Originally Posted by colpuck (Post 13441050)

I just flew in and boy are my arms tired.

Yesterday I went to Vancouver to go see 2-man bobsled finals. Now I bought the ticket over ebay without thinking about the logistics of how I was going to get there, or how I was going to get back.

Now, apparently Whistler is nowhere near central vancouver. Silly me thinking it was. However there is the "sea to sky" highway that runs between the two. However, for the olympics the road was going to be closed to non-residents. I had two choices either get past the checkpoint by 6am or take the olympic bus.

I'll took the olympic bus for $25.00.

The plan(tm)

4:00am wake up
4:30 leave house
6:30 Arrive Canadian border
7:30 Arrive Le Bus
8:00 depart Whistler
10:00 Arrive Whistler
11:00 Venue Opens
1:30 heat 3
2:30 heat 4
4:00 Depart whistler
6:00 Arrive Vancouver
6:30 Arrive US border
8:00 Arrive home

Well no good plan survives contact with the enemy. I got up and left my house on time, but when I got about 30 miles north of my house I got word the event was delayed 90 minutes. This delay would grow to 2 hours.

Well forging ahead I got to the border at a little after 6am and got through the border in 2 minutes. It was still dark out when I arrived at the bus staging area at BCIT. This is where I started to notice how poorly the logisitics had been though out. The email stated that the busses would be delayed 90 minutes as well. Well I went up to ask the volunteers about this, and they didn't know about the delay. I was kind of shocked at that. Next, I asked where could I get a cup of coffee, I hear Tim Hortons is big in Canada, they had no clue.

Well I had little to no choice at this point I borded the bus. Thankfully the bus schedule was more on an as needed basis, rather than fixed times. So, we left for Whistler pretty quickly.

I got to the Whistler Sliding Center base camp around 9:30. The place was so cool. So many people walking around from so many different countries. While walking around I got my picture taken with one of the olympic torch bearers with the torch. I got to chat with the Canadian gold medal skeleton rider. In short base camp was a great place to people watch.

While all of this was going on bobsled was delayed another hour till 4:00pm. One thing I did notice was that there were way too many scalpers hanging around the village. There was cable that ran up to the base of the sliding run, that opened at 1:00pm.

I went up to the run and established my self at the top the final turn for the course. I got there early so I had a chance to get a good spot by the fence. I was close enough to high five the bobsled drivers when they came by. I ended up chilling with some Canadians who were really cool. Finally, right before 4:00pm (the new start time) they sent test riders down the track. I guess 50-50 lived uped to its name because the 2nd rider wrecked and the sled came by on its side.

I am not sure what I expected when the riders came by. You see this stuff on TV and it looks quiet and at reasonable speed. Yeah no. I saw on the TV the riders go, then nothing. Then you hear and feel this rumble, next thing you know this blur shoots past you at 90 mph.

Well after the first run I walked up the pathways to the start house. that was a mother humper of a climb. At the start house I got a seat (nobody was sitting) right next to the start. It's kind of funny for some reason we all became Latvia fans. As they were preping for their run we were all chanting LAT-VI-A. I don't think the home team was as popular. the standings never really changed

After the runs, the logistical fail continued. As we left the venue they said turn left for the shuttle down the hill. What they really meant to say was "turn left and walk your butt down the ski slope." FAIL. Well I ended up filling my shoes with snow/ice made the trip home great.

I got back to whistler and then to base camp in Vancouver. I ended leaving the parking lot around 9ish and crossing the borded around 9:45pm. The US border had quite the setup, it seemed like I was trying to get into a prison. I stopped a Jack in the Box around 10ish and made it home around midnight.

All in all a good time.