Colorado Vacation 2013

Day 3 we started off on the small slope again because I was comfortable there.  After several times on the small slopes Michael was getting bored.  So I decided to go up the big mountain and ski down.  He talked me into eating lunch on the mountain at a little restaurant called Snoasis.  The only way up was the ski lift.  I have never been on a ski lift with skis on my feet that are about as long as I am tall.  I didn’t have any problems getting on the ski lift; it was the getting off that wasn’t so graceful!  Let’s just say Michael stood up and zoomed down the small hill while I was lying on the ground underneath the ski lift chair.  I thought the guy had stopped the ski lift and so I tried to get up.  Then I heard someone screaming at me, “STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN!”  He was a little late on giving me directions.  By this time I already had my ski pointed up and was trying to get to my knees.  I was in a very awkward position.  The ski lift was killing me as it was sliding over my back and trying to take my right leg with the ski that was up in the air.  My ski was under so much pressure from the ski lift chair it popped off my foot.  I think it tried to break my leg off at the knee.  I was pretty sure I might just die! HA!  Finally it passed over me and I was able to get up.  No thanks to the ski lift man.  HA! 

After pulling myself together from the fall, we headed down our first green slope before getting to Snoasis restaurant.  Michael was trying to coach me down the hill, but before I knew it I was out of control again.  I was flying by everybody and didn’t know how to stop or slow down.  I just remember praying, Lord, please let me stop!  There was a small flat spot at the end of the hill and a trail to the right and one to the left.  In the middle was an orange plastic fence, which I was scared of landing in.  When I hit that flat spot at the bottom of the slope I slowed down enough to stop.  Whew… Thank goodness I made it.  I was going to fast down the slope I had to wait on Michael to get to the bottom.  He was skiing normal with everybody else on the slope.  I was the only one speed skiing.  HA!    

We pushed ourselves over to Snoasis and had a nice little meal on the mountain top.  I am sorry I didn’t get any photos, but I was nervous that I would fall and break the camera.  So we didn’t have a camera with us. 

When we finished eating we got back on our skis and headed down the next GREEN slope called TurnPike.  The name should have told me to turn and go another way down because if you remember I cannot TURN!!!  I asked Michael about 500 times if he was sure that this was the easiest slope down.  He assured me that it was so we took off down the mountain.  I was doing fine until we got around the small corner and then it happened.  I was flooded with anxiety!  The TurnPike was a constant turn to the right that sloped down the mountain.  There was not a barrier on the edge of the mountain.  It was straight down into nothing but pine trees on my left.  I lost it (insert tears)!!! Michael stayed on my left side while we slowly went down the mountain.  As I was freaking out and slowly moving down the mountain the ski instructor and his class called the Bumble Bees (5 year old children) passed us and asked if we were ok.  Umm…Let me think…NO, I am not ok!!  HA!  But Michael told him we were fine, just moving very slowly.  He reassured us and kept going.  Yes, these 5 year old kids were skiing better than I was. 

I finally made it to the bottom of the mountain with Michael on my left side to make sure I didn’t get out of control and ski off the mountain side.  HA!  I was so happy to be back on flat ground.  Whew!  Skiing is stressful and hard work! 

After that I was done skiing for the day.  My shins were killing me from the ski boots that you have to wear and after my mini anxiety attack I was pretty sure I needed to rest!