Skiing! Photos!!
Dec. 31st, 2004 02:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brinshannaraToday, my brother, his GF, my father and I all went skiing at the place I skied for most of my life. I went to this hill yesterday, but only skied at Mountain 1, like I did last year with my brother and father. Today, we skied at Mountain 4. I have not skied at Mountain 4 in seven years. At least.
What a workout.
On the whole, I probably only did about 12 runs, but DAMN, were they intense. Gone are the days where I could just pop the skis on and head for the chairlift. I ache. And I even stretched!
Anyways, we started off on an "easy" slope -- one on which my father actually cracked a rib, about ten years ago (if not more!) -- and then did a more traditional easy run. Both were covered in ice and not a lot of snow, so we headed on to more advanced hills.
Skiing is theraputic. While skiing, you don't think about anything except the next turn, the next mogul, the speed, the ice, the cold. You're thinking about all the little things you've learned over the years and try to put them into practice. At least I do, because I'm still scared of breaking my collarbone again. ;) It's a delightful feeling, not thinking about anything. It's, in fact, joyous. I wish I could ski when I'm up late, unable to sleep, because my brain won't shut up! Alas.
Anyways, so at one point today, I'm going down an intermediate slope (Gouverneur or some such) and I'm about halfway down it. Now, I've done this run a zillion times in my life. I know how the hill curves, I know where it gets steeper; I know it. And as I'm going down, my legs really start to ache, and I realize that I have GOT to stop for a second to let my muscles recuperate. God, I'm getting old. So I stopped for about 20 seconds, let the aching subside, and continued down on my way. But I did it! The most challenging hill I'd skied in 7 years and I did it just fine.
I later moved back up to an expert slope and had myself a good couple of runs down it, without stopping to rest, and generally had a great time.
This is the view of Mountain 4, from the base. The quad chair you see on the right has been there forever. The one on the left is newer, replacing two VERY old and VERY sketchy double chairs. To the right, you can't see it, but there's a pomalift and a bunny slope. The slope under the old quad is an expert hill. I have been down it a grand total of once. And I didn't die. I was going up the chair with my ski-school class one day and the teacher said "We're going down #" whatever it was, and I'm like "#? What hill is that?" He pointed down. I'm like "YOU ARE SO KIDDING ME." All in French, no less. Expressing raw fear and panic in a language that is not your mother tongue? Difficult. ;) There's a huge icy cliff part on that run and it's also icy and steep. And yet, I survived. Go me. I've also been smart enough to NEVER GO DOWN IT AGAIN.
The new quad. It's so pretty! And way less sketchy! You can see they cordoned off part of it directly under the chair. Normally, this is filled with a bunch of HUGE ICY MOGULS. The rest of the run isn't so bad, except that the last third is kind of steep and icy. By the time we left tonight, the mountain was poking through the snow in some spots. This hill is technically an expert run, and I rather enjoy it. It may be my favourite run on the mountain. I think I was about 15 when I went down it, lost control of one ski and did two somersaults in a row on the hill. One ski was still attached to my foot, the other was halfway up the hill. My poles had miraculously stayed near me, and my hat and goggles were up near my ski. Strangely, I was unhurt, and laughing, and half-hopped, half-dragged myself up to put my ski, hat and goggles back on.
Another great run is "Gouverneur", I think it's called. This is the view. With my dad in the way. But it's still breathtaking.
This is the big-ass sign halfway down Gouverneur (to the right) and another run (to the left) that is visible to a ton of people driving along a road in the small town of Ste. Adele, where Chantecler (the ski hill) is located.
The view from the top of the run beneath the new quad, on my last run of the day/evening. The lights from below didn't come out all that great, but it's a really nice sight. It feels like you're skiing towards home. When you're not worried about killing yourself, that is.
I have approximately a zillion ski stories and memories. Now that I have skis again and now that I'm going to make it a habit to come up here a lot more often, you all run the risk of being exposed to them. And more photos!
Other news: P has not bailed on me for tomorrow! Casino after dinner with the family, and I am totally looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to a shower wherein I can actually wash myself in non-smelly or non-freezing cold water. The hot water in the shower gave out WAY too quickly today, and that's only a good thing because the hot water smells like sulfer. :P
Bed soon, and wintery cottage pics to take tomorrow. :D
What a workout.
