The vessels Alert me from a deep sleep. How do I open a squint eye on the clock, I feel I've just gone to bed. Surely it can not be time to get up again!
And watch '05 .00. I feel tired and stiff. What nonsense is this? But then I remember. It is three days of my time as a volunteer Whistler Weasel Worker. I really do this? I have all the way to Whistler for this? When I resist the urge to roll over and get my sleep, I begin to remember what brought me here andtwo days I've just been great.
Almost by accident, I stumbled on the Whistler Weasel Workers Web site. I have experience to help some races on my local ski club, but it was something on a completely different scale. voluntary collection from all over North America to build hundreds of races, the course of a World Cup skiing. I was fascinated. How can we engage in international ski competitions?
As it turned out, it was easy, perhaps toosimple. And I, in a foreign bed, halfway across the continent, in a ski area I've never visited, living with people I had known for two days only.
participation was a matter of registration was on a website. A few weeks later I received a call very friendly. I had a team of course has been assigned and my team leader called to make presentations and to help me plan my trip to Whistler. If I could get to Whistler, I would have provided accommodation andmaintained by local volunteers.
Each day began with a meeting at 6.30 clock Dusty, a bar and restaurant in the Creekside base of Whistler Mountain. obtained on arrival, check-in volunteers of a lift ticket for the day and then with his fellow crew wait a briefing with the crew chief. Coffee and muffins are retained, while our team leader takes a radio, a drill for the installation of safety nets, and meets with the head of the ongoing work in the morning to discuss. The place is a beehiveActivities. Some general announcements are made and the objectives of the day are described. Then give our team leader gives us an overview of our legal system of the original work and that we prepare for the day. After a recent trip to the bathroom, the crews move to gather outside ski and board the gondola. And watch '07 .30.
I'm working on women's downhill, which is a new building in preparation for the Olympic Winter Games in 2010. The Canadian Alpine Ski World Championships 2008the first race on this new route instead. Women's World Cup after two races will serve to confirm that the new road standards meet international ski racing.
Yesterday when we went away from the top of the Creekside gondola, it was just clear. I felt happy, though, some teams have had a "short straw" and have taken a "day shift". They were at the top of the course of an hour had come earlier, long before the first light. My chief mechanic tells us that some of our elderlyhave most of the night riding in the snow cats, has been used to groom the track. experienced volunteers are used to direct the driver where we find the networks and equipment where the road will be the race (the "Line") and how the surface should be shaped.
One of our future jobs will create a hard surface track, scoring the early race drivers do not break down and create. snowmobiles are used to maintain pre-course, and clearly a "dump" with fresh ingredientsSnow, but once the line "in" can not be used, are made for fear of breaking the surface. It is for volunteers with the skis to "buff" the track in race conditions and get them.
For the first few days, our task is to put in security systems, network file strung on plastic rods. However, we had to worry about the task that the networks have already been placed and not get frozen in the snow overnight stop. The snow is the bane of the ski. ManyThe snow is first necessary to obtain a good covering of snow, but as soon as the beginning of the development of a course of snow is not welcome. Safety nets must be kept clear of snow and melted all the snow to be removed from the line.
Our team is assigned to work on a particular section of the course. When we arrived each day, we met with the head section, section leader for confirmation to do the job. We took shovels and rakes to the gondola and our first task of the day wasshoveling snow from the safety net that we had installed the day before.
We moved into our section, half the team on each side of the course, snow removal from the nets and scratching back into the corridor where the run could take it. If the big A-nets are suspended from airlines, crew members went behind the net, shovel the snow from the base. They were sometimes up to my knees in soft snow.
From the bottom of our section, "cycled"Back to the top of our section. However, it has, of course, but right at the bottom of the "side-slip" with the ski hills, to help clean up and pack the snow in the sections below ours. All around us were the other teams do the same thing. He coordinated a good feeling working with a great team.
Back to the top of our section, we have continued our work on the creation of the B-NET. They are two feet wide network that comes in 20 meter rollsPolycarbonate (PC) terminals installed every two feet for support. We took the roller B-Net cache along the path and dragged or carried into place.
