SnowJam had everything that it promised trip-goers: legal drinking, clubbing, and – for the adventurous – skiing. I wasn’t planning on skiing because three weeks earlier my dad was skiing, was hit by an out of control skier, and ended up breaking his shoulder. After hearing about my dad’s accident I wanted to stick to exploring Montreal and Mont Tremblant.
The first night we were there we went clubbing and it was everything I expected it would be. There was loud music, excessive amounts of alcohol, and dancing. It had the feel of a high school dance, but since there were no rules it was even more fun. The next morning my friends and I woke up and went to breakfast. We found the cutest place that served mountains of fruit next to delicious crêpes! Once we were full, we explored Montreal and its underground shops. Almost instantly we found stores that had chic clothing at cheap prices! We were hooked. Eventually, it was time to head back to the hotel and get on the bus to Mont Tremblant.
On the ride up we watched a few episodes of Sex and the City and stopped at a grocery store where the guys stocked up on beer. That night I cooked a huge Italian dinner before we headed out to explore the bar scene in town. The bars were definitely different then anything I expected and I couldn’t justify dropping $6 for a drink. I might have been being naïve, but I had no idea how expensive going out would be!
Even though it wasn’t part of my original plan, I knew I wouldn’t want to spend my last day in Canada sitting around and doing nothing while my friends hit the slopes. This ended up being one of the best decisions I made during the trip.
I woke up early, packed, rented my ski gear, checked us out of the hotel, and got on the gondola that would take me to the mountain. I was with my friend Lindsey and we were planning on meeting up with my boyfriend and his friends after they skied the more advanced slopes. I’ve been skiing since I was a kid so I was able to go down the blues with ease. The views were gorgeous and I loved skiing through the snow-covered trees. Lindsey and I took tons of pictures of our beautiful surroundings. Once we were completely frozen it was time to meet up with the guys.
We skied a few slopes before Lindsey and the rest of the guys decided they would take off ahead and let my boyfriend, Andrew, and I ski alone. I strapped on my poles and started going down the mountain ahead of Andrew when suddenly someone crashed into me. I started falling down the mountain, somersaulting through the snow.
As soon as I finished tumbling the guy who ran into me stopped and apologized, but I was still furious.
I tried to get up, but I realized my leg was in so much pain that I couldn’t move. I didn’t know whether to cry or scream and it didn’t help that I was in a part of the country where people only spoke French. Finally, some concerned skiers stopped by and called ski patrol. When the ski patrol arrived, they put me into a toboggan and pulled me down the mountain. From there, I got in an ambulance and headed to the hospital. I hated having to call my mom and explain to her what was happening, but she reassured me that she would be on the next flight to Canada and that everything would be ok.
When we got to the hospital, it was almost two hours before a doctor came to see me and told me that I would need to have an X-ray. The X-rays showed that nothing was broken, but I was still in excruciating pain and couldn’t wait to leave. Luckily, my dad was able to get in touch with one of his friends who knew a doctor in Montreal who would be able to see me. After examining my leg, he told me that I had just torn a hamstring. My mom finally arrived in Canada and immediately came to the doctor in Montreal to pick me up.
The day I got home from Canada was filled with doctor’s appointments. The MRI showed that I had a sprained hamstring, which meant I would need crutches and physical therapy to recover.
Overall and even with my injury, SnowJam was a great experience. I had a great time with friends and made memories that will last a lifetime. I have officially retired from skiing, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy what’s left of winter without ever having to strap on my ski boots.