Wildernessbabe Learns to Ski!

Totally safe chairlift selfie, nbd.

The first time I skied was about two years ago. Almost anyone you meet will say "don’t decide whether you like skiing until your second day." This is because you will spend the first day falling, swearing at the heavens, feeling out of control, and losing all faith in your ability as an athlete; unless you’re a 30 lb child, in which case you'll whiz about with no fear after about 30 seconds. 

Skiing and snowboarding aren’t hobbies you just pick up on a whim. Ski boots are modern day torture devices. You spend a small fortune procuring snow pants, a ski jacket, gloves, helmet, goggles, poles, and under-layers. Oh yeah, and don't forget the most important part: your mighty snow knives! But even after all that, I'm sure people get serious analysis paralysis deciding to buy a season’s pass vs. one lift ticket. I'm sure wondering if your vehicle can bring you to the top of the mountain alive is, alone, enough to make you chicken out.

However, I’m extremely lucky; I’m with someone that instructed skiing for years. Now, he did start me on a blue for my first run, so I just about gave up after falling 30 times and being sprayed with snow by mountain snobs. But what they say is true! Two years later, I was surprised with skis as an early Christmas present. When I tried them out on the mountain, I somehow had muscle memory from day 1! I was sure I was going to have a complete repeat of that first day, but I was able to build on what I had already learned, which made skiing less exhausting, and subsequently more enjoyable. It’s still terrifying when you are going so fast that you’re afraid to stop, whispering “oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god” as you nearly run over someone’s child. Other than that, the thrill is legit.

Steven's Pass Ski Resort

Some initial observations…

You will feel magical on the mountain at night when the snow is silently falling. 

Don’t chance taking a vehicle that doesn’t work in the snow. Just. Don’t.

I’m already a snob that views snowboarders as mobs of snow scrapers. THAT’S NOT MY OFFICIAL OPINION, MY SNOWBOARDER FRIENDS. 

All these people have earbuds in and hence, will probably crash more often due to lack of awareness. 

Pack snacks because you won’t believe what they can charge for an energy drink at the resort.

Ski resort bathrooms leave something to be desired.

I’ve discovered that Hotties Hand Warmers easily fit in my gloves. Staying comfortable so you can focus on learning is huge… The benefit of having your own gear is HUGE! I can’t imagine how much more difficult learning would be when dealing with different gear every time.

Make sure your butt looks nice in your ski pants because you can’t afford to be worrying about how your butt looks on the mountain; that’s another source of distraction taking away from learning this sport.

Next up, I’ll dedicate a separate post to what gear I have!