Reflections on a Ski Getaway

Our much anticipated ski trip has come and gone.  Remember our last trip? Here are some highlights from our three days at Holiday Valley:

• 

  She looks "easy breezy". Personally, I think February swimsuit shopping stinks!

  In packing for the trip I discovered that I had successfully hidden packed away all of my bathing suits.  The hotel promised a heated pool and hot tub.  The Fashionista was especially excited about this feature.  I looked and looked for my suits.  The Major joined in the search.  No luck.  TM instructed me to head off to Target to buy a new suit.  As you know, Target is currently out of snow suits, gloves and hats, but has an ample supply of swim suits, cover ups and beach umbrellas.  TF and I zoomed over to Target with only 1 hour until our ETD.  I tried on several suits.  No luck.  Target apparently has two focus groups: teenagers who can pull off skimpy bikinis and suits for larger women.  I’m definitely not in the first group and try hard not to be in the second group.  We headed over to Kohl’s. I pulled a few suits off of the racks, liked the first one I tried on and bought it.  I got home and pulled my flip flops out of the closet only to find the elusive bag of swim wear.  The new suit will be returned to Kohl’s.  After all that effort, I nevermade it down to the pool area.

• 

  Upgrade, anyone?

  I read some online reviews about The Inn, where we were staying.  The reviews were good, but they said the “ski in/ski out” rooms were a little misleading.  The back door that lead to the lift could only be opened from the inside.  Someone would have to go around to let everyone else in.  The reviews went on to say that all of the rooms were easy to get to the lifts and you really didn’t need the rooms on the ground floor.  The rooms on the first floor with a view of the lift cost more too.  I talked to TM and we decided to try and switch rooms when we got there.  We ended up leaving a bit later than we anticipated, with my swim wear emergency and all.  When we arrived, we found our “ski in/ski out” room had been given away.  They were upgrading us for free to the Presidential Suite!  SCORE!

• The Presidential Suite had a fireplace, a pull out couch, a kitchenette with room for a large dining table, super high ceilings, a large bedroom and bathroom with a big jacuzzi tub.  We had ample sleeping room for everyone.  It was perfect.  One of the best features was that we had no neighbors!
• Our first day there, I took IB over to rent him equipment.  The girl at the register took one look at me and IB and declared, “Hey!  I know you!  You guys were on TV!”  She didn’t charge us for our first day’s rental.  We keep telling ourselves that eventually people will stop recognizing us.  When we returned his equipment today, the young lady was there calling, “Goodbye, IB!”
• I also ran into two former students and a mom.  They were excited to see me IB.
• IB and I had a great time skiing together.  Still no pizza or wedging on IB’s part.  He likes being on skis though.  I figure it’s all about getting comfortable.  Perhaps we’ll look back one day, when he’s training for the Olympics, and laugh about how he refused to learn to stop.
• One evening, IB and I stopped for a hot chocolate break.  A kind of odd older man scoped us out as we came in.  He was putting his gear back on to go back out.  He veered over to our table and said in a loud, booming voice, “Hi, young fellow!  How are you?  Are you skiing tonight?  What’s your name?”  IB looked suspiciously at this man and said, “My name is David.”  LOVE IT!  For the record, IB’s name is NOT David.  Yup, it’s A-okay with me for you to make up a name for yourself when a strange man approaches trying to be a bit too chummy, with candy in his pocket.  Okay, true, TM pointed out to me later that the men and women in yellow ski gear are called “Yellow Jackets”.  They work at the resort and make sure kids are skiing safely.  Still, you can’t be too safe.  As for the candy?  I told IB we were throwing it out because we don’t eat candy from strangers.  Ummm, riiiiiight.  Pay no attention to Mommy.
• I have been talking about taking a ski lesson since we took up the sport again a few years back.  I think I took a lesson or two back in 7th grade when I first went skiing.  I remembered absolutely nothing and have always just pretended I knew how to ski.  Back when TM and I were courting I felt pretty comfortable out on the slopes.  I think it was more youthful bravado than any skill whatsoever.  Yesterday, I priced a group lesson.  It was half the cost of IB’s lesson, so TF and I signed up together.  We went out for our lesson and the instructor spoke to everyone about our abilities before breaking us up into groups.  TF regularly skis at a smaller, nearby resort.  She played dumb when the instructor named some of the black diamond trails, so we could be put in a group together.   We ended up in group of three with an older Canadian woman.  We had a great time and TF and I both picked up some tips.  I now have about three things to focus on while I am carefully and cautiously making my way down the hill.  I’m still the last one of the group to make it to the bottom, but I have a lot more confidence.
• 

  I know it's hard to tell, but that's a.m. right there.

  Last night, TM and I put IB to bed while the older two checked out the pool.  When they came back, IB was asleep.  TM and I dragged our weary bones out of bed and went out for a little night skiing.  It was a slightly very icy and the crazy snowboarders were out in abundance.  We stayed out for about an hour and then turned in early.  Good thing too since IB was up and at ’em at 4:15 am.  So much for wearing him out.

• Both mornings were gorgeous conditions for skiing.  We were able to get out before the crowds.  “Crowds” are relative too.  I told TF about back in the good ole’ days when we would ski Hunter Mountain. The lines for the lifts were super duper long could take about three times as long as took to ski down the hill.  This week the most we waited was about two or three groups ahead of us.
• I had the opportunity to ski for a bit with TF while TM and SD worked some fundamentals with IB.  I loved skiing with TF.  She is a gentle, graceful skier.  No surprise there, right?  I was able to follow her down the hill and we enjoyed some of the same trails.  It’s nice that she can ski the more difficult trails with the boys too.  TF pointed out a white board at the bottom of one of the lifts.  Someone had written on it, “Caroline, your son is waiting for you at the bottom of the Mardi Gras lift.”  TF noted that the sign had been there for two days.  She and SD had been joking earlier in the day about the sign.  They imagine the ski patrol folks becoming more and more adamant about poor Caroline’s son.  “Caroline,  your son is STILL waiting for you at the bottom of Mardi Gras.  Ummmm, he’s getting pretty hungry.  Could you PLEASE come and pick up him?”
• I was quite impressed with SD’s skiing.  At one point, TM had some ski time to himself.  SD and TF came by to see what IB and I were up to.  We decided to take IB up a bigger hill that involved taking a lift.  IB and I had skied it together a few times before.  We got off of the lift and IB fuh-reaked out.  He would not calm down.  Finally, he agreed to let SD put him between his legs and ski down with him.  I have never seen SD ski slowly.  Never.  SD is always the first one down the hill.  TF has done a pretty good impersonation of SD going down a hill.  It basically involves SD pointing his skis downhill and not stopping or turning until he reaches the bottom.  SD did a fantastic job making the ride down with IB fun for IB and not heart-stopping for me.  Whew!
• I’m told this is IB’s last ski excursion until next winter.  I hope maybe I can sneak in one more trip.  I need to practice my new found mad skillz.  Yeah, I know, I’m way too square for a “z” on the end of skills.  Oh well.

–Running Girl