Snowboarding

This is the resort of the second mountain. It cleared up later.

Last weekend, I went snowboarding at two mountains in the Czech Repbulic, one a hour and half bus ride out of Prague and the other 200 plus kilometers to the north on the border of Germany. On Friday, I met Lenka at the metro station at 5:45 am and then we went to catch the bus at the end of the yellow line. The bus fair and lift ticket cost 650 crowns total. The snow on the mountain, in some spots brown with rocks showing through, was icy. The poor snow and misty conditions didn't get me down, though; after all, I was snowboarding and doing so in the Czech Republic. It was the next mountain we went to that really made the weekend.

I woke the next morning to a phone call from Lenka saying that she would pick me up in five minutes. I woke to this...it'd been a long night running around and visiting the bar where my new roommate, Rebecca, works. A horn honked a moment later, I gathered my things, and ran down the stairs to meet Janza, Lenka's friend, whose flat we would stay in that night.

Near Janza's town, 177 km from Prague, we pulled into a grass field, much like the fields of rye grass all over Oregon. Two soldiers, young men, dressed in World War II vintage fatigues, were putting their rucksacks and spades into the back of their parent's hatchback. We, I assumed, just missed a reenactment.

We spent the night cooking and watching snowboard videos. One was from Government Camp. Janza, who speaks absolutely no English, was excited to see that was my home, as he is an avid snowboarder, and would love to board Mt. Hood. I told him he could stop by any time.

In the morning, we went down stairs to his work, a snowboard shop he owns on the bottom floor of the complex he lives in. Not a bad morning transit. He loaned me board, boots, and bindings, gloves and goggles. Once we got to the mountain--it was already 12 noon--we bought our tickets in the parking lot from people calling it a day...for 150 crowns! 7 US dollars. The snow was great and the mountain much higher. A really great day.

Ten minutes till 8pm, I bought a ticket to Prague and hopped the train home. It was paramount that I get home, life and death; the Super Bowl started at 12:30 pm.

Czech Gangstas

(Joe I've read your comments. Email me so I can really respond).