Ski Colorado?
As I was preparing to leave the desert and move back to the Rocky Mountain West, a good friend from language school asked me if I skied. Yes, I ski. That wasn’t really a lie but not really the entire truth either. I haven’t skied since college. I hate being cold. My idea of a good day skiing is sitting by the roaring fire in the ski lodge.
My aforementioned good friend is also from the Denver area and he thought it would be fun for us to go skiing. Matthew is one of those guys who is good at everything and nothing really holds him back. But I don’t back down from a challenge so I said yes of course I’d love to go skiing. However we set some rules, no bunny slope, but only green runs.
We set our before Starbucks opened (rule number two in my life never get up earlier than you have to). We got to Copper Mountain as the lifts were beginning to run for the day. I had to be reminded of how to put on the ski boots, then figure out how to clip into the skis, and then somehow get myself in line for the lift. How long has it been since I used those bicep muscles?
Our first run was the shortest run of the day. I got off the chairlift and my rear didn’t touch the ground, VICTORY! I sashayed down the hill with few problems. Like riding a bike it all came back to me. I must say I was feeling pretty good. Bring on the next run.
About 11, we stopped for a little break, I had fallen a few times but nothing serious, I was having a great time. Matthew was probably bored as he spent a lot of time at the bottom of the mountain waiting for me. After our break, Matthew planned to do a few more runs before lunch. At this point in the day, the wind is blowing and it is a nice balmy 5 degrees Fahrenheit. I can’t feel my fingers, icicles were hanging from my nose, and I was pretty sure that my toes had frostbite. But, I was not going to give up. At some point Matthew was a blue blur down the mountain that I would never see again. I was out of control so; I decided that I’d fall instead of dating a tree. After 6.5 minutes I think I was able to get up, only to fall a few more times coming down the mountain.
The ski lift continues to climb and climb up the mountain. I’m not sure when it hit me, maybe minute 4 on the lift , that I have to come down this mountain, me who has a tremendous fear of heights. I had told Matthew that I fell pretty hard on the last run, so he let me go first and skied behind me. No pressure there. I fell hard and fast. Clearly I am no Lindsay Vonn. I got up and fell again. I should give up the dream of being on the Olympic ski team. At one point I had three ski patrol around me asking me if I needed help. After what seemed like hours, we finally made it down the mountain.
I am not sure why people enjoy flinging themselves down snow packed mountains in the freezing cold at ridiculous speeds, but a heck of a lot of people sure enjoy it. Your invitation to my retirement party probably got buried on the mountain.
My aforementioned good friend is also from the Denver area and he thought it would be fun for us to go skiing. Matthew is one of those guys who is good at everything and nothing really holds him back. But I don’t back down from a challenge so I said yes of course I’d love to go skiing. However we set some rules, no bunny slope, but only green runs.
We set our before Starbucks opened (rule number two in my life never get up earlier than you have to). We got to Copper Mountain as the lifts were beginning to run for the day. I had to be reminded of how to put on the ski boots, then figure out how to clip into the skis, and then somehow get myself in line for the lift. How long has it been since I used those bicep muscles?
Our first run was the shortest run of the day. I got off the chairlift and my rear didn’t touch the ground, VICTORY! I sashayed down the hill with few problems. Like riding a bike it all came back to me. I must say I was feeling pretty good. Bring on the next run.
About 11, we stopped for a little break, I had fallen a few times but nothing serious, I was having a great time. Matthew was probably bored as he spent a lot of time at the bottom of the mountain waiting for me. After our break, Matthew planned to do a few more runs before lunch. At this point in the day, the wind is blowing and it is a nice balmy 5 degrees Fahrenheit. I can’t feel my fingers, icicles were hanging from my nose, and I was pretty sure that my toes had frostbite. But, I was not going to give up. At some point Matthew was a blue blur down the mountain that I would never see again. I was out of control so; I decided that I’d fall instead of dating a tree. After 6.5 minutes I think I was able to get up, only to fall a few more times coming down the mountain.
The ski lift continues to climb and climb up the mountain. I’m not sure when it hit me, maybe minute 4 on the lift , that I have to come down this mountain, me who has a tremendous fear of heights. I had told Matthew that I fell pretty hard on the last run, so he let me go first and skied behind me. No pressure there. I fell hard and fast. Clearly I am no Lindsay Vonn. I got up and fell again. I should give up the dream of being on the Olympic ski team. At one point I had three ski patrol around me asking me if I needed help. After what seemed like hours, we finally made it down the mountain.
I am not sure why people enjoy flinging themselves down snow packed mountains in the freezing cold at ridiculous speeds, but a heck of a lot of people sure enjoy it. Your invitation to my retirement party probably got buried on the mountain.
posted by Els Adventures at
9:05 AM
