Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over

It's over.

The first major chapter of my stay in Switzerland has closed. Today was the last day of the ski season, my second season here and likely to be the last "season" I ever have in my life. I actually felt a little emotional when getting up to go on the chair the last time today. Let's face it, I will NOT be driving to Alpine Valley every weekend when I get back to the U.S. Snowboarding and skiing in the midwest is just awful and not worth it. It is absolutely freezing, the conditions are terrible AND the runs are like 25 feet long. Hopefully I will go out to Vail or Jackson next winter (I am taking 3 months off work, so anyone who wants to go on a ski holiday...call me!)


So Bhav and I went to Flaine which is in France. By the way I almost always went to France - only Crans Montana, Leysin and Zermatt which I went to are in Switzerland. We got there and did a few runs and then decided to have another picnic because it was super sunny. This one was mildly more successful than our last one - there were lots of other people picnicking too. But of course as soon as we sat down we were battling clouds until the moment we finished. It was yummy though - a nice multi grain bread, avocado and cheese. With apple crumble and coffee for dessert (we got that bit in the resto). It amazes me how the Swissies and Frenchies eat when skiing - it's not uncommon to see someone get tartiflette, which I have not had yet, but it is basically potatoes, cheese, cream, onions and bacon...sounds good but during the middle of a ski day? And then wash it down with a chocolate tart and a bottle of wine. And how are Americans the fattest country in the world? Because I guess the Euros still do 4 hours of skiing after, whereas we tune in to a marathon of "The Hills."


After lunch we got serious and snowboarded for the rest of the day without stopping (unusual for us as we get tempted by various apero bars located all over the mountain). We did two or three runs on one side of the mountain and then kept taking this one awesome run. The chairlift to get up was HUGE. It was an 8 person chair which I have never seen. It was like sitting on a really comfy sofa that flew through the air at super high speed! Also it went over a waterfall and a bunch of trees. Cool. The run itself was great, starting off with a big open bowl at the top and opening into a wide flat bit where we practiced riding goofy (the other way), then narrowing up before dropping you down a steep mogully slushy bit which dropped into a flat bit and you went super super fast! Then more steep and narrow and then steep and wide and then just normal and back to the sofa chair. We went nonstop for about 3 hours and then finished off the day with a kir royale in the sunshine.


We totally passed out on the skibus and when we got back, our driver said thanks and announced that it was the last bus and he would see us all for another season and everyone clapped and cheered. It was cool but a little sad too.


Welllll in any case, this was a bonne saison all around, not just on my board, and with the exception of the few weeks I was trapped in major study lockdown for my work exams, I think I made the most of it.



I will remember the most:

-My first ski lesson in a blizzard

-My second ski lesson when I almost died and some nice guy saved my life (he was like 45, don't get any ideas)

-The amazing views in Chamonix when snowshoeing quietly through the woods, where all you could hear was the snow crunching underfoot

-The taste of a delicious pizzwich at the top of Signal in Les Contamines

-The adorable town of Les Gets and its super slopes

-Being on top of the world in a huge flying bumblebee balloon

-Seeing the Mont Blanc every single weekend

-Someone always pointing the Mont Blanc out to me every weekend

-When I took a snowboard lesson and got my confidence back (and have kicked ass ever since, ha!)

-When I would swing my ice ax just right and hit a sweet spot

-Sitting up top of a huge piece of ice I climbed and not hearing anything except people sniffling and carribeaners gently clinking together

-The first time I rode goofy and turned 5 consecutive times (and promptly fell on my ass)

-The awesome orange apero bar in Crans Montana

-Flying at super speed down the Nantes-Rouge run in Contamines

-Hearing the sound of the waterfall coming down the run today

-When I successfully took a button lift without falling!! (after falling twice before)

-The shots of Jaegermeister Bhav made us do at ONE PM

-The huge white slopes

-The wide blue skies

-The sunshine

-My last run



It was a good season.