The seagull has landed

After a great day yesterday.
Hiked to Lombard street, had picture on tram and finally the bay cruise.



The flight home was uneventful and at time of writing we are on the M40 with ETA @ HFCHS now about 4 or 5 !!
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San FranCisco

Good Bye to the hotel


Today we travelled from Reno to San FranCisco via another (!) 2 hr shopping stop. The weather as we travelled through Sierra mountains was spectacular and a few of us were very sad to be leaving as the skiing conditions were perfect.
Then as we travelled through California the weather was like the best summer day back home and the views as we passed around San FranCisco bay were awesome!




The hotel is right on the front next to Fisherman's Wharf. Tonight we went to Bubba Gump for dinner and had a great time.











Tomorrow we intend to have a whistle stop tour of San FranCisco including the famous windy road, Lombard Street, and a trip on a Tram car before breakfast.






Then after checking out of the hotel we will have a bay cruise around Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge.
As I write the flight details etc are unchanged, I will attempt to update the blog next when we land at Heathrow with an ETA at school. I will also inform the pupils so they can call you.


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Last day skiing, already.

An eventful day started with Alpine Meadow Mountain being shut due to a power cut. This meant a quick detour back to Squaw Valley where only the bottom three chair lifts were open due to the 100 mph winds higher up the mountain. Everybody apart from Jenny and Mrs Hawkhead went skiing for the last time this holiday. The weather meant that it was even more difficult skiing than yesterday, and a lot wetter. By lunch time everyone was soaked to the skin and a vote was taken to narrowly decide to call it a day. However it was around this time that a head count revealed that one pupil, Andrew Wallace was missing. In fact his ski instructor had left him stood at a ski shuttle bus stop - you'll be glad to know that it is our understanding he will be sacked in the morning!!!!!
Andrew followed the instructions we gave the pupils and called the staff mobile numbers on his emergency contact card, walked to a building he recognised and then phoned his dad. Andrew was located within 30 minutes.
It was then back to Alpine Meadow to return all the ski equipment and pose for a group photo. It was at this point that Mr Kinsella got his comeuppance and was duely covered in snow by the pupils.
The evening was rounded off with a shopping trip to a local shopping centre where Converse, Vans, Nike and IPad 2's were the main purchases !!

Typical hotel room, although Mr Kinsella and myself have tended to keep it more tidy than most of the pupils!!!!


Squaw valley village


Typical ski lesson


Group shot at Alpine Meadow


Mr Kinsella running for his life


Tomorrow we leave Reno for San FranCisco with another shopping stop enroute.



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Blizzard conditions !!!!!

Back at Alpine Meadow today and it snowed all day. The conditions were virtually blizzard conditions all day which made the skiing hard BUT surprisingly all the pupils that skied reported having a great day !!!!!!
Frannie Breen and Michael Mc were even doing some serious 'air' with their instructor, Ellie Murphy was overjoyed at not falling over all day and Daisy Jones still said she hated me but thanked me for making her keep going on Friday and now she's getting it.
The day ended with a mass Holy Family snow fight in which Abbs Ashcroft and Tess Bennett showed undoubted prowess only matched by myself and Miss Butler - word on the street is that Kinnie gets it tomorrow !!!!
Go karting was a hit before tea, with Bobbie Leigh Nelson and Frannie the future Lewis Hamilton's.












LOOK MRS HAWKHEAD IS AWAKE !!


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All Hail the Jenny

The first injury of the trip! At the time of writing Jenny is still in the Medical Centre with Miss Butler under going tests on her knee. When I last saw her she was in excellent spirits joking with Mr Kinsella about the fact that her socks were on the wrong feet!
The skiing today was great and all the pupils are making giant leaps forward. Mollie and Emily though went over to the 'dark side' and spent the day snow boarding !!!












Off to the cinema tonight.
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Squaw Valley today

Even on the other side of the world our thoughts and prayers are with Maisie, Boss, Karen, Emily, Tom and Poppy


Moved to Squaw Valley today which meant a spectacular trip in a cable car - or really scary trip, depending who you asked.







As you can see the pistes are just as crowed here as they were in Alpine Meadow. The trails here are better suited to the beginners and everybody got some serious skiing in today.









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First day skiing

Hotel is very big and pupils are all very impressed, even with the food!
Great conditions at alpine meadow today for first day skiing and all pupils had a great time, although I think some were surprised at how physically demand it was.
Even better is the fact that we have no injuries to report only a few bumps and a couple of battered ego's.

Hotel reception


Ski hire


Lake Tahoe



The empty slopes is why we travel all this way





Lunch time in the ski lodge


We are skiing at squaw valley tomorrow and saturday as Homewood has got no snow

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