Fernie 11 Week Ski and Snowboard Instructor Course ’05 – Week 8
Night skiing at Powderkeg and avalanche course
It was the turn of the snowboarders this week to do the recreational avalanche course, which took up Sunday and Monday, while the skiers had their normal lessons. The only shame about the RAC being this weekend was the fact it was on Griz days, the annual “party” weekend in Fernie; basically it just meant that we had to queue to get in the pubs for once! The social activity organized for this week was a trip nightskiing to Powderkeg. A lot of people weren’t quite sure what to expect having been told that the snow conditions were there were no better than Fernie’s at the time. We arrived to fairly icy conditions but this didn’t stop any of us from having a wicked time. After a couple of runs on the normal piste, a big majority of people decided to brave the terrain park, lots of jibbing, grabbing and pictures were taken. 
After such a session, everyone was to be found at the ridiculously cheap bar and after a few drinks each we headed home to Fernie. We made a stop to another pub but we hardly needed to thanks to Jim’s (crash test) never-ending supply of vodka! When we eventually stumbled (I’m not naming names…Cory) off the bus in Fernie, many believed their beds were calling for them. How mistaken they were. Those of us with the party spirit decided to head to the Royal, the walk there perhaps taking longer than necessary. We stayed there till past closing time, to be invited to an impromptu party at Pete’s house. The last of us guests left at around quarter to five in the morning. While lots of raucous fun is being had off the piste, we really need the Griz to start doing his job again and in the words of that famous song “let it snow…”.
