Still Standing..but just barely..

This past weekend Greg's parents came to town. It's always nice to see them of course, but it also means we get a break from the kids.

On Saturday night Greg and I went out for Indian Food and a movie. The Oliver theater is famous throughout the Okanagan. It's very old but well kept and at $4 for the newest movies and cheap popcorn it just can't be beat. Plus kids 4 and under are free! The only drawback is that they rotate through the movies each week so it might be tricky to get to the one you want. The movie playing this week was Yes Man with Jim Carrey. We hadn't heard of it but actually quite liked it. After the movie we went for a walk without the dog or any children and talked without interruptions. Anyone with kids will understand how rare that can be.

Sunday we decided to check out our closest ski hill, Mount Baldy. It is a 40 minute drive East of our place. It was such a neat ride up the mountain. First desert, then forests covered in snow and frosted trees, then as you reach the pines are no longer frosted and the contrast between the white snow, green trees, and blue skies are just breath taking.

I have only attempted skiing twice before, and never in the mountains so I was quite nervous. I did pretty well considering...

Here's Greg and I going up one of the lifts together. It's a long way up and I'm not great with heights anyways. Then at the top your expected to just ski right off the chair and whoosh! Down the mountain! Well, I made it off the lift without killing myself or anybody else so that was my first great accomplishment of the day.

Here I am at the top before my first ski. We had done the t-bar and bunny hill once prior to this but I hate the t-bar so wasn't anxious to practice that any further.

After a couple runs we decided to go on the other lift to the top of the highest peak. At the bottom I noticed a sign saying something was closed and there was no easy way down so as I was asking the lift operator about this Greg got on the chair! Argh! So I caught the next one and made the long slow trek up the mountain by myself. It was beautiful. I could hear some Native American music softly playing from the bottom, and watched squirrels scurry throughout the trees and jagged rocks beneath me. Did I mention its a looooong way up. All the way to the very top of the mountain in front of us.

So here we are at the top. Notice the dead trees. It was very windy and incredibly cold up there.

Here's a shot I took from up there. Under the cloud is Oliver, my home.

So the beginning of the descent was going good. The trail was narrow with a steep drop off on one side. I was picking up speed and feeling good as I hugged the inside but then wait! A merge with another trail, better look and make sure I don't cut anyone off...ah no one there, look ahead again and what's that! Jagged rocks on one side and a cliff on the other, I panic and have my first big wipe out. Hat flies off in one direction, ski in the other, but I'm still alive, and didn't hit the rocks so I laugh it off. It takes me awhile to figure out how to reattach the ski but after that there is still only one way down. I decide to take it a bit slower this time, which is quite a work out on the legs. But, like I said..I'm still alive, so I'll take the sore muscles.

That was my only attempt at that mountain, I decided to go back to the other lift but try a different run. Oh geez, it started off steep. I stood at the top for 5 minutes before talking myself into it. I figured the beginning is probably the only steep part and then it'll get easier. I was wrong. Still a little shaken from my wipe out I tried to take sit slow again. I got my skis crossed and couldn't get them undone so I tried to fall back and start over. Well, I couldn't fall back because I couldn't tilt my skis up in order to do so. This may be hard to picture but this is what happened. I started going straight down in a squat position, I was headed straight for trees but no matter how I tried I couldn't fall, which meant I couldn't stop. And because I was trying to fall and now bent back like I was I had no control. It was awful but I eventually managed to get my shoulders on the ground and fall. I lost my ski again and got a back full of snow under my shirt but it was the only way so I was happy to have avoided the trees.

It may sound as if I didn't have a good time but I really did. I think I skied very well for the amount of experience and lack of instruction. Two falls, no injuries, just sore sore muscles and some bruises. Can't wait to take Layla next time!

Bruises