My skiing adventure

[chanaleh]

So I went skiing last night for the first time in 15 years.

I went with pandaulf to Wachusett -- which coincidentally is also where I went the only previous time, my freshman year of college. It may have been dumb to try and do this on a weeknight, but I figured the odds were good I couldn't handle more than 2 hours or so on my first time out anyway, and indeed it seems to have been just as well that we didn't get there until 8pm (they close at 10).

The thing I remembered vividly from my one previous outing is that I had no problem going, but could never get the hang of stopping, other than by falling. I can now report that this is basically still true. What I don't remember is feeling quite so physically terrified in the process. Maybe I was, though. I also don't remember having quite so much difficulty hauling myself up off the ground each time, but perhaps I was not so proud then and just took my skis off every single time, which makes it way easier.

pandaulf is a true friend, and coached me very patiently, through my utterly pathetic initial steps and eventually down three runs on the easiest slope (Ralph's Run). I will tell you all right now that if you are in need of amateur ski coaching, you will do well to pick someone who is not only an experienced skier but (a) a trusted friend for 14 years, (b) an educational psychologist by trade, and (c) the parent of a 3-year-old. :-) A reassuring combination of traits if there ever was one. By the third run, I managed to get off the ski lift without falling immediately on my ass, which we took as a sign of progress.

The first run, I zoomed down rather too far too fast for comfort, and made spectacular tumbles at least four times (not counting the fall getting off the lift). Getting back on my feet seemed relatively easy while on the hill, but by the time I fell at the bottom, I could hardly get up to save my life, and just about ran out of cope right there. What I did was bench myself for a a short break, though, and send Jon to get in a run on his own, which felt like a win all around and a good way to offset being a total drag.

On the second and third runs, I tried really hard to master "slow and controlled", of which I was feeling a distinct lack. This resulted mostly in excruciatingly leisurely passes down the mountain -- punctuated by bursts of speeding along out of control, all of which ended in (you guessed it) spectacular tumbles. No injuries, though, thank God. Today, my left flank is a bit bruised where I took the majority of the falls, but otherwise I'm only a little stiff. Considering that I felt like I'd been beaten with a stick as we limped out to the parking lot, that's not bad at all.

So -- was it fun? I don't know: Yes, and... on the other hand, it was a little too demoralizing all around to be properly termed "fun".

But, I'm really glad I went. Partly because it was good to hang with Jon. And partly because it was an incredibly good idea to have a dry run (ha ha, there wasn't anything dry about it, I was damp to the skin when I got home, note to self: obtain proper bib ski pants) before going to Smuggler's Notch with the MIT GSC two weeks from Friday. :-} And partly because I feel like this is a skill I need to spend some time on before I can decide if I enjoy it.

And, y'know -- hey! I did it!

Comments

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Sounds like my first, second, and third time on skis, I had fun though. The last time I went I face planted and finished the run on my belly. That finished me for the day too. I haven't been again since. I really do want to try it again sometime, I did enjoy myself.

[jessruth.livejournal.com]

congrats! I must say, you are way braver than I. And I bet you'd look adorable in a ski bib....

[sidruid.livejournal.com]

Heh, i've been up to wachusett once (with a friend from wustah, she used to go every night as a kid). You'll get the hang of it, just takes some practice. I never got the fearlessness of speed which is required for slopes beyond the blue squares, but acquired just enough to go down complicated things without falling or pizza slicing the whole way :)

Oh, and for a moment i thought you said Snuggler's Notch.

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

Believe me, "Snuggler's Notch" had made it into my brain as well.

[zed42.livejournal.com]

are you gonna try cross country skiing on sunday? :)

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

That's my plan! Assuming I'm not coming down with something (or am over it again by then)... Saw you guys are coming too. Looking forward to it.

[melopoeia.livejournal.com]

Wow. You are quite brave.

I've never tried, because even on roller skates I could never stop...

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

I don't care much for skiing (being from Alaska, who'd'a thought?) but your post made me laugh. :)

[beardedone.livejournal.com]

Were you plowing or skiing parallel? It's easier for a beginner to slow down, turn, and stop when plowing. You're less likely to tumble, and more likely to sit down on your butt.

[bess.livejournal.com]

I disagree. I never learned to ski in a snowplow -- way too hard on the knees. I started skiing parallel and just got really good at controlling speed through turning, at least on the easy slopes. Bumpy slopes are what get me every time.

Unfortunately, no skiing for me this year. My passenger throws off my balance way too much, and I really don't want to risk a fall. Not to mention the fact that it's been 3 years since I skied, and last time I was run over by a snow boarder. sigh.

Glad you had fun. Maybe I'll be out on the slopes a bit next year.

[hawkegirl.livejournal.com]

FWIW if you're not in a hurry it's best to get the bib pants in April, they go on wicked sale, and you can get nice REI ones dirt cheap. (As with other skiing equipment.) The longer you wait the cheaper they get, but then they run out of selection too. I find April is about as far as one can go ... :>

[meranthi.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I wanna go skiing again sometime. It's been...er...around 10-15 years since I've been last, but I like doing it. Not that I'm good by any stretch of the imagination. :)

I started skiing as a kid. In the time of no fear, my little brother and I started by skiing down the double black diamond slope underneath one of the ski lifts. Very narrow, lots of moguls, and lots of ice by the endo f the day. My mother has a distinct recollection of my brother cmoing up to her and proudly announcing, "I only fell 35 times!" I wish I were that care-free now.

[mitchellf.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation, not only have I consistantly fallen every time I've ever gone down-hill skiing, but the last time I went (while I was still in college), I managed to fall down the wrong side of the mountain, off the trail, and landed with my skis and legs under the fence which separated the tree-lined part of the mountain from the cleared ski-path part. I dug my hands into the snow to keep from being dragged the rest of the way down under the fence. :-( I cried for help, but recieved none, lost one pole under the fence (then hit a tree and broke in half--we had to pay for it afterward, given that it was rented), and had to carefully remove my skis one at a time in order to climb back up onto the mountain. Instead of putting my skis back on, I then proceeded to walk down the mountain. Once I'd gotten about half-way down, my brother found me, helped me put the skis back on as best as we could (turned out the fall had broken one of the clips that hold the skis on), and got me to slowly ski down the rest of the way (which went much faster than walking).

Since then, I haven't bothered to try it again. Every time someone mentions it as an option, I recall the raw fear I felt of falling down the wrong side of the mountain, and decline to go. The best memory I have from that ski trip was the cocoa my brothers got for me in the ski lodge before we left to go home.

I love to go cross-country skiing, though. :-) Then again, that's skiing on mostly flat land, and I've been doing it since I could stand....

at the time...

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for the kind words.

At the time (before soreness set in), you had said you had fun and that we should do it again.

Hugs,
Jon

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Glad you weren't seriously hurt! I'm more the "drink cocoa in the lodge" type, myself...