I was worried about my driving skills and limits of power. However, my chief mechanic assured me that would be used as an intermediate skier middle age, I have little problem. There was enough work for people of all levels, including non-skiers. He warned, our crew, the people must never groped their ability to overcome andnever at risk of injury. As predicted, they are men and women of all ages met the early 20's in the 70's. There was no evidence of a "macho" attitudes were all very fast and seems to help one another.
As we worked, were fresh rolls of compensation, which delivered us from other teams and we are steadily progressing down the hill. When it was time for a break, I realized that my skis and luggage was still where we started working. I decided to continue working rather than go back to 200 metersSlope to retrieve my equipment. My crew chief smiled and pointed at us. All our gear was decent in the snow that brought us one of the cycling teams. This dress is available!
Back to the top of the Creekside gondola, we went up into the big tent soup run by volunteers, to help volunteers fed and warm. There have been a cauldron of homemade soups and a variety of snacks and drinks. As we rested, the people came and asked how we were alwaysup. The ski racing fraternity was very friendly and people are easy to satisfy.
After the break, our team leader by radio to a station to verify the statements. We were on our work and contribute to delay B-Net with a wheel well of the course. This was my first opportunity to see the whole course and to visit the central part of Whistler Mountain. Instead of skis to the point where we worked, we drove a lift higher, downhill took us over the head of the Women'sCourse.
At the top of the course I met the coordinators of the course, whose voices I had no part, is made on the radio all the crew chiefs. Together with the head of the course that were stage occupied a coordinated management approach angle of the course. Detailed instructions had more teams are added. Crews have taken away one after the other side with all the sliding on the ski hill.
There have been detained for a few minutes to be part of a "second wave". I was a bit 'nervous. I had such hard and fast and steep slopes can be heard. I received my rescue crew chief, who stressed that "Early Days" and the track was still very soft. It would "hold". Lot
As it turned out, I was fine. The track was soft, and we went very slowly. Each team fanned out to push the loose snow from the crew left. It reminded me of a V formation of geese. Obviously, this many times before race day and doOf course, it would "set up" slowly and harden. Manure can be distributed later through the snow to help these discomforts.
On our way to the course, we were the volunteers with hoses and equipment, "water bars. They were using water from mountain snow to wet snow on the track, which was too dry to compact properly. After this treatment stops during the night a rock-hard surface.
In the early afternoon, one of our cycles, we stoppedDusty for some lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent placing more B-nets, sometimes three levels deep.
From 03.30 clock, the crew was brought in a meaningful way. We had a long day and many of us have not been used for the performance. It would take a couple of days to "get fit", but this was a great way to do just that.
However, the final day was not over. Shortly before 4:00, we stopped at the bottom for the last time and went to a big tent in a parking lot nearby. The Weaselbeer tent is a tradition that dates back to the early days of Whistler ski race in E 'set up, organized and run by volunteers. When we entered the tent, brought me a cup of my name and go to a bar where a volunteer was busy with a ribbon beer cold beer tent filled 4:00 to 5:00 as workers found their way off the track . It was not long before the place was "buzzing".
I sat with my team at a picnic table. We talked about the day's activities and howwe had achieved. Our crew chief has spoken of what's to come and work scheduled for tomorrow. The head of the course came up and thanked us for our trouble. Before long others with us and continued the conversation to other topics. I met many volunteers from the region of Vancouver, the U.S. and some from Europe and Australia.
By 6:00, we were thinking about dinner. Some were returning home to cook a meal and others were on the opposite side of the road in the direction of a dinner "pub".I chose the latter, because someone had offered to take me home later.
There were ten in our party and we enjoyed a very pleasant dinner. I came home at 20.00 clock, very ready for bed. All shot in advance, as will soon be available clock 05:00. I had two great days and met many new people. I am very happy with the people around me and begin to look upon them as friends. By the end of my stay, I think I have developed some lasting relationships.
When my feethit the ground, I am ready to face the day.
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