Good Morning!
I was not around much yesterday because I went skiing.
Considering I am from Minnesota you probably are thinking this is like fish being able to breathe under water – we are born with skis on our feet and can leap tall snow piles in a single bound.
Well…
If that is true…
I am an impostor and will need to speak to my parents about my true heritage… 😀
Skiing is not something I do. I went once with my family to Lutzen and mastered the bunny hill. You should have seen it…. small children aside, I was the master of this hill. Nothing could stop me! Yet, when I tried a different hill I started down and picked up speed and had visions of Sonny Bono in my head and promptly fell over to avoid such a fate. I took the skis off and walked (and walked and walked as it was really large!) down the hill.
However…. I rarely back down from an opportunity to try something new or learn something new. So when friends of ours asked me if I would be interested in going skiing with them and learning more about it, I said, “WELL YEAH!”
(Of course this was a few weeks ago and I am pretty brave when it is not an on the spot commitment)
And so – yesterday, after work, that “WELL YEAH” came back to collect. I met my friend Wendy (who was also roped into this agreed to join in the fun). And at 2 pm yesterday…. we were on the slopes.
First – kudos to our teacher – Al is a patient patient man. He took us open a little incline and had us “ski” down. And again… and again. AL would have his wife Julie demonstrate. They are quite the team! Then we learned the “snow plow” or “pizza” which I preferred…. and then how to turn. After an hour or so of this… we were able to try a partial slope. Yes, we went half way up a hill… and skied down.
By the end of the day Wendy and I were doing pretty good… we each had one wipe out and are still alive. We went into the chalet to warm up and by the time I felt the warm air, I knew they would have a hard time getting me back out there. I was cold and I was done.
Fun day – and I learned something new so I guess that makes it a good day too.
Got to like that 🙂
Book Journey 
I went skiing only one time and it was ok, but not something I have pursued. I applaud you trying it out!
Thanks Helen – I like to be adventurous 😀
Well, the best part (for me) would be where you go into the chalet and sit by the fire!
I’m not a ski bunny, either. I did some tobogganing back in the day, and that’s the closest I came to any action. My daughter snowboards and loves it. My youngest grandson is salivating over it.
Did I mention that I also have visions of Sonny Bono and every other person who has died skiing? I think snowboarding is pretty scary, too!
I would like to try snowboarding Laurel – but on a little hill…. very little….
You do make me laugh. Very entertaining post.
LOL Vivienne 😀
you are much braver then me, I have yet to ever go skiing and with my coordination I would probably spend most of the time on my bunny tail. Glad you were able to learn with a patient team. Kudos to you 🙂
Thanks Paula- it was fun and I would go again not what I know a little about how to do it.
Wow, it looks so cold! :–) I don’t ski but my husband does, so I hang around a lot at restaurants at the bottom of slopes and have hot chocolate and soup and stuff while I read. Not a bad way to pass the day!
That sounds fun too Jill! 😀
That sounds like loads of fun to me. I love to ski, but have not for many years now…since pregnant with number 5. Although, we are having tons of fun skating with the younger two on a local pond. The 7 year old would love to be a hockey player…too bad his body says no as he falls constantly.
Glad you had fun. Thanks for sharing.
I hope to go a couple more times yet this winter ibeeeg and learn more… then maybe over the summer I can look for my own skis and eliminate that great rental cost!
What time of the day was this photo taken-it looks dark and cold.
Lutzen is where my husband once went.
This was about 5:30 pm and about 10 degrees Esme…. when we started it was 18 degrees and I could fill the temperature dropping as the sun went down.
Sheila,
Born and raised in MN I was quite always on the slopes or in training (I raced). I flew back and forth to Colorado a lot to ski and oh I miss it. I have not been skiing for 9 years! (OMG that is a long time). Next time, ask them to give you longer skis. Seriously. Although that may just be for racing….skis had to be a regulation length despite my sort statue. I know you cycle, do you ice skate? If so, you are a natural. Now practise walking up the slope with skis (a drill we did a million years ago). Enjoy the slopes for me! Skiing is quite freeing. 🙂
Wow Jennifer – you raced! I bet you have some awesome pictures!
I dont really ice skate although I can…. just not really something anyone I know does so I have no one to go with.
Congratulations for trying it again! I’ve never downhilled, the closest I’ve been was a slight hill while cross-country skiing. I don’t believe I am as brave as you. You know, the older I get, the harder the ground!
I did fear the wipeout Shirley! 😀
You are so brave! I’ve never been skiing and considering my lack of sporting skills, I likely never will. I’m not the adventurous type at all unfortunately.
Good for you for “getting back on the horse”! (That is one thing I can do-I can actually ride a horse although I need help to mount it). I hope you will go skiing again sometime and learn some more.
LOL Christina – you do not want to know my horse story……
I do like to try things though and love making memories!
I’ve been skiing one time and as I signed the consent form they told me about someone who had died the week before when she skied into a tree. Needless to say, that’s all I could think of, so I sat down on my fanny every time I picked up speed. Skiing is not for me!
Kathy I asked a lady who worked there had there been any casualties this winter (I like to know the worst case scenarios) and she said a boy hit his head last week snowboarding and he was just starting to talk now…..
oh wow.
Good for you…and now you will never forget how to ski…I think it is like riding a bike and you can do that with your eyes closed…
I think so too Patty! We practiced the basic a long time and I think that was extremely helpful.
You look like a pro 🙂 I’ve never snow skied but I can water ski, wonder if its much the same?
I have never water skied Sherri but it is on my bucket list 😀
I think I’d be too chicken to ski, but go you! I did try ice-skating, but fell on my butt too much to go ever again. 🙂
AHhh Kristen – you can go skating again – come on 😀
That looks like a lot of fun! I’ve only been skiing once and it was at Mt. Ashland (about 7500 ft tall mountain). I did okay on the bunny slope, but the next step up from the bunny slope seemed like a vertical slope to me (even though I knew it wasn’t). I screamed the whole way down 2 1/2 times (until I crashed and decided I wanted hot cocoa in the lodge). 🙂
It sounds like you had a successful ski experience though!
LOL Alyce… love that… crashed and wanted cocoa. That is such a good plan! 😀
Good on you Shelia, I for one am very envious of your day on the slopes. Despite seeing so much snow we have not had time to ski yet this season 😦
It was a fun experience LindyLou! 😀
I went skiing once. I still haven’t recovered from the trauma that was the ski lift. Heights and I don’t get along.
Jill I get that…. the ski lift was not my favorite….
That sounds so awesome! I am a long time skier but just learned to snowboard in the last couple of years. I forgot how frustrating it is to fall, and fall, and fall some more!