The first order of the day was to go up to the ski resort and get everything prepped for tomorrow. DH and I were fitted for boots and boards. I don't know if you've ever rented ski gear before, but it's not very high on my list of things to repeat. It's not very pleasant to try on a pair of boots that probably had just come off a rough day on the slopes and hadn't even dried yet. I was pretty grossed out, but there was nothing for it.
With gear in hand, we went on the hunt for lockers, apparently they are a precious resource out here, so once you get one, you don't relinquish it until you are going home, and I don't mean back to the "cabin." Stowing the none-too-pleasant-smelling gear in a musty locker (lovely, just lovely), we went back for dinner and a good night's sleep in preparation for the lessons that DH and I were signed up for the next morning.
Woke up early and got dressed. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and nearly laughed out loud. I looked like a boy! Baggy ski pants and my jacket was too big. With a hat hiding my hair, big boots and thick ski gloves, I looked exactly like an awkward teenage boy. I guess snowboarders aren't known for being fashionably clad.
While my brother and family hit the ski slopes, DH and I manuevered our boards over to the lessons area. I figured it wasn't a good sign when the first 20 minutes were teaching us how to fall (Omen number one). Turns out that there really was a reason for that. I'll get into that later. After making us practice falling, we strapped on our boards and went up and down a tiny little hill (not kidding, 30 feet long, maybe 4 feet in elevation). After learning how to turn and stop, and working on that falling, seriously, it was happening to everyone, they took us to the lift.
That first lift ride was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. The scenery is just stunning and to be lifted up like you're flying over it is an amazing thing. The fact that there's nothing holding you in and if you lean too far forward you're toast might have had something to do with the exhiliration, but I still remember the rush. We went higher and higher. Looking back down the mountain it was cool to see the world drop away, and looking up I was amazed at how far further some of the other peaks go. I was looking at one peak that was insanely tall and steep when to my horror I realized people were actually skiing down it! I think they were committing suicide, how could anyone survive that!
One other thing about the lift. You can see all the people skiing and snowboarding by beneath you. It's pretty cool to watch people, you see the ones who really know what they're doing, and you also see some spectacular falls. What I fortunately didn't notice until later was that about 95 percent of the people we saw fall down, had snowboards attached to their feet. Omen number two.
To my dismay, the ride came to the end, followed by the single most difficult thing for me to accomplish...the dismount. I just can't get off those things gracefully. I ate it almost every time and had to crawl away as fast as I could with that damn board stuck to my leg. The dread of the inevitable getting off tainted every lift ride thereafter. Too embarrasing.
So, we're at the top of the bunny slope where I'm like, "Is this REALLY the easiest thing you have?" The lane is narrow with trees on each side and in some places, if you don't turn in time, you go off a cliff into a 10 foot deep ravine. That's the bunny slope. Great. Ok, so after they have us all sit on our butts in the snow getting soggy bums, we get started. There was not a one among the group that went more than 4 feet before falling back down. Snowboarding is HARD!
So after falling our way down the slopes, we reach the bottom and go back up for another round. Every member of the group looks like they've been beaten. We're all limping a little, rubbing parts of our bodies, straightening clothes that have gone awry. We're not a pretty sight. But, here we go again.
The second run was better in some ways, but worse in others. We're all able to manage going for a while before falling, and stopping and changing directions by shifting weight, but now they want us to learn the 'S' turn. Hoo Boy, a whole new world of pain there. You see, when you change directions by coming to a stop, and shifting your weight, you never really go very fast. When you start doing real turns, you can really start booking it if you're not very careful. While that's fun later, in the beginning all you know is that the faster you go, the nastier the falls are. DH and I took some whoppers. The worst ones are when you are facing up hill, start to turn, lose it, and fall backwards downhill. I think everyone learning this should wear a helmet and a neckbrace.
To add insult to injury, there are all these little kids, maybe 5-7 years old just zooming by. They're all on skiis, but still, it's a little annoying to be sitting in the snow trying to convince yourself to get up again and to have these kids effortlessly go by. What really got me was at one point, I was on my rear, catching my breath after yet another tumble, when this little girl, weighing maybe 30 pounds, pulls up and goes "are you ok?" I wanted to smack her! I know it's not nice, and I'm sure she had good intentions, but ooooh, I was NOT happy.
By the third run, we had mostly gotten the hang of it. We would fall occassionally, but there were enough seconds (note, not minutes) in between falls that you could tell this can be fun. At one point, the instructor had us all sit together, then moved downslope and had us one by one do 'S' curves down to him and stop. I got up first and did it perfectly, no problem. I was so impressed with myself until I got up to the instructor, stopped, and promptly fell on my a**. So much for my ego.
After that, the lesson was over and we were on our own. After another run, we decided we had enough bruises and called it quits for the day. We stored our gear in our lockers and went home. After peeling off my ski clothes, I was grateful we were in cold weather, because I wasn't showing any skin for a while. Someone would think that DH and I beat each other! Also, if DH wouldn't have pretended to not know me, I might have worn a pillow strapped to my rear the next day. Whooee, it hurt to sit. But, it was all worth it.
The next morning, the alarm went off, and I opened one eye. I was afraid to move. Slowly, I wiggled fingers and toes, then shifted arms and legs. Testing the pain that was going to be involved with getting up. Oh My
I'm happy to report that day two was infinitely better. The first run down the slopes had us worried, it was pretty bad, but after that, our bodies picked it up again and it went well. By the end of the day, we were doing an occassional entire run without falling and we were testing how fast we were willing to go before chickening out. That's really a rush BTW, going fast is fun, but you know you're still unsteady enough that if you hit too big a bump, you're going to eat it.
Things transpired that kept us away from the slopes the next day, but I can't wait to do it again. I hope that we don't forget how and have to start all over again. I also hope that I will have magically figured out how to get off the lift gracefully.
