Saying bye for now to our ‘snow family’

• Published date: 26 August 2021
• Publication title: Central Otago News

Well, there we were waiting at Mt Cheeseman for the snow storm to end so we could get out and cut some tracks.

Lochie and I had decided to make the most of some spare time and catch up on sleep.

We had just drifted off when there was a knock on the door.

‘‘Boys wake up, we have fired the T bar up for you.’’

The weather had cleared, and I think it was the quickest Lochie and I had ever got ski-ready.

Here we were in knee-deep fresh snow, and I must say it was some of the best snow we had ever skied in.

The weather soon changed, and it was time to get back into the lodge to get warm.

We were both buzzing. This new snowfall had us hooked on the snow chaser life, it’s addictive!

I always used to wonder how could anyone chase the winter around the world and not have a summer, well I can see why now.

The feeling of freedom, standing on top of mountains, cutting tracks in fresh snow and spending time with like-minded people who love snow just as much as us makes for some of the most enjoyable memories you will ever have.

But we were not prepared for what happened next, just like most of New Zealand.

We had just sat down for tea in the lodge, amped to get out on the snow the next day — as the weather was meant to be good.

The crew had even been working flat out to clear the road so the Newshub crew could get up to meet Lochie and get some footage of him skiing, we were buzzing.

Next minute the phone rang, it’s Lochie’s mum Rebecca.

‘‘Have you seen the news?’’ she asked.

‘‘No, we are to busy talking about how cool tomorrow is going to be on fresh snow,’’ we reply.

‘‘You better turn the news on, we are going into lockdown!’’ Rebecca said.

‘‘Yeah, right!’’ we said.

‘‘Great joke to try get us home early mum.’’

‘‘No, I’m serious, boys, we are going back into lockdown,’’ she said.

Just the way Rebecca said it, I knew it wasn’t a joke — I still wish it was.

What happened next was full on and an experience I will never forget.

Over the past 18 months with Covid-19, we have always been around home when the lockdowns have happened.

So imagine being snowed-in in an alpine mountain lodge. People from all over New Zealand and staff working on the ski field who stay on-site for the season were told we all needed to leave as soon as possible.

You could feel the tension in the room, and the worry that everyone felt.

Where were some of these people going to go?

‘‘I don’t have anywhere to stay, I don’t even have a car, what will we do?’’ I heard them say.

Lochie grabbed my hand and...