Let’s break it down.
So far, I have had two ski lessons with my boyfriend Brett. We had some trials and tribulations with getting over the embarrassment of being a 20-something-year-old learning next to 5-year-olds on a bunny hill. We conquered the ski lift…barely. I learned how to slowly navigate my way down a green run ( the easiest run). Finally, I had my mini freak out moment after falling and getting caught in a plastic fence. I’m not sure if I am fully over it but there’s no time to wallow in the past. We are leaving for Colorado in a matter of hours and I need to mentally prepare.
Colorado Bound
It’s 6:00 am and we have two cars packed with luggage and ski equipment for the 14-hour drive to Fort Collins, CO. We are stopping at Brett’s uncle’s house for a few days to visit and do some hiking. I’m rather pleased with this. It gives me some time to prolong the inevitable and get adjusted to the elevation levels. Although…now that I’m thinking about it these would be good excuses if I wanted to chicken out and not ski. I can see it now..”Oh, my asthma is really acting up with a high elevation. I don’t think I can ski today.” Nope, I need to snap out of it. I have come this far and I just have to accept that I’ll somehow get the hang of it and it will be really good. Or I won’t and it will be really bad. Haha
We reach Fort Collins and have two great days of hiking, visiting breweries and spending time with Brett’s family. Everyone is giving me their input on what to expect when we get to Copper Mt. tomorrow. I’m beginning to feel more excited and less nervous but, we will see what happens when I’m staring up at that mountain tomorrow.
Copper Mt. here we come!
The day has come for us to leave Fort Collins and head a few hours north to Copper Mt. This will be a quick day trip and then we will head to Keystone where we will be staying and skiing the rest of the trip. As we are driving along I am listening to music and psyching myself up to crush it on the ski hill. We hit a bit of stop and go traffic which isn’t the worst thing because it gives me time to really stare out at the amazing landscapes and mountains as we go.
We pull into the parking lot and we are all getting our ski gear on when I hear some choice words come from Chuck (Brett’s dad). One of the totes that were on a small trailer behind the car had a hole melted through it from the exhaust from the car! Guess whose brand new ski boots and ski helmet were in that tote? MINE!
CJ and I instantly rip my stuff out of the tote and I am just expecting the worst. I’m thinking to myself my ski boots have only been worn two times and now they are toast. I had them molded to my feet and everything! We pull them out and take a look and surprisingly, they look fine! However, they are on fire! They are so hot that I immediately put my feet inside them so I can try and remold them to my feet. Another few minutes and those babies would have been melting! My helmet also seemed to come out unscathed except for a small dip in the top of the helmet. It’s hardly noticeable and just looks like I took a gnarly fall or something haha.
Crisis Averted!
So, what could have been a disaster before I even started skiing is just a great story now! Haha. So we trek over to the base of the hill and get on the ski lift. It’s a quiet ride for me. I always get quiet when I’m nervous. I just hope I can make it down without killing myself or someone else. I hook my skis in and slowly make my way to the top of the mountain. Bretts mom, dad, sister, brother and brother-in-law are all there giving me words of encouragement.
I take a deep breath and go for it. I gingerly make my way down the hill, Brett’s dad is behind me coaching me through. I am still so nervous but I haven’t fallen yet and I feel pretty good. We stop a few times on our way down and eventually we make it to the base. I think that is when I began to breathe again. Lol. I had made it down a mountain in Colorado and I didn’t fall! After making it down a run without falling I gained some confidence the more and more runs I did the more comfortable I became. It was a great day at Copper Mt. Now, onto Keystone and eventually, A-Basin!
Keystone here we come!
The next day we head over to Keystone. I have to say that this was an amazing ski resort. I absolutely loved all the runs. I went down green and blue runs! I challenged myself, fell a few times. I may even have face planted once but, I had so much fun. I almost couldn’t believe how much fun I was having. And how good I was getting! Each day we were there I improved and felt more comfortable. We skied from 8:00 am- 4:00 pm every day! The word exhausted is an understatement! I don’t think I have ever felt so tired but in a good way. Each day we would ski, soak in the hot tub, have dinner and a few cocktails while we play cards. Did I mention the weather was absolutely gorgeous!?
Last day at A-Basin
Our last day has finally come. We are all sad that our trip is coming to an end. The last day we drove over to A-Basin which is another nearby ski resort. These runs are a bit different and are a bit icier. The drop at the top of the mountain is insane and so steep that it took my breath away. There are cliffs around us that other skiers are hiking up so they can ski down. It’s pretty intense but I feel confident after the great last few days I’ve had.
Without further adieu, I muster up as much confidence as I have..or pretend to have and head down the run. I literally felt like I had swallowed my stomach but it was such a rush! I carved back and forth and flew to the bottom and turned to stop near everyone. I felt so good! For the first time, I felt like an actual skier!
Bloody Mary’s & Music
Our day is coming to an end at A-Basin and there is a great lodge halfway down the run, There’s a live band playing great music and mouthwatering bloody marys. We are all excited about how great the trip has been. We reminisce about the great times we had on the trip and the funny wipeouts and what not. It’s been a great trip to Colorado and I am so happy I had the opportunity to learn this awesome sport that I can enjoy for many more winters to come!
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What have you done lately that challenges you?!
