Thinking Allowed: Nordic bushwhacking

The heavens saluted Tamar's arrival into the world yet again with a shower of meteors; having your birthday coincide with the Perseids is pretty sweet not to mention auspicious. Happy birthday!

Tamar had come up with a typically adventurous way to spend her birthday: ski orienteering at Perisher, the ominously named alpine town in the Snowy Mountains south of Canberra. Despite not having skied in three years, nor ever having used these skis, nor ever having orienteered or bushwhacked on skis, she decided that a few hours pathfinding over snow would be an interesting experience.

Our original plans to weekend in the mountains were smashed by the incredibly overpriced lodgings, easily $1,000 per night for mountains that most of Europe and Canada would snicker at. So we got up at 5:30 and had a long day trip instead. We weren't sure what to expect ("prepare to be disappointed" -Canadian ski bum at the shop where we rented snow chains) but actually the snow was shin deep and creamy white. At first Tamar flailed helplessly because a misguided Australian had assured her that hot-waxing her skis was sufficient for "Australian snow" and no grip wax was needed ... so of course she slid back and forth with zero traction. A snowy-haired woman offered wax, and soon Tamar was on her way.

The girls played for 150 minutes while Tamar slogged up and down mountains. Tova got a giant snowheap dumped on her by a rude roof. Aurora and Sophia tried skiing down a very steep hill on cross-country skis, with predictable results. Zadie crumbled snow until her hands turned bright red. After Tamar radiantly returned we indulged in cocoa and chocolate, then the bigger girls sledded a bit before we headed home.

This had all been preceded by a little surprise party the evening before - some good friends came over and yelled 'SURPRISE!' as Tamar walked unawares in (except Tova had hidden herself a little too well under the laundry rack and couldn't get out in time - had a tantrum - and so we repeated the whole thing for her benefit). The cake was a gooey chocolate diorama of Tamar (a bear) skiing a narrow path of snow through otherwise bare rocky eucalyptus forests...glad the reality turned out to be more accommodating!