Falls Creek '97

It was never going to be a smooth process of departure. Everything was organised Wednesday night: I was leaving with Tim at 6pm Friday night. Late Thursday night though, Dave did a change of travel arrangements so I'd be out of Melbourne by 2pm. Of course, 2pm on Friday went by without a ride, and I was switched back to Tim's car, leaving at 6pm. At 8:30pm, we were finally on our way to the snow. With hardly a car to be seen on the alpine road (except for the one that Tim failed to see anyway as we turned the corner!), we pulled into the Falls Creek Oversnow around 1am, very tired, but relieved to have made it and be on holiday, if only for a couple of days.

With most people there to ski of course, there was no chance of a sleep-in on Saturday morning, as everyone got geared up in beautiful spring sunshine. The skiers were out early, eager to catch the crisp snow before the sun turned it into slush. Dave, Chico and myself watched as the snow boarders took their first tentative falls down to the chair lifts. Even before the weekend began, injuries were taking their toll, with Jess (sprained ankle from training) and Eric (ruptured knee ligaments) consoling each other inside the lodge.

Such a beautiful day couldn't go to waste by being inside, and as most people were off tumbling down the slopes, the rest of us wandered around enjoying the sun and reading newspapers on the balcony with snow capped mountains in the distance. Just what every volleyball-free Saturday should be.

By lunchtime, the sunburnt skiers and boarders began returning from the morning's fun. After lunch had been dished out, and people slid their way back onto the slopes, the poor and injured limped up to the closest pub. Alas, no football, and so the able bodied continued down to the Frying Pan at the base of the Summit run. Sitting outside in the sun, watching the parade of skiers and boarders, the afternoon passed quickly. "Gee, Murray’s getting the hang of it... oops, another crash."

The walk back to the lodge was along one of the upper home trails alongside a tranquil little creek. Despite being surrounded by civilisation, we could have been in the middle of the wilderness, with snow gums all around and clear water running beside. Eventually, we realised that the lodge was directly down the hill, and the yowie call was out as we scrambled down through the snow, trees and bushes.

Saturday night, was, well Saturday night. Although, a long day in the snow had left most people tired enough to call 1am a late night.

We woke up Sunday morning to a depressing sight: rain. Things soon changed though, and by 10am there was a fresh cover of snow. Excited by the prospect of something soft to land on, the skiers and boarders quickly got their gear together and headed for the slopes. It was great day to be inside in the warmth however, as the snow soon gave way to more rain as the wind picked up. At least there was little chance of sunburn, both because of the lack of sun, and the piles of clothes needed just to keep warm up at the summit.

Despite being cold and soaking wet, the first time boarders came back early in the afternoon excited that they were finally getting the hang of things. Indeed, despite the weather, everyone had enjoyed the morning's skiing, it was just that no one wanted to go out in it again.

All too soon, the weekend was coming to a close. Flats were tidied, the Oversnow called and work began to be talked about. The rain had at least washed away the morning's snow and ice meaning that chains were not needed on the drive down. The weather provided one more surprise on the drive home however, with a massive thunderstorm sweeping across the plains north of Melbourne. Rain was being reported at the football on the radio, but that was nothing. Despite the sun still being above the horizon, the sky was black. That was, until the lightning began. There were continuous flashes of light across the sky as the hail pounded down. Cars were stopping left and right on the highway making driving a nightmare. As quickly as it started though, it was over, as we drove through the other side into clear skies.

Depressingly, the traffic slowly built up as we approached Melbourne, and before long we had returned to the hustle and bustle of city life, waiting for next year's ski trip.