Christmas Skiing

Nothing says Christmas like waking up at 0530, still feeling the effects of the open bar at the squadron chirstmas party and getting on a 5 hr bus ride to northeast South Korea. The good news from this experience was that I was on the slopes by 1230 and the fun didn't stop until the last run under the lights at 8:30pm. We spent three lovely days at the High 1 hotel resort and casino. The weather could not have been better, with more sunshine and great visibility in three consectutive days than I have seen in my entire time here. Nothing like riding the gondola up the mountain from your resort in free South Korea to look off in the distance to see the snow covered mountains of communist North Korea off in the distance. We met up with some friends from Osan AFB while we were up there and packed in three full days on the slopes. The trail conditions were packed powder (mostly man made) and Korean Severe. The green trails that led back down to the base of the mountain were some of the most crowded trails in the history of the sport. It went from skiiing to dodge a Korean...which some of us had better luck with than others. Some strange experiences to share from the land of not quite right: A random Korean fell asleep on my shoulder in the gondola; the hotel's hot tub closed at 7pm, it was for men only and was full nude; you can't get a beer/any alcohol in the mountain cafe's if you're wearing ski/snowboard boots; helmets required for terrain park entry; all trails enclosed by race netting, no way you could ski off the trail if you tried; only casino in South Korea where South Koreans can legally gamble, therefore the line to play at a blackjack table was at least 3 people deep behind each chair; they will pause the blackjack game if you have to go to the bathroom, just leave your chips where they are and go, no hands will be played until you get back; it's ok to pass out on a casino bench if you're a local; and if you eat at the New York bar and grill in Taebek, your placmat will be a picture of New York New York in Las Vegas copied off the internet, complete with rollercoaster, walkway crossing Las Vegas Blvd. and the Monte Carlo in the background and not of anything from New York at all. The weekend proved to be one of the most memorable Christmas's seen to date.