The Perils of Popping a Squat

There have been a few times this season where spontaneous adventures turned hairy, making me wish I had brought my backcountry gear with me. After each time, I find myself wondering whether I should just bring my gear with me every day because you never know when you might need it. Up until Wednesday, though, I had never felt this way about my GoPro.

Picture this: I’m zipping through the trees, listening to a sick Ratatat remix, super stoked that I’m skiing fresh powder in April and then I look down and right in front of me is the bare ass of some girl popping a squat and peeing right in my line!

Biggie Smalls – Party and Bullshit (Ratatat Remix)

Lucky for her I managed to cut a hard left and avoid hitting her in the bum (love my stiff new ski boots!) but I was laughing so hard that I didn’t pay attention to what happened next and went flying right off a boulder and tumbled down onto some rocks below. And then, as I looked up the hill to see what the hell had just happened I see her waddling around the boulder with her pants still en route up from her ankles to see if I’m okay.

Could you imagine the video!? Now I understand why tourists wear their GoPros all the time, because you just never know!

Happy Friday! My friend and  1,000 wonderful things blogger Hannah is coming to visit this weekend for the World Ski and Snowboard Festival. Maybe if you’re lucky we’ll find time between skiing, partying, and bullshit to cook something for you!

Oh and P.S. I guess Spring wasn’t here to stay after all…

Top 10 Tracks From My Ski Playlist

Working on my goggle tan at the top of the Spearhead Glacier last week, en route to Husume

Yesterday’s record-breaking temperatures (which topped out at 65ºF) were like an April Fools joke from Winter. While I do still wish we were getting more snow instead of less, I had a blast ripping down slushy groomers in little more than a t-shirt. As I skied around with the wind in my hair, I realized something was missing… I hadn’t thought to grab my headphones out of my jacket so I was left without the soundtrack that accompanies me during my own personal ski movie. As much as I wanted to stick my iPhone in my sports bra and pump the jams for all to hear, I thought of all those times I fell victim to that on the Subway and decided not to be “that girl.”

This is a much better place to share my favorite tunes with the world, so I thought I’d compile a playlist for you with 10 of my favorite tracks from this season’s ski playlist so that you too can join me in my ski movie.

1. Jhameel – Collision

2. A Tribe Called Quest – 1nce Again (Bit Funk Remix)

3. Bastille – Pompeii (Monsieur Adi Remix)

It isn’t a BBQ without a Potato Salad

Skiing DOA

Just as soon I had started checking off some of the bigger, badder ski runs off my bucket list, spring came along and ruined everything. The photo above shows what Whistler looked like last week, and this is what it looked like today:

With the freezing level about 1,000 meters above the highest point on either mountain and all the spring break tourists rocking board shorts down in the village, I can’t imagine we’re going to get any more storms to speak of. But while I was testing out my new 15°F sleeping bag and and wondering if I should buy a ticket to South America and head for an endless winter, the Brits upstairs were quick to welcome the warmer weather and hosted the first BBQ of the season. While I am still ready for more snow storms, I wasn’t about to let my English neighbors have a BBQ without the  essential American side dish.

Deconstructed Potato Salad

I think we can all agree that no BBQ is complete without a little potato salad.

When Food Makes Music

My friend Heather passed along this awesome video of J.Viewz using vegetables to play Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” and suggested I start using my extra CSA veggies to make music. While I learned last year in my beat-making class that I have almost zero musical talent, I am smitten by the idea and look forward to seeing more from the intersection of food and music.

For all my music-loving foodie friends, this one is for you:

You can hear more of J.Viewz’s sounds on his soundcloud page.

Oh, and speaking of CSA’s, are you all signed up for your summer shares yet? For all the Boston folk out there, Red Fire Farm is where it’s at!

UPDATE:

My friend Keith told me about the Makey Makey, which is the little invention kit that made the above video possible. You too can make a vegetable orchestra! Check it out over at http://makeymakey.com/ and in the video below.

Countdown to 100

At the beginning of the ski season I set a goal for myself to ski 100 days. I didn’t actually think I’d make it until about a month ago, when I hit 50 days, putting me ahead of my college record of 44. Two weeks ago I hit 60 days, which meant that I’d skied more days this season than all of my vacation days from 3 years combined. And today I hit 70 days, which means absolutely nothing other than the fact that I’m almost three quarters of the way there. I think I just might make it!

As you can see from the frequency of my posts here, I haven’t been doing much in the way of elaborate cooking during my time in Whistler. I know you’re all thinking, “Life as a ski bum must be so busy.” And you’re so right. Between skiing and chilling out in the hot tub I just don’t know when I’d find the time to do it. In my defense though, I have had people visiting during 13 of the 14 weeks I’ve been here (a few of whom I stole photos from for this post), so I have been hosting a lot, so in addition to skiing and hot tubbing I also do lots of laundry.

But today, folks, it’s raining halfway up the mountain, there is nobody but me here until Saturday, and I turned the hot tub down when I went home for a few days and forgot to turn it back up, so I have no excuse but to tell you about my absolute favorite thing to cook for myself in Whistler.