I ski ski ski ski

My life has been super active over the last weekend (a 3-day for me).  It was the first weekend of phase II NSP training.  Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.  Friday I skied just to ski, and because I wanted to begin my telemark journey.  Very odd in the beginning, but I’m LOVING the switch so far!   I really can’t wait to get some more days out on them and start to get even more comfortable.  Luckily for me another patroller is just starting to learn, and we have a senior patroller who is very skilled at tele skiing who gave us some lessons and things to practice!  Super psyched.  Give me time and I will be rippin’. 

Saturday and Sunday I was forced back into my alpine skis as they don’t want to train me in my teles.  Le sigh.  I wasn’t walking well at the end of Saturday.  I haven’t worked so hard at skiing in well, ever.  Side slips and snow plows – oh, add them together and you get your transition turns.  Welcome to my world.  You never realized (if you’re a skier) how difficult these maneuvers could be.  I didn’t anyway.  We have to have them perfect for toboggan stuff getting patients off the mountain.  Must ensure a pleasant and safe ride! 

Day two of training we worked on some general parallel ski tips in addition to our side-slipping-snow-plowing-transitioning torture.  I’ve been skiing since I was five, but haven’t had a lesson since.  I’m self-taught.  (This seems to be the theme of my life; horse pursuits to skiing I’m too cheap to buy a million lessons so I watch others who are skilled and seek to mimic their actions.)  Apparently, as far as the skiing is concerned, I’ve done a good job with myself.  My biggest issues are not being forward enough on my skis and not keeping my hands and poles forward enough.  The two kind of team up to cause one another.  I need to learn how to use my poles a little better.  Oh, and two techniques to fix/advance skiing skills?  Pour champagne for the pretty ladies and make love to the mountain.  Yeah.  Make love to the mountain.  I was a little boggled at that, too.  Make what you want out of it.  Bottom line is that I’m getting stronger, it feels AWESOME to be sore and build so much strength.  I’ve got from now until April to do this.   Bring it.  (5 of the goal of at least 20 ski days accomplished so far!)

Videos of skiing will be posted eventually.  I swear.

…but no more of Kenai skiing.  L They don’t want dogs on the mountain “while the slopes are open”.  So, in order to have a repeat performance we will have to skin up to the top.  Maybe later in the year…