Skiing

Today and Friday I went cross country skiing in for the first time. I pretty much kept to our yard, and a little into the trail in the woods out back. It was good fun and I only fell down once! When I did, I laid there and l thought to myself “In a few seconds this is all going to make sense” And I waited, and a few seconds later I figured out how to get up with two 190cm planks stuck to my feet. I think I did about 5 minutes of actual skiing today, and about 55 minutes of walking with style. I am definitely afraid of going down hills and not being able to stop without throwing myself on the ground. Friday was the coldest day I ever lived through. Of course, it was the day I decided to start my skiing career. The high was 7 degrees, and during the day it even dipped into –1. I’ve learned a few things from this. Firstly, even with 2 pairs of gloves on, my hands were numb in about 20 minutes. Although the skiing kept the rest of me fairly warm. Secondly, when you have a scarf around your face, breathe out, and fog up your glasses, the fog will freeze. Lastly, even when you prepare, being out in 4 degree weather with 16 mph winds just plain sucks, avoid it at all costs.

So even though there’s not nearly enough snow, I had a good time. I’m sure that my occasional flailing arms (and legs) would have amused any seasoned skier. As well as the 10 minutes it took me today to get my boots into the bindings.