Skiing At Lake Louise!

Yesterday, I went on the staff ski trip to Lake Louise, it was so much fun I'm going to have to start from the beginning...!

I woke up at 5 am, and ate a boring breakfast of cereal with my daddy. I went over the bag I had packed the night before: ski boots, snow pants, gloves, helmet and goggles. I added my lunch and waterbottle and a neckwarmer. It wasn't supposed to be too cold, but you could never tell. I donned my jacket and dad drove me to COP. At COP, I arrived at 6:30 am. The buses left at 7, so I decided I'd like to be at least 1/2 an hour early. I was the first one there. But it was quite okay, because I got first dips on the Tim Horton's coffee and donuts that our fabulous administrator brought! At around quarter to 7, more people started showing up- so I didn't have to eat by myself. I helped my friend Karlyn bring her skis and boots out of her car and into the parking lot as the coach showed up. Everyone on the ski trip loaded the bus and we set off at about 7:20 after waiting for the last few stragglers.
Two hours later we arrived! It was pretty empty, so we pretty much had the hill to ourselves. We unloaded the bus, and we all found our equipment and walked into the lodge to get ready. The first lift was up the gondola. The snow was quite nice in the morning, however, the first run were the moguls. Wonderful. Everyone knows how I love the moguls. Well, I didn't end up falling over which was excellent, and I felt that I looked so funny- I couldn't keep from giggling. I was skiing with Karlyn, Luke and Hana at first. Then later we were joined by the team leads and two more ski instructors: Eric, Niall, Ryoko and Sarah. We did a good few more runs, and because Karlyn wasn't feeling very well, she went in. The weather was quite good, not sunshine, but not flat light either. There was a layer of cloud hanging over the sun for the whole day, but still enough light shone through that we could see all the lumps and bumps on the snow. We hit a few more mogul runs, in which I got tutored by Eric on how to handle moguls properly. He said I was doing good, but I don't know. I think he was just being nice. Then we went to join Hana and Luke who had left earlier to warm up their hands, and Karlyn for lunch.
After a nice relaxing hour long lunch, we hit the slopes again. Just the 6 of us this time; Ryoko- our very own mountain guide, Sarah, Luke and Hana and Karlyn. In the afternoon, it was a little warmer outside, and we went all the way to the top of the mountain which felt like the top of the world!! We had to take a tow rope up which was quite fun but still a little scary- because it was quite steep where it took you, and when you let go at the top the handle would swing wildy and it seemed to be so close it would come and hit you in the face- but it didn't.  It was magnificent and so silent on top! We had a hike up a little to get to the top of the run, which made it even more of an adventure. The snow was soft and powdery and silent. It was wonderful to ski on! The bowl was quite deep snow which I didn't like very much because my skis are not powder skis so they sink and you don't go very fast. But if I stuck to the path the snow there was very nice, that little layer of silent powder..ahh was SO NICE!! Which the other 5 braved the deep, steep, bumpy stuff, I slided down the slope I enjoyed. We did that run twice because I requested it. It was so wonderful! We made our way back at 2:45 pm, we arrived back at the lodge at 3:20 where we got a drink and changed back to our travel clothes. The bus arrived at 4, and it left at 4:20. The 2 hour long ride was filled with the music of a harmonica and drunken singing, which helped, I'm sure, the tired ones to sleep. ;)
We arrived in Calgary at 6 pm and gosh it had been such a wonderful day! The bus got all bumpy and jerky just about 1/2 an hour out of Calgary- and as Dad picked me up, we found out why- we drove by the bus which had a wiggling back wheel. Good stuff. I said good-bye to Luke, Hana, Sarah, Karlyn and Ryoko as this was probably the last time I was going to see them until next winter season!
But was it a wonderful day!! It was fantastic, cruising down those powdered slopes like a bird in the sky! WAHOO!!