Going to school at Carleton and training in the Gatineau Park requires some mode of transportation. This mode of transportation for many of the Carleton students is Lee’s van which is a Toyota Previa or better known as “the egg.”
Lee’s particular Previa has no shortage of character with every wheel well rusting, the back door covered in ski related stickers and the fact that it sounds like your riding in a city bus that grinds every gear. As Kyle would say, “if you can’t find em, grind em.” Plus it is rare to see the Previa not full of either skiers or gear, or a mixture of both cruising down the road at seven thirty in the morning.
The atmosphere inside the Previa can also be quite the experience. For me, the mornings usually consist of heading over to Lee, Colin, Mathias and Kyle’s place around seven thirty. By the time I get there they will be loading up the van with their ski stuff and Ingrid will also be showing up. Many of us are still eating breakfast so you can usually find some dirty plates or bowls and occasionally some banana peels or apple cores. On the way to training its usually relatively quiet with most people half asleep still trying to hear some music over the hum of the van. Or if it was like yesterday were breathing hard and awake from already getting a work out push starting the van down the road.
Even though we all give Lee a hard time about his driving on occasion, and make jokes about how the van is probably going to fall apart and break down the next time we use it. We all know that we are able to ski train in Ottawa thanks to Lee’s van. We love Lee’s van because it is comfortable and spacious, it has enough room for all of our ski gear plus some, it is in rough enough shape that you don’t feel bad leaving your banana peel on the floor for a couple hours or days, and we get tons of stares from other driver’s when were going down the highway at 90 /kph(close to max speed when full) with seven teenagers dressed in ski clothes and a Yukon Territory License plate on the back. I think we are all grateful for Lee’s van and most of us feel as if it is part of our experience as skiers in Ottawa having so many memories in it.
Lee van back in Whitehorse during the 2009 Kluane Chilkat Bike Relay before making the trip to Ottawa.
Hitting the magic 333333, Lee says he hoping to see it hit 444444 yet.
On a roadtrip to the Weersinks for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the awesome Thanksgiving again.
Kyle and Mathias standing by the beast. (You can tell by the stickers skiers are driving in it)
Kyle and Colin in Stowe getting ready for some skiing, the Previa not looking so clean.
Thanks again to Lee, saving my bad writing with some good pictures.
Enjoy
"Winning Moves"