Back from my first “real” ski trip ever. We did a ski in / ski out trip. Not as glamorous as it sounds. Skis on at the house and then attempt to make it to ski lodge. Here’s how my brutal Thursday went down…
Day 1 – Thursday
1 Ski’s on at the house
2 made it about 100 feet over a bridge before I fell down a bank into about 2 feet of snow. 10 minutes later I was back on my feet.
3 Fell down, taking my skis off so we can ride a ski lift to the top of another “hill” (unbeknownst to me)
4 arrive at the top of ski lift only to find that I, never having really skied before must find my way down a “blue” run. For those of you non – skiers here are the ski hill codes
Flat land = no slope, flat ground, a great feeling that your feet are stable (that only exists in Minnesota)
Green = super “easy” / “fine to fall down” and kids as young as 4 are smokin’ me.
Double Green = semi “easy” / “falling down still feels ok” 12 year olds laughing at me.
Blue = intermediate / “slightly steeper” manageable by the 2nd day.
Double Blue = super intermediate / “where a lot of frickin’ snowboarders hang out”
Black = Advanced / “semi-crazy”
Double Black = Super Advanced / “Certified Freak Shows”
5 I manage to fall 4 times within the first 100 feet of my sorry attempt at going down this “blue” just to get to ski lodge so I can ride up the mountain gondola. After a few choice expletives, I proceeded to rip my skis off and walk down the rest of this slope. Not a great way to start my day or my ski weekend.
6 Ride the gondola. Great view. “What have I gotten myself into?”
7 Exit the gondola and head straight to ski school where I meet Dennis “Scuz” Warren, retired army sargeant, motorcycle racer, all-around “bad-ass old-dude”…and the patience of a kindergarten teacher with 20 students with fire ants in their pants.
8 Scuz teaches me a one thing at a time. I fall down. Teaches me some more. I fall down… A LOT.
9 Day is moving along and now it’s time to go home…down “Doc’s landing”. It’s a “blue”. Here’s what Scuz says about it: “It’s not so much that it’s a ‘blue’. It’s that Doc’s is a run that gets you psychologically cuz there’s no trees on either side and it looks like you’re going to fall off.” Killer! Just what I’m up for at the END of a high-stress day 
so 45 minutes later I managed to fall and skid my way to the bottom of this run where I am greeted by my lovely wife.
Here’s a couple of comments caught on video:
What “Scuz” my Ski School Instructor has to say about my skiing abilities
Here’s what Shannon and I have to say about “Doc’s Run”…
Day 2 – Friday
1 Different Ski Area…where the 2002 Olympics were held.
2 Couple of greens. couple of Blues. “I’m gettin’ the hang of this”.
3 I get talked into descending a slightly more advanced “blue” right before lunch. Fell A LOT.
4 post-lunch. different ski lift. “Blues” at the
top. Well at the end of this “blue” there is a “black” and that is the
ONLY way out. So, “What the hell?” That was a quite LARGE mistake.
Moguls are not a beginner’s friend. I made it…barely.
5 Skied “Blues” and “double-blues” the rest of the day.
Day 3 – Saturday
1 Back at The Canyons. Skied my nemesis “blue” to get down to the lodge. Only fell once.
2 Actually kicked some “blue” ass all day today.
3 Wiped out hard in between lifts. Hit and ice patch and slammed my hip into the ground so hard, I found my inner “wimp”.
4 Had one more run in with a “black” that I was not
ready for. Fell. HARD. Hit my head (helmet on). Still gave me a
slight concussion.
5 Skied a couple more hills that would have been murder on Thursday, but were easy now.
6 Got yelled at by ski patrol for going TOO FAST, down
Doc’s Run (yeah, the one where on Thursday I thought I was going to
have a slight spaz.) Me going too fast? Yeah, I probably was. Little
did he know that I wasn’t going too fast because I WANTED to.
7 I return to the house to be welcomed by my 3 year-old
niece who says “I’m a better skier than you, Brad”. As this was her
first time also. Check her out…
What I learned:
1 I was told everyone, no matter how tough, has an
“inner wimp” and that I would find it. I found my inner wimp. Right
after I hit my head. I tapped out. Time to go home while I’m still
ahead.
2 I realize I need more daily Oh S#@t! Moments
(OS!Ms). Every time I went down a hill that kept getting steeper I had
an OS!M. That was the best thing that could have happened.
3 Get up. Do it again. And again. And again. That’s the only way to learn something new.
4 If I’m not falling much, then I’m not pushing my ability. Push more and fall more. Learn more. Repeat.
Overall, this was one of the greatest experiences of my
life so far at age 32. I conquered a 2009 BHAG. And only left with a
few bruises, and slight head ache.
Anyone want to go skiing?
B-Rad
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