Every trip can't be the very best...

Engelberg Ski Trip=worst trip ever.



It wasn't any one tragic event. No one lost a wallet, a passport, a camera. No one was hurt, too bad. But the sum total of events was a disappointment to say the least.

We started by getting up at 3am Saturday morning. (actually, we also had to miss our favorite show, Criminal Minds, Friday night so we could get to bed early) Neither of us slept well with the knowledge that we were not going to bed at regular time and that we would hear an alarm 2 hrs before a normal weekday, and this was a weekend!

Arriving to post at 4am, we boarded the bus with 24 other sleepy skier/snowboarders and departed for what should have been a 5 1/2 hour trip to Engelberg, Switzerland to arrive about 9:30. We pulled into the parking lot of the ski resort at 11:40. The bus driver had taken a wrong turn and we took the VERY long way around. For our listening pleasure, this annoying guy who could not shut up to save his soul was talking all.the.way. We later would name him Oregon Ooltay. He is from Oregon and was wearing a Tool shirt. And is a tool.


Once there, we got our lift tickets and headed for the slopes. All you really get is a map with some vague indications of where you can ski depending on your level of ability. After about an hour of riding up and down gondolas and chair lifts, we found ski run #5. It was a long one but for beginners. Not the 50 yard bunny slope that you have to ride the Tbar up 50 times to do, but still mild enough for a newbie. Well, we trapsed all the way over to it...CLOSED. The only way off that mountain was back on the chair lift and gondola. So we went BACK there and got to the lower level. Note: it has been snowing steadily since we got off the bus, so my hair has gotten wet and is now hanging in frozen sections. They are heavy and slapping me in the face when I turn quickly. We found someone and pointed to the map asking how to get to this area, the blue slope by the ski school. Turns out, you have to take a shuttle bus to that area, or walk. NO mention of this anywhere on the map. We got on the bus and headed over.

AND THEN, the skiing began. 2pm. It was treacherous at the top (somewhat steep, but EXTREMELY powdery) there were a few falls, and then after about 20 yards of "good skiing" there was just a long flat part. We did this run twice, and then Stephen did it once more. I was tired of being hit in the face and eyes with sleet/snow and couldn't see bout about 10 ft in front of me, so I skier watched for 15-20 mins while he did it one more time. We worked our way (as in tried walking on the skis on flat and some uphill terrain) to another tow rope that took us to a little winding way. It was ok, not great. We did that one twice, too. Then we boarded the shuttle again and went back to the gondola and down to the bus. As we were walking from the gondola, there was a concrete slightly downward sloping walkway. Reminder: we still have ice on our ski boots. My boot slips right out from under me and I land flat on my butt. That smarted a bit. The only consolation was that we were the only two people in that walkway. No one saw the event, so no insult of humiliation to add to the injury! We got some $20 chicken nuggets and fries w/ two drinks, and sat in the restaurant for about an hour and then got back on the bus for the drive back. The bus didn't leave until a little after 5:30 because 5 people were not accounted for. They were beginner snowboarders that went to the top and then couldn't get down. So we ended up back to post about 11:45 and home at 12:15ish.


Now, it wouldn't be living in Burstadt if there weren't a fest happening at the most inconvenient time. All day today the town has been blasting music that can be heard in our house as though we have the radio on. So much for Quiet Day Sundays!

Here we are looking like we are having a GREAT TIME! :) Also, this is the only picture as the camera batteries died after it was taken.