too. Just as well as we found the world's best tampura prawns, in the middle of Switzerland, what's going on. Oh and pretty good pizza too.
The photo in the bathroom is on board the ferry heading back to the UK, Isabella needed her bath so she got a marble sink instead and a bathroom of spectators.

A Day at the Races - Ian and Christer Style

A first for Ian, Christer is a bit of an old pro at this. Just look at those edges.

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Sleepless in Darlington

Till 4.30am the joys of an overactive mind and jetlag.

It's Been a Blast

We've been having soo much fun out here that the blog has been neglected. Loads of pics and things to add so will do on my return. Heading on the long route back to the Uk in 30 mins.
Just wanted to say to all Ian's pals at Copper-keep up the good work, it was great to meet you all and make sure Ian eat's his greens!

Torchlight at Copperopalis

Saturday night and the torchlight parade. Ian usually does these but not tonight much prefering my company. Times are hard for the instructers here as Christer resorts to eating sausages that the bar staff have just put in the bin. Nevermind the Copper Meat wagon also known as the ambulance is on standby.

Ghost Town

Jumped on the Greyhound bus to Denver this morning. Tried to get a seat but got eyeballed by some seriously rough looking sorts or guys so big they needed two seats anyways. I ended up next to a scrawny, greasy looking hill billy. Was hoping for a Brad Pitt type rougue but was not to be.
Denver now this is a strange place. It's a city with a fair amount of skyscrapers, loads of shops but very few people. Where are they all coz we don't see em and rush hour passed by unnoticed. Went to the Comedy Works which cringingly predictable, seven stand ups that can't get past sex or drugs. So got quite bored with that one.
Did I mention we went shopping, oops an ipod dropped in my bag. An early on his way home present from Ian. Am addicted and will soon have a large flat scroll shaped thumb to boot.

The Best Cheesecake in the world-probably.

The Best Street Name in the world-probably.

The Best Outdoor Store in the world-probably REI http://www.rei.com/ If you want 150 jet propelled stoves.

The Best Pizza in the world for 8 bucks-probably. The Gran Daddy of LODO Wasees Supper Club http://www.wazeesupperclub.com/

So it's not a bad little spot really.

It's a Powder Day All Round

Snowfall at La Source, you'll have to get the sledges out. Am afraid you have some catching up to do. Copper Mountain has had 20 feet of snow so far and it's been snowing the past 24 hrs. Check the web cams.
http://www.coppercolorado.com/mountain/cams/index.htm
Ian's teaching and I don't fancy a whiteout on my own.
Ian has just returned for lunch after a busy morning on the slopes. A girl collapsed on him, she had been admitted to hospital yesterday with altitude sickness and thought she could manage a few blue runs today. Then Ian found a little boy crying his eyes out after getting seperated from his group. All in a days work.

It's Hummering Time Suz

Now this is what you need to take Lils to nursery, XC90 are for whimps and so last year. Now this is a machine to have, you can push people out the way in car parks, drive over cars, make your internal organs vibrate with the stereo and laugh at snow storms and icey roads. This was a baby sized Hummer too it's big brother is on it's way next week. Just what every girl needs. Which gets me thinking, what if Hummer did a Campervan, am giddy at the thought.
So anyways Christer blasts down the roads in this drives like a sports car built like a tank road eating machine. Us Brits that are not used to real snow or hummers shut our eyes in the back and pray but we get to the bowling alley ok. After a few beers the game is spicing up. Though not in the way the boys had hoped with their big cannonball, high velocity, spin it and curve, fancy footwork bowls, testosterone was bouncing down the alley all night. Nope they got whooped by steady, straight down the middle, calm and collected if a little drunk Jac. So little brother Beef am after you next for all us girls that keep getting whooped by you blokes. Am soo pleased I have beat Ian at something, of course he said it was just luck so just to set things straight I won the second game too. Just wish I could apply the same skill and precision to my skiing but my dodgy knee has other ideas.

We are off to Denver in the morning on the Greyhound coach it has a much better ring to it than the National Express. One of the world’s biggest camera stores and the Tatty Cover Bookshop are on the agenda. Oh and an Apple store too ☺

Boy's Toys

Today Christy arrived who has had a few lessons from Christa and Ian over the past few weeks. It was Christy’s hired Hummer that Christa and Ian managed to get stuck in the snow a few weeks back. The tow truck that came to get them out ended up stuck next to the Hummer and a second truck had to be called out to save the day. Lucky for the guy’s Christa found the incident funny though if it had been stuck another two hours she would have missed her flight home!
Christy offered me the Hummer to go shopping in today but I took the free bus instead not sure I could handle the stress or the contribution to the depletion of the ozone layer. We are all going out bowling Saturday night in the Hummer and hopefully Christy will be driving. Though am sure the men would like to get their hand’s on it again. Another man thing!

We Can Do That

Yesterday Cindy and I were joined with Abbi and Joel who proceeded to blast their way down the slopes. We preferred to take a more gentle approach on the slopes just in case we should show the instructors up with a dazzling display of skill and agility. Well, we did not want to intimidate them! Abbi had shown us some new techniques to try earlier on in the day which involved lots of big toe movements and knee pushing. Though not entirely sure we managed to do all the movements in the right order but we had a good laugh trying. We also managed to get ourselves lost in the afternoon on some saucy slopes in heavy snow but we survived and managed to put Joel and Abbi to sleep while they waited for us at the bottom of the slopes.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

We all went to Bubba Gumps on Monday night in Breckenridge which was very tasty and cosy as the temperature dropped to -18 outside. We drove past 12 giant 2 tonne blocks of ice ready for the World Ice Carving Championships this week. Teams from all over the world have 65 hours to create a master piece with chainsaws and chisels. The results are announced on Saturday so hoping to go down and have a look. Check this link for last years winners:
http://www.thealtitudenews.com/SnowSculpture.html

Olympic Half Pipe

Abbi’s Mum and Dad, Cindy and Don and her cousin Colin arrived last Saturday too, so we have had a couple of days skiing together. Ian and Colin had a go on the Olympic Half Pipe which dominates the main slope and is a boy thing to do. Maybe I’ll manage a snow plough down it or a wedge, as in pizza, as it is called out here.

Back Together

Ian has spent all week grinning now that I am here, though not sure what his students will think he’s on. He has some great friends out here. Christer his Swedish room mate, giddy Abbi and talks very fast Joel. Together they are the Fantastic Four, Ian of course is Stretch a nickname he had in TA days too.
My luggage finally turned up after 4 days so the new ski outfit is courtesy of United Airlines who managed to loose my bag between Philadelphia and Denver. At least my boot bag arrived on time which contained tea bags, cream eggs, chocolate, M&S coffee cake and caramel shortbread so Ian was happy, though I could have done with having more useful items in there.