Never say "last run" or "last day" until it's been done! Been like that all season - just bcos that's always when you're gonna break yourself. Well, I held off from uttering those words even though I knew this was gonna be the last day from the moment I got up. The weather was spot on - sunny, bluebird, warm-ish, all good. We've only got 2 weeks left here in Queenstown [:'(], so time to concentrate on MTB stuff as well as all the touristy things.
Only one choice for the last resort to go to - favourite one of the season, Cardrona. Up and over the Crown Range road again (highest sealed road in NZ), on the other side we were faced with a blockade of sheep - only in NZ! (or Wales I spose)
Got up to Cardies, straight to noodle bar - not as good as people had made them out to be. Got an afternoon pass for $47. Sarah-Jaye and I farmed out various soft pistes on the main side, Sloth taking on the International Pipe (getting minimal air a couple of times, but no idea how anything on the left side works!). Got over to Captains Basin, where snow was loads less slushy, nice and soft and pretty much empty. I hiked up a little bit and managed to find some pockets of powder here and there too - sweet as!
Had an excellent afternoon anyway, jumping whatever I could, landed some sweet 180s, loving switch, loving it all. Plenty filming of Sarah-Jaye, hope to get some video footage up at some point this decade - you never know. Couldn't find myself a water splash to finish off on, but spose you can't have it all.
Stopped at the Cardrona Hotel on the way back - wicked country pub at the bottom of the mountain with open fires inside and out. Perfect place to end the day!
So there we have it, didn't make my 50 days but though that it's better to finish on a high than in shitty conditions and hating it. 48 days is good for me. Gonna follow up soon with Sloth's review of the season - watch this space.
For now, my friends, "that's all folks" - see you again in March next year, Lesley of Arcs!
Sloth and Sarah-Jaye
xx