One of my goals this month has been to try skiing. It seemed like every time I wanted to go, my plan would be foiled in some way--either my day would turn out to be too busy, the shuttle to the ski center wouldn't be running, or I would be paying for a late night the next morning. I was so disheartened that I thought the only adventurous thing I could accomplish this month was my cake baking workshop (which is extremely fun, I must add). Last week, however, I finally had the chance to try cross country skiing for the first time. I went with Troy after class one day after we had the ambitious urge to head up into the mountains and give it a try. Neither of us had done it before. Luckily, when we sat down on the shuttle, we met another friend who was also planning on cross country skiing and who immediately offered to teach us, lest we should fall flat on our faces too many times.
The Breadloaf Campus has a series of well-groomed ski trails, affordable rentals to choose from, and a ski center with a wood burning fireplace and snack bar. I paid $22 for skate ski rentals and a day pass for the trails, which is cheap considering the extensive network of trails at the guest's disposal. One could easily spend a day at Breadloaf, exploring the trails that run through the nearby forests and plains. Never having skied before, I was not sure whether to rent classic skis or skate skis, but our friend assured us that skate skiing would be much easier--or at least less exhausting than classic skiing. So we donned our winter gear and put on our skis, ready to enjoy the gorgeous day away from the campus. Trying skate skiing for the first time was nothing short of interesting. I lost count of how many times I fell, but it must have been at least twenty throughout the day. Skate skiing is undoubtedly less work than classic skiing, but the technique behind it is a little harder to master. It is essentially like ice skating (you shift your weight from side to side as you propel yourself forward), except the ice skates are awkward and long. I thoroughly enjoyed eating buckets of snow as I fell from going too fast, losing my balance, and not turning properly. To say the least, it was humbling.
After a few hours of trying to get a hang of the technique (with some success), we decided to take a break at the ski center. Drinking some hot chocolate and sitting by the fireplace was a perfect end to our skiing adventure. It is interesting how every time I have tried to do something new this J-term, it has inevitably fallen through. It got to be quite a buzz kill after awhile, but I realized that it has been mostly my fault for taking a language during what's supposed to be the most laid back month of the year. I would quickly go back and do it again, though--and I still got to try skiing at least once. Winter can easily become annoying, especially when everyone has to trudge through two feet of snow on their way to class and constantly walk in sub-zero temperatures. And it can be irritating when driving becomes an Arctic expedition every time the ice gods decide the roads aren't slippery enough. But come on, sometimes you just have to grow a pair and get out in the snow! It's only there for a few months anyway, so why not take advantage of it? And besides, enjoying what the snow has to offer instantly makes it less annoying. It makes us appreciate the winter months and do something with the masses of white fluff that blanket the world. Today, I decided to enjoy an afternoon inside because it's just too damn cold and I'm off from work. Needless to say, though, I will be back outside soon, maybe to go skiing again or to try snowshoeing--if I ever get the time.
