We had a company offsite where we were supposed to kayak on the lake, and the next day, I was supposed to have my first shot at downhill mountain biking at a ski resort. Well, things did not quite turn out that way due to weather that brought us the first snow of the year, up to 3 inches in some places...
![it was nice enough when we arrived it was nice enough when we arrived](/blogimg/00/thumb1024_100_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
it was nice enough when we arrived
![ok, ice rink was short on ice ok, ice rink was short on ice](/blogimg/02/thumb1024_102_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
ok, ice rink was short on ice
![](/blogimg/03/thumb1024_103_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
We took a shuttle to the lake/beach and had a late lunch there, felt like a swell idea at the time, until a snow storm happened and we barely got back to the ski resort:
![](/blogimg/08/thumb1024_108_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_111_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![got worse got worse](/blogimg/15/thumb1024_115_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
got worse
![bad enough that semis were turning around bad enough that semis were turning around](/blogimg/18/thumb1024_118_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
bad enough that semis were turning around
![](/blogimg/19/thumb1024_119_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/22/thumb1024_122_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
Smart people stayed inside to play games, I probably should have done that :)
![](/blogimg/28/thumb1024_128_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/33/thumb1024_133_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![or that too or that too](/blogimg/32/thumb1024_132_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
or that too
Then went to the evening party up the first gondola:
![](/blogimg/38/thumb1024_138_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/41/thumb1024_141_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![never quite seen northstar that way :) never quite seen northstar that way :)](/blogimg/42/thumb1024_142_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
never quite seen northstar that way :)
![generous snowfall generous snowfall](/blogimg/45/thumb1024_145_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
generous snowfall
![](/blogimg/49/thumb1024_149_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/47/thumb1024_147_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/51/thumb1024_151_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/53/thumb1024_153_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/55/thumb1024_155_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
The next morning, I was hopeful that I'd be able to mountain bike, but the terrain was just too snowy/muddy, so it wasn't meant to be. Instead I went on a short guided hike:
![](/blogimg/57/thumb1024_157_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/66/thumb1024_166_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/61/thumb1024_161_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/68/thumb1024_168_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
After playing games for the rest of the day, Arturo came to pick me up and we went to Topaz Lake for our 4 day backpacking trip the new day
![](/blogimg/72/thumb1024_172_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/74/thumb1024_174_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)
![](/blogimg/77/thumb1024_177_20170921_Northstar_Offsite.jpg)