Ski Report

Last Friday, the 1^st of April, Carol and I drove to Casper, Wyoming, about 250 miles one way so I could satisfy my new addiction... downhill skiing. We started about 9:00 am, there were reports of black ice around Lusk and we thought that the later start would allow the sun and snow plows time to solve the problem. It was the right decision, there was a few miles of ice and slush on the roads but generally the roads were good and we got to Hogadon about 1:30 pm. They had had a foot of snow overnight, the temperature was in the mid 20s and the wind was howling, blowing the snow over the tops of the 1950 buildings, it looked like a scene from a movie about the Arctic Circle. Carol parked next to the fireplace and I headed down slope.

It seems everyone had showed up for the powder and by the time I got on the slope the snow was starting to get packed down. I chose an easy slope called Morning Dew, that, to my mind anyway, appeared to be a mix of easy and intermediate slopes. It was the longest run going from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the chairlift, about 600' drop in elevation. My goal was to ski from the top to the bottom in one continuous run without stopping or falling. My last two runs were about perfect. This was my 7^th time skiing.

My first was back in 1968 at Detroit Mountain, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota with Tim Berreth and Duane Orson. Tim is a good skier and I think Duane had some experience also, I started on the bunny slope, learning how to snow plow. After some time they convinced me to try an intermediate slope, I recall crashing into a snow fence or maybe I went over it. We each had a bota-bag filled with Tawny Port wine, so I am sure I was enjoying a fine analgesic effect.

The second time was just before Christmas this past year, I went skiing with daughter Kristen and her husband Gabe at Terry Peak in the northern Black Hills. I started out on the bunny hill trying to remember the snow plow. Gabe and I took a group ski lesson after lunch. The instructor started us on the bunny hill but soon we were riding the chairlift to the top of the mountain... I fell down getting off the chairlift and they stopped the chairlift in my honor (until the old guy could get up). I was mostly snow plowing but on more gentle slopes could bring my skis parallel after I did my snow plow turn and that was really satisfying. Great skiing with Kristen and Gabe.

In February Carol and I headed south on a road trip to visit my sister and her family in Colorado Springs, and Carol's sisters, two in Phoenix, and one in Boise with a stop in Las Vegas to visit our daughter Amy and her husband Daniel. Carol had planned a stop in Jackson Hole so I could ski with the big boys, of course on the beginner's slope.

When we got to Boise, my brother-in-law John said that I had to ski Bogus Basin with his nephew Steve. John made all the arrangements and I hooked up with Steve on Saturday morning for the drive up the mountain. It was raining in Boise and we had our fingers crossed that it would change to snow and it did, it was snowing, wet and thick at the top of the mountain, you could hardly see. I got a lift ticket and rented some gear and up the mountain we went. I could hardly see but was going so slow that running into anyone wouldn't have resulted in much of an impact. I continued to work on the snow plow, working to drag that up hill ski parallel after the turn. Steve showed me how to plant a ski pole to start the turn.

A few days later we found ourselves in Jackson Hole at the Snow King Resort. Carol had presented a seminar at Snow King Resort when she worked for the Department of Labor and wanted to go back and stay for a few days so she was as excited as I was. I was warned that the ski area was steep by the hotel front, but was told by the lift ticket office I could do it. It was steep and I skied the 'Easy Trail' three times, and on the last trip down the hill, still snow plowing and falling frequently I decided I needed another lesson so as I got to the bottom of the hill I skied directly to the ski school and signed myself up for a private lesson. After dinner (lunch for city slickers) I met my instructor Jim Sullivan, he had been working/skiing on the mountain for decades. Jim was a pretty spry looking 69 year old with an easy smile. Up the chairlift we went and he started building my skill, first utilizing my well developed snow plow and converting it into a parallel skiing experience. I had a great time and for the first time actually accomplished some parallel skiing. Our lesson ended spectacularly, he said show me what you have learned, and I did a beautiful face plant fall.

I was pretty pumped with my experience at Snow King and a week later Carol and I drove to Terry Peak. Terry Peak has a beautiful, modern lodge, with a diner and bar on the top floor, huge windows give a great view of the skiers. The lower level is the ticketing counter, the rental equipment, pro shop and bathrooms. They have 5 lifts: a magic carpet, a triple chair lift and two high speed quads. I got ski a package: lift ticket, equipment rental and a group ski lesson for only $3 more than the lift ticket and rental. I practiced the stuff that Jim had taught me the week before and after dinner had a group lesson with Karen “Care Bear”. I was the only person who signed up so I had a personal lesson. Karen is a marathon talker, I could hardly get a word in edge-wise. But when we started down the slope she was all business and she had me doing one drill after another to get that up-hill ski to parallel with the bottom ski and slowly I started to get control of that upper ski. Carol got a nice video of my skiing on the last run of the day and posted it to Facebook. On the way back to Lead we stopped by a ski shop and I bought a set of used skies, boots and poles.

The following week, I went skiing with neighbors Tom and Maggie on the 24^th of March.  It was the last week of skiing at Terry Peak. Tom and Maggie are better skiers so we split up in the morning, I hit the easy slopes working on the previous weeks lessons and was amazed that I was pulling that up-hill ski parallel... finally! I was having a great time, after 3 runs down 'Stewart Slope' I headed for 'Surprise' an intermediate slope. Later I skied a couple of runs with Tom. It was good skiing with Tom, I tend to take my time getting mentally ready at the top of the run, sometimes hanging around for a couple of minutes and Tom just goes for it so he got me moving a bit more aggressively down the slope. I was handling the intermediate slopes much better this day and was really satisfied with my skiing.

I have fallen head over heels for skiing... quite literally, but only once head over heels. What a great activity for retirement. Looking forward to next year.