On the whole, I probably only did about 12 runs, but DAMN, were they intense. Gone are the days where I could just pop the skis on and head for the chairlift. I ache. And I even stretched!
Anyways, we started off on an "easy" slope -- one on which my father actually cracked a rib, about ten years ago (if not more!) -- and then did a more traditional easy run. Both were covered in ice and not a lot of snow, so we headed on to more advanced hills.
Skiing is theraputic. While skiing, you don't think about anything except the next turn, the next mogul, the speed, the ice, the cold. You're thinking about all the little things you've learned over the years and try to put them into practice. At least I do, because I'm still scared of breaking my collarbone again. ;) It's a delightful feeling, not thinking about anything. It's, in fact, joyous. I wish I could ski when I'm up late, unable to sleep, because my brain won't shut up! Alas.
Anyways, so at one point today, I'm going down an intermediate slope (Gouverneur or some such) and I'm about halfway down it. Now, I've done this run a zillion times in my life. I know how the hill curves, I know where it gets steeper; I know it. And as I'm going down, my legs really start to ache, and I realize that I have GOT to stop for a second to let my muscles recuperate. God, I'm getting old. So I stopped for about 20 seconds, let the aching subside, and continued down on my way. But I did it! The most challenging hill I'd skied in 7 years and I did it just fine.
I later moved back up to an expert slope and had myself a good couple of runs down it, without stopping to rest, and generally had a great time.
This is the view of Mountain 4, from the base. The quad chair you see on the right has been there forever. The one on the left is newer, replacing two VERY old and VERY sketchy double chairs. To the right, you can't see it, but there's a pomalift and a bunny slope. The slope under the old quad is an expert hill. I have been down it a grand total of once. And I didn't die. I was going up the chair with my ski-school class one day and the teacher said "We're going down #" whatever it was, and I'm like "#? What hill is that?" He pointed down. I'm like "YOU ARE SO KIDDING ME." All in French, no less. Expressing raw fear and panic in a language that is not your mother tongue? Difficult. ;) There's a huge icy cliff part on that run and it's also icy and steep. And yet, I survived. Go me. I've also been smart enough to NEVER GO DOWN IT AGAIN.
The new quad. It's so pretty! And way less sketchy! You can see they cordoned off part of it directly under the chair. Normally, this is filled with a bunch of HUGE ICY MOGULS. The rest of the run isn't so bad, except that the last third is kind of steep and icy. By the time we left tonight, the mountain was poking through the snow in some spots. This hill is technically an expert run, and I rather enjoy it. It may be my favourite run on the mountain. I think I was about 15 when I went down it, lost control of one ski and did two somersaults in a row on the hill. One ski was still attached to my foot, the other was halfway up the hill. My poles had miraculously stayed near me, and my hat and goggles were up near my ski. Strangely, I was unhurt, and laughing, and half-hopped, half-dragged myself up to put my ski, hat and goggles back on.
Another great run is "Gouverneur", I think it's called. This is the view. With my dad in the way. But it's still breathtaking.
This is the big-ass sign halfway down Gouverneur (to the right) and another run (to the left) that is visible to a ton of people driving along a road in the small town of Ste. Adele, where Chantecler (the ski hill) is located.
The view from the top of the run beneath the new quad, on my last run of the day/evening. The lights from below didn't come out all that great, but it's a really nice sight. It feels like you're skiing towards home. When you're not worried about killing yourself, that is.
I have approximately a zillion ski stories and memories. Now that I have skis again and now that I'm going to make it a habit to come up here a lot more often, you all run the risk of being exposed to them. And more photos!
Other news: P has not bailed on me for tomorrow! Casino after dinner with the family, and I am totally looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to a shower wherein I can actually wash myself in non-smelly or non-freezing cold water. The hot water in the shower gave out WAY too quickly today, and that's only a good thing because the hot water smells like sulfer. :P
Bed soon, and wintery cottage pics to take tomorrow. :D
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I am completely off-topic
Date: 2004-12-31 03:47 pm (UTC)I was poking around and enjoying reading, so I added you to my f-list. Also, is it cool if I steal your Tara icon while I'm here? :)
Re: I am completely off-topic
Date: 2004-12-31 08:28 pm (UTC)Glad you enjoyed reading. I tend to ramble. :)