If you only knew...

It only took me 29 years, 3 months and 11 days to hit the slopes for my first time. Annie finally convinced me that Utah has the "Best Snow on Earth - for you to crash into over and over again!" Here is where I shout out to brands I had seen frequently at various snowsports and outdoor retail trade shows over my 6 years at Grabber. My first set of rented gear: K2 skis, Nordica boots, Scott poles. I had my Rudy Project goggles (thank you, Pro Ski Instructors of America conference in 2005 for that gift), my new Columbia ski pants, and then a bunch of other mismatched gear. If I didn't look like a beginner, I proved it moments after leaving the bunny hill chair lift for the first time. I pushed myself off the chair, went down the tiny hill thinking, "this is great!", then realized I didn't know how to turn or stop, so I continued upright until I neared a drop off, and just laid it down. This became an important lesson for me: When in doubt, just lay it down. Because it will hurt less than letting gravity and downhill momentum slam you down.

Let's just say I enjoyed the bunny hill. Annie did a great job showing me the basics, and after a few practice turns and plenty of snowplowing, I could zoom down comfortably. The minute we left that lift, however, I turned into a runaway train, rolling and sliding down more slopes than actually skiing. Too much, too soon. Solitude Mountain's lift ticket says "If you only knew...", which has my brain thinking of all the ways I could finish that sentence: "...how many 5-yr-olds will laugh at you."; "...how ridiculous you'll look trying to lock your boot back into the ski you lost, while balancing precariously on a slope you can't handle."; "...how badly your thighs will ache tomorrow!"; "...how much your girlfriend will enjoy being better than you at an athletic endeavor." But I finally did it, I'm walking upright today, and I'll do it again.

Here are some pics of us recently, enjoying the Christmas season in Utah. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas season