Arrival and first week of snow!!

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Well, we've started travelling - up at 4am (although Mum and I managed to get up at 3am by mistake!!) for the 6.30 flight to Heathrow.

Both of our first flights landed early and we cleared customs and immigration at LAX in record time. (Around half an hour - unheard of on any of my previous US flights).

We had an overnight site at the airport - the thought of driving after travelling for the best part of 24 hours was not particularly appealing. We collected the SUV - now affectionally known as Chuck the Truck, and tried to leave Los Angeles. Thankfully as we were not in any real hurry the unintentional diversions that we took through Santa Monica, Malibu and Beverly Hills didn't matter. Found the right road and started to climb through mountains, however felt like we were heading in the wrong direction as all the traffic seemed to be heading in the opposite direction, back to LA, it was as if someone had told them that the mounatin was closed!!

Once we arrived in Big Bear Lake, it didn't take long to get orientated - it's a really small place. It was also deserted so we had the slopes virtually to ourselves at both Snow Summit and Bear Mtn. Loads of blues and greens to get our snow legs back!! Not sure if the snowboarding is getting any better although managed a couple of blacks - one on purpose and one by accident! Gilly is certainly more adventureous on her skis - I like my limbs attached to my body...

We manged to become regulars at the local diner we had found to eat breakfast in and although we were originally mistaken for Italians (!) when they found out we were Scottish we managed to get breakfast bought for us by 'Grizzly Adams' because of course his family still had a castle in Scotland..

Still trying to have a late night - fresh air, time differences and jet lag has meant the latest so far has been 9.30....Not quiet the wild time some had imagined.

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Photos

Meeting Chuck...
Travelling light....