Week 02 began as week 01 did, on the floor of Dom’s flat in Vancouver. This time, however, we had a car and a plan, so we set off early (for us), pausing only to visit a massive hypermarket in Squamish for some cheap food. Despite the bargain prices we managed to spend over $700, but consoled ourselves with the fact that we were stocking up for the season.

Back in Whistler we ignored the fact that Blackcomb mountain had opened, and settled back into a life of PS2 and web-site development. That may sound a bit crazy, but the mountains are almost completely bare at the moment. Two experienced boarders we know, Mike and Jer, have advised us to wait for more snow, suggesting that any pre-Christmas riding should be looked upon as an added bonus.

By Friday, however, we were finally beginning to feel bad about our complete lack of action, so when a friend from Vancouver, Tara, came up for a snowboard instructor course, we decided to join her on the slopes.

Although the snow was disappointing, it was great to be back on the board, and it was a nice sunny day to be up the mountain. We spent most of the day in the area normally devoted to the terrain park - this currently consists of only a few rails - but also tried out two rather icey T-bars on the glacier.

Wednesday afternoon saw us in a panic as we prepared to entertain our landlady, Dawn. The panic was worth it though, and the evening was a great success: Andy cooked a tomato risotto for the main course, and I rustled up a chocolate/whisky mouse for the dessert. Dawn has promised to help get the three of us into shape for the season, and in return we’ve agreed not to demolish the house like last year’s tenants.

The weekend has been one massive party - a friend of Rob’s from England had a 30th birthday on Saturday, and the resultant carnage began well in advance, destroying Friday evening. Saturday saw the arrival of three friends from Vancouver, visiting the village for a massive party celebrating the start of the season. The partying went on well into Sunday, though our last representatives made it home by 11am...