Monday, January 30, 2012

Riding With Sally

What's to love about skiing and snowboarding? The majesty of the mountains, the thrill of whipping downhill, that pristine, bracing air.

Me wearing the Mountain: Collage by Harley

Yes, but there's so many other things to enjoy too.

Friday night: I drove the three hours to Tahoe in the dark. (Kevin had to stay behind one night as Cy had try-outs again - soccer this time). In the car: kids, the fridge leftovers and a pineapple... which rode back on the return journey Sunday night, uneaten. 10pm, arrived at our rental house to find the heating broken. Again. I half fixed it and we crawled into bed wearing our ski jackets, didn't get to sleep until 2am.

Sat morning: Woke up feeling as fresh as the day after I had my first baby... following 24 hours labour. Packed up Kevin's and Cy's gear as they were meeting us at the mountain. Couldn't find Tallulah's season pass. Drive the half hour to Alpine Meadows. Arrive at Alpine to a thin layer of snow and icy patches. Line up to get Tallulah a new pass. Her gloves are missing. Find her gloves outside. Line up to go to the bathroom. Leave my gloves in bathroom stall. Haunt bathroom for a half hour as can't remember which stall I left them in.

Sat lunch: Normally we pack our lunch. Somehow in the three hours preparing that morning we hadn't managed to do this, so I purchased a $10 floppy burger and a dry apple.

Sat afternoon: Back on the ski lift. After ten years of snowboarding, realised I couldn't make a turn anymore. Wipe out three times, scraped my knee, twisted my arm and find myself in another strange position midway on Roundhouse run. ..

Help me...

Was just about to weep when my friend Sally skimmed up beside me. Within minutes I was cackling at my inglorious splatter. Do you want to go down this run or this one, Sally asked. Normally I would go down neither. You lead the way I called and we tore off, giggling and gormless like we were 13 again.

Sally and me
And that's what I love about being up in the snow.



27 comments:

  1. how did i miss you? we really need to ride together sometime!

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    1. Oh Erika, it's you! (phew! I thought it might have been someone attracted by the title....) How could you miss me- I was the slowest person on the mountain!

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  2. So fun! I have an Alpine Mountain sweatshirt from 1997. We drove up with some family from San Fran and stayed in the worst house ever. I don't believe it had heat either. And you had to hike to it from the road. Ahh, the memories. And I'd go back in a heartbeat.

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  3. oh gosh, i'm so sorry to hear you scraped your knee and twisted your arm! but i'm glad you still had fun! :D

    <3, Mimi
    http://whatmimiwrites.blogspot.com/
    Udderly Smooth Giveaway

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  4. A sophisticated lady like you living so dangerously? I hope you are still unscathed at the end of the season. Scraped Knee? Twister arm? Those are but the mosquito bites of boarding. As long as nothing more serious befalls you.

    And I do hope you keep having fun!

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  5. Aw, I love this story! I'm glad your friend skiied up just in the nick of time!

    xo Mary Jo

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  6. Yes, it's the entire journey that makes it so fun. We can't wait to get ellie up there. You're the best mom ever!

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  7. Lovely photos! Take care on the slopes!
    ~Anne

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  8. Meeting the friend bit looked fun, the rest looked a bit like a test of endurance...

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  9. I love it!!! Any day in Tahoe is a good day in the end!

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  10. The joy and gratitude of having friends like Sally. I like all your photos including the photo collage over your head. Enjoy the slopes.

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  11. I miss skiing so much. Haven't been for 4 years. Despite all those mishaps it sounds lovely.

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  12. Aaaaaand this is why I never go a anywhere...the amount of work that goes into getting anyone besides myself anywhere is too much to think about!

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  13. i'd really love to learn how to snowborad one day!

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  14. Oh this just looks like so much fun. How I miss Tahoe and would love to move back to that area!!

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  15. Way to,keep,your chin up! I've never had a desire to ski and have never tried it,

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  16. i love boarding! im acutally going in a month! super excited!!!! looks like you had a blast!

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  17. Sounds scary (and cold!) but fun....!

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  18. Great pictures, looks like you had a lot of fun! Your blog is lovely, if you want to take a look at mine it’s at http://grassettagillie.blogspot.com, if you’d like we should follow each other! :)

    xo Gillie

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  19. Used to go skiing every winter, but have only skied in Tahoe once. It just always seems so much of a trial in the US versus Austria and Switzerland...and you have just confirmed that for me :)

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  20. Hahaha, this post made me laugh! Glad you were able to turn your day around :)

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  21. What a fun pic! Glad to see that Tahoe has snow now :)

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  22. i've never skiied...the parents have on their honeymoon and they loved it. although, they said they were very sore afterwards. i would sure love to try it and snoboarding someday!

    SoUtHeRnPiNkY.bLoGsPoT.cOm

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  23. I don't do 'cold' very well and I've never been skiing .... So I am in awe of your bravery. You do look very chic on the slopes, even when you're in a heap!

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  24. That sounds like a fantastic weekend, Jody! I love your outdoor activities, they inspire me to forget about the terrible winter we've been having and head to the mountains for another weekend. xo
    Ada

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  25. So fun! I love Tahoe- the fact they got snow up there is awesome. I want to go soon!

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  26. I love the snow & the apres ski frivolities - there's something about being on a mountain of snow that's magical!
    x
    Melissah

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