I knew we were in for a good day today when I opened our hotel door to find fresh snow on the ground and plenty more coming down. A huge group of us boarded the 8:40 am shuttle to Lake Louise. I was the only one who wore regular boots and carried my ski boots and it was a decision that paid off in spades as the latest adjustments made to my boots are not working out at all.
Most of us began the day with a guided tour by a snow host as a way to both familiarize ourselves with the mountain and find others at the same level to ski with. I joined the highest group they had - one they termed Double Blue. There were 6 of us from High Park in the group as well as a woman from Blue Mountain whose daughter lives here. The host took us to a few different areas and showed us some Black runs we could do later in the day.
Most of us began the day with a guided tour by a snow host as a way to both familiarize ourselves with the mountain and find others at the same level to ski with. I joined the highest group they had - one they termed Double Blue. There were 6 of us from High Park in the group as well as a woman from Blue Mountain whose daughter lives here. The host took us to a few different areas and showed us some Black runs we could do later in the day.
After lunch the 6 of us headed out for a run that I somehow ended up leading. After that run, two of the group decided to leave us and we were four - Pat, Richard, and Edit (pronounced Ed eat), and me. We got a few good runs in. The best was probably Paradise Bowl. It's too bad that the visibility had gotten poor by that time. I begged off a run earlier than the others as it felt like my right boot was taking a bite out of my leg.
I got on an earlier shuttle than the others and saw a huge (maybe 30?) herd of elk on the way back. After making a quick stop to drop off my skis I continued on to a ski shop to try my luck with a boot fitter there. I chose a shop that advertised guaranteed boot fitting and asked the young guys at the front if they would recommend a "kick-ass boot fitter". Simultaneously they answered "Kev" with thick Aussie surfer accents - more like Keeeeeehhhhhv. I ended up working with Kevin for two and a half hours!!! He moved over a couple buckles, blew out the back (an unusual area to blow out) where the back of my leg below the calf did not have enough room, removed some of the padding that had been added and wasn't doing me any favours, added heal lifts to give my calf more room, and blew out the area around my forefoot which will keep my toes warmer by giving me some more room there. The lesson here: buy boots that most closely resemble the shape of your feet and then have an expert boot fitter make them match your foot shape exactly. I can't wait to try out my re-worked boots tomorrow at Sunshine!
I didn't get back from the ski shop until 7:15 pm. Luckily I had called Pat to let her know I was okay and she invited me to a dinner that a group had set up for a nearby Greek restaurant. I got ready and out the door in 15 minutes (*new record*) and met them there. It was a fun group. Now I am totally ready to hit the hay to save some energy for tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment