Day 82 - Firm Snow, Big Wins & a Broken Ankle on the Slopes
Up at 5:30am today for a meeting with the Brisbane team. Something new since being in Austria. Straight into a Teams call to talk through a job back home, then wrapped up with some new calculations that needed doing. All good progress, but I’ll likely be doing the same early start again tomorrow.
While I was working, Kia and the kids were easing into their morning. Once I was done, it was breakfast, and then Kia jumped back into the YouTube video we’ve been chipping away at for a while now, aiming to finally get it finished. The kids and I sat down and got some schoolwork done, reading and maths while Kia pushed through to a point where she felt happy enough to hand it over for feedback.
By around 10am, it was time to start shifting gears for another day on the slopes. Sandwiches made, snacks packed, hot chocolates sorted, our usual pre-ski routine. We left around 11, parked just after 11:15, and by the time we reached the top of the mountain it was a little after 12. The kids and I smashed our sandwiches in the gondola on the way up while Kia decided to wait.
We headed straight back to our favourite run, but overnight grooming had firmed everything up. The soft top layer was gone, and it took a few runs to adjust to the harder snow, especially on a slope we’d grown really comfortable on. Once we found our rhythm again, everyone was flying.
A massive win for the day was Emmett getting comfortable using the T-hook on his own. Getting himself lined up, foot in, T-hook between the legs, and all the way to the top without help. Huge confidence boost. Maddie was doing lap after lap like it was nothing. I’d also worked out a way to stay clipped in, scoot straight into the T-hook, ride up, ski down, and repeat, no stopping, no fuss. It meant way more runs and way more fun.
Mid-afternoon we noticed the Norwegian and Austrian families gathered at the top of the slope. Kia and Emmett went over to say hello, but something was clearly off. Turns out the Austrian dad had fallen and injured his ankle. He’d been taken down the mountain on one of the ski patrol snowmobiles and transferred to an ambulance. Not great news at all. At the time, it wasn’t clear whether it was a bad sprain or something more serious.
After that, we decided to head back over to the steeper side of the hill, the one that felt pretty intimidating just a few days ago. Today, though, it was a completely different experience. The snow was great, confidence was high, and we were all skiing together, actually enjoying it. Amazing how much changes in just a few days.
We packed it in around 3pm, then stopped at the SPAR near the slopes on the way home to grab dinner supplies and more snacks. Bonus win, better milk than the Billa we’ve been using, which meant noticeably better coffees back at the house.
Once home, Kia got stuck into making burger patties while I unpacked gear. The kids chilled on their tablets for a bit, then the Norwegian and Austrian kids came by to see if they wanted to play. Later on, we found out the Austrian dad had indeed broken his ankle and had just returned home from hospital. The kids immediately started making get well soon cards and took them down the road. It pretty special to see.
Kia spent the evening finishing off the YouTube video, it’s almost 100% done now, which is exciting. The kids came back, we had dinner, put a movie on, and started winding down after a big day.
All up, an awesome day on the mountain. Emmett was ripping, barely falling at all, maybe three times for the whole day. Maddie is flying, Kia unlocked a new level of confidence today, and the whole vibe just felt good.
It was warm and blue sky conditions. Temps were around 7°C, so there was some snow melt, but colder weather and fresh snow are on the way. With a rest day planned for tomorrow, it feels like perfect timing.
Bring on the next few days.