As I See it Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow February 2007

by Jacqueline Irwin

”We skied the next day and it was better than the day before…. I spent the entire day exploring just about every part of that whole glorious mountain.“

Until last year I hated winter. There is no other sensation I despise more than being cold. I can cheerfully remain tired and hungry, but I cannot stand to be cold. Last year, however, I re-discovered downhill skiing. On a fluke I ended up agreeing to head to the mountains for a cold February get-away for my son’s 13th birthday.

The previous time I had gone to the mountains we went sledding and it was just about the most miserable activity I can think of. Sliding down a hill on a little plastic disk at break-neck speed with no control over turning or stopping is not my idea of fun.

So when my son requested to go skiing for his birthday, I agreed to go, but I planned to sit in the lodge in a cozy chair by a toasty fire pecking away on my computer.

When the family went shopping for ski clothes I couldn’t help but notice how the styles had changed since I last skied in 1979. Just for fun I thought I’d try on an outfit or two, and the next thing I knew the whole family, including me, was properly outfitted for the slopes.

The new ski clothes are rated by temperature so I chose pants and a coat guaranteed to keep me warm in 30° below zero temperatures. The pants were crafted of a fabric that NASA scientists had designed to keep astronauts warm on the dark side of the moon with temperatures hovering at 170° below zero, so I figured that they should keep my legs warm in the Sierra’s 25° temperatures.

Since my husband and kids had never skied before I got them situated in their ski school classes and then took off on my own to spend the morning on a slope that was appropriately named “The Big Easy.”

The minute I snapped my boots into the bindings I felt something magical begin to happen. My legs got shaky and a shiver went up my spine, but it wasn’t due to the 32-degree temperature because, believe me, I was warm enough. I successfully glided onto and off of the chairlift. As I stood at the top of the hill contemplating my next move it all came back to me. I shoved off, made a few turns, and then glided back to the chairlift. It was like riding a bike. The Big Easy was easy!

After a couple more runs on that slope I got brave and went down the backside. Before I knew it I was back in the saddle again swishing down the slopes and cutting my way through moguls on black diamond runs. I cruised back to the ski school area just in time to pick-up my husband and kids for lunch.

My parents used to complain that when they took my brothers and me skiing that they just went from one venue to the next handing out $100 bills. The same is true today. Lunch for the four of us came to $87 and all we had were barbequed chicken sandwiches that tasted gritty, chips, and drinks.

Never mind. We were having a blast! After finishing our meal we reapplied our chapstick and were back on the slopes for an afternoon of more fun.

And this is when it got really fun. My husband and I both have a competitive streak in our blood. Except that, due to his size, he is always able to beat me at whatever we’re doing whether it’s bowling, tennis, or swimming. Skiing is a whole different thing. I could tell he wanted to impress me, but he became easily frustrated and no amount of temper or throwing his poles was making matters any better. As I skied down the hill I secretly stole glances at my husband behind me who was worn out from his morning lesson. He was fighting the slope and things went from bad to worse for him. I tried to give him tips but exhaustion took over. He was through for the day and so were the kids.

We skied the next day and it was better than the day before – for me that is. My husband and kids were working too hard and were sore and exhausted, but I spent the entire day exploring just about every part of that whole glorious mountain.

I can’t wait to get back to it this year!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! °

Jacqueline Irwin
Contributing Editor
jacki@110mag.com