Chapter 8-Skiing and snowboarding in the Sierra Nevada
"Naruto kun," Hinata said shaking Naruto out of his bed. They had gone up to Heavenly Valley ski mountain the last night and today they were going to go skiing and snowboarding along with Neji Tenten Sasuke and Sakura.
"Thanks Hinata chan," Naruto said getting up. He gave her a peck on the nose. He slipped on some long johns and his sweater and snow pants before walking down to the bottom of the condo that they rented. He jumped onto the railing and slid down to see Sakura and Tenten making pancakes.
"Smells good," Naruto said.
"Plenty to go around," Sakura said putting some pancakes on Naruto's plate. Naruto poured on the maple syrup and starting eating. Neji and Sasuke came down.
"Thanks for the pancakes," Neji said taking a plate and some utensils.
"Real nice of you," Sasuke said doing the same thing.
"So what are you guys doing," Naruto asked. "I know me and Hinata are boarding."
"Neji and I are skiing," Tenten said.
"And me and Sakura are going try out snow blades," Sasuke said.
"Cool,"
Naruto said. "Where are we going today?"
"Heavenly,"
Sakura told him.
"Cool," Naruto said.
After finishing eating the six of them piled up into the Hummer and went off to Heavenly Valley. "So meet back up at 1:30 for lunch," Sasuke asked.
"Sure ok," Naruto replied. They parked at a spot and they grabbed their gear out of the back. After strapping on their boots they walked down towards three different lifts. "Hinata and I are going to check out the terrain park we're taking the gondola to get to that side of the mountain."
"Sure ok see you soon," Neji yelled. The two of them got in a gondola car and took it up high up the mountain where they got off.
"Nice view," Naruto said snapping a picture of the scenic view of Lake Tahoe from the mountain top.
"I know it looks beautiful," Hinata said taking a picture. Naruto strapped on his board and pushed himself to the start of a blue square run called "Pineland". They strapped themselves onto their snowboards, Naruto was riding an K2 and Hinata a Burton and then pushed off down the hill towards the terrain park. They zipped down the hill, leaving a swaying trail in the snow behind them. In a few minutes they made it to the terrain park.
"Pass," the man at the front said. Naruto showed him his season pass, which also functioned as a park pass to the attendant. "Ok." Hinata followed and the two shot down out of the entrance and down to the terrain park. Naruto jumped up and did a board slide on a rail while Hinata went off a kicker and did a 180 method.
"Nice one Hinata chan," Naruto said.
"You to now show me some air," she asked.
"Then let me see some rail time," Naruto said. Hinata saw a rail and jumped up onto it, doing a 50 50 grind across. Naruto went off a quarter pipe to the side and did a 540 Indy.
"Nice one," Naruto said. They did some more grinds and got some more air before heading down through the half pipe. Naruto did a back flip onto the other side and Hinata did the same thing going onto Naruto's side and she pulled off a few inverts along with Naruto. At the final jump she did a 720 but Naruto went all the way and did a 1080.
"What a run Naruto kun," she said.
"Want to go again," Naruto said.
"Let me think," Hinata said. "Yes I do."
Meanwhile Neji and Tenten had just finished taking the chairlift up to the top of a black diamond called "Cannonball". "You ready," Neji said.
"The question is are you ready," Tenten said.
"Then let's go," Neji said sliding off the chairlift as it came around. They shot over towards their run and stopped for a few minutes to take a breath. "Now let's go." The two shot down and almost instantly starting hitting moguls. Neji struggled to keep his legs moving so he wouldn't fall.
"Alright Neji kun," Tenten said.
"Thanks Ten chan," Neji said. A series of jumps came up and while Neji went to the side of them Tenten jumped off and did a 360 Japan air before landing back on the moguls.
"You scared," Tenten taunted.
"No way," Neji said going off one jump and doing a 540 stale fish and then landing on log and sliding down it before stopping at the bottom for Tenten to catch up.
"I'm growing old here Ten," he said. "Can't abide laggards."
"Shut up you baka," she said chucking as they went down some rather narrow and steep trail. They turned rapidly and Neji a few times fell over from exhaustion. "Come on Neji," Tenten said. Neji got back up and then skied down the rest of the way. The two collapsed at the bottom.
"Muscles not responding," he said lying on the ground.
"Same here," she said.
"Check me out," Sasuke said going down a blue square called "Timber wolf" in his snow blades. "I'm backwards." He turned around then went into the woods but came back out, doing a split in midair.
"This is awesome," Sakura said doing the same thing. Sasuke turned backwards and Sakura went forwards and the two faced each other before turning around. The two made it two the bottom and kissed each other.
"Those are fun," Sasuke said.
"Let's go again," Sakura said.
After a while the pairs met up for lunch at the Sidewinder lodge at the base of the Nevada side of the mountain. "So how are those snow blades Sasuke," Neji asked.
"Fun," Sasuke said. "I can go backwards."
"Hinata had some pretty sick air time," Naruto said taking out his Motorola Razor and showing them some pictures of Hinata in the doing tricks.
"My muscles are still sore," Tenten said moving slowly.
"Here let me get you something what do you want," Neji asked.
"The chili in the bread bowl," Tenten said. Five of them walked up to the line. Naruto got some ramen, Hinata got a cheeseburger (AN they sell ramen at Heavenly), Neji got the same thing as Tenten, Sakura got some chicken tenders and fries and Sasuke got a hot dog. They went back to the table and started eating.
"So anyone hit up any double diamond," Naruto said.
"You nuts Mott Canyon and Killebrew Canyon are the toughest runs in the Sierra Nevada (AN I've skied them I am not kidding they are hard)," Neji said.
"Well the terrain park was awesome," Naruto told them. "Sasuke Sakura try out the snowblades there should be cool."
"Maybe later," Sasuke said eating some fries.
"Hmm so let's ski Alpine tomorrow," Naruto said.
"Deal," they all said in unison.
At alpine meadows.
"Where is sign," Naruto said.
"I don't know I can't see a foot in front of me the snow is coming down to hard," Hinata said. Of all the day's to come to Alpine meadows there was a blizzard and there was four feet of powder. Naruto could hardly move and they were on a double black diamond along with everyone else. It took them two hours to make it to the bottom before they went home.
At North Star
"Yeah alright Neji," Naruto said watching Neji grind down a rail on his skis. He jumped off.
"Kick ass," Neji said.
"Alright Sasuke let me see you got," Naruto said. Sasuke pushed off and then jumped up on one foot, grinding down the whole way.
"Nice one," Naruto said.
After that they left the Sierra Nevada and went back home to celebrate New Years. That had to have been the best ski trip they had ever been on.