gear by rookie
Mexican buffet
Saturday Nights 5:30 to 9:00 Adults: $14.95 Kids 12 & Under: $9.95
by Sean (Rookie) Nyilassy photo Kris King A seasonally-unemployed young man’s eyes flutter open on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, despite the heavy darkness weighing his blankets down. Heart rate: 64. As his eyes focus on the glaring red digits of his alarm clock, his sluggish brain comprehends that it’s not even eight o’clock. “Well, this is odd,” he thinks after noticing a tall fort propped in his sheets. “I don’t have to pee and I know I wasn’t having a steamy dreamy.” A purposeful roll toward the window reveals an angry swarm of dime-sized snowflakes performing an illuminated descent under the streetlight. Heart rate: 70. His consciousness jolts to action as he clumsily pinballs into the living room and directs his still sleeping hand through a few clicks to bring up KHMR’s (Kicking Horse Mountain Resort) advanced weather data on his laptop. Cold temps, light southerly winds and more than 20 cents overnight will undoubtedly offer some deep fluffy turns in the CPR and Feuz chutes today. Heart rate: 74. As his muscles begin to match his brain’s level of alertness, the seemingly impossible medley of simultaneously boiling water for coffee, dressing appropriately, packing lunch and snacks, organising ski gear and icing some toaster strudels becomes a realisation. On the road, with his left hand devoted to the coffee, the right is forced to multitask between controlling his fishtailing Toyota Tercel with the steering wheel, maintaining its feeble acceleration by switching gears between turns and improving his vision by scraping away whenever possible at the frosty windshield’s interior with his ski pass. Heart rate: 82. Almost free of Golden’s grasp, another swipe of the windshield wipers reveals the flashing lights indicating CP Rail is delaying his fresh lines. Heart rate: 72. After the train has stopped, backed up, stopped again and finally cleared the road, the Tercel charges on to the daylodge.
With an elapsed driving-to-ski-attire turnaround time of 2:27, he enters the gondola maze, greeting some familiar grinning faces in the pole position. Heart rate: 80. As more keen riders accumulate behind him and the official clock approaches 9 a.m., a slight avalanche control delay rouses the growing swarm. At 9:12, two final blasts break a silence that is followed by jubilance as the first three pairs of skis and five snowboards are loaded onto a gondola cabin. Heart rate: 85. An agonizing four minutes pass: at last his skis are loaded by a cheerful liftie as a memorable voice pipes up from behind. “Gonna be sweet-azz up there mate,” an Aussie acquaintance comments as her skis slide into the rack beside his. The ensuing 12 minutes are filled with laughs, high-fives and one-upmanship as memories from past Kicking Horse adventures blended with today’s objectives crowd the cabin. Heart rate: 93. As the gondola soars over Buffalo Jump, Showoff and Bowl Over, the first riders’ hoots and hollers become more distinct, announcing a clear story of what’s to come. At about tower 19 he leans forward and adjusts his boot buckles from relaxed to rad. As the doors open and the other passengers file into the storm he catches his first glimpse of the waist-deep drift by the Eagle’s Eye. Heart rate: 100. The satisfying clunk as his boots settle into their bindings is like flipping the autopilot switch to get some. A few poles towards CPR, a couple of traverse bumps absorbed and an intermediate skier dodged, he’s reached the top of PW and drops in without hesitation. Blam, first turn: boot top. Scwhack, second turn: knees. Kablooie, third turn and onward: thighs with lowdensity blower in the face. Skiing out of Crystal Bowl with the appropriate muscles now warmed up and no time for reflection, another lap is only a quick burn to the bottom away. Heart rate: 120, and the result of the stoke of a powder morning.
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(available after 5pm)
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Dine with 5 or more guests after 6 PM and your designated driver will recieve their entree free! minimum order: 2 alcoholic beverages and 1 entrée per person to redeem free entrée Located at the base of the Gondola www.peaksgrill.com 1549 Kicking Horse Trail, Golden 250-344-4950
“One of life’s greatest mysteries is how the boy who wasn’t good enough to marry your daughter can be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world.” ~ Proverb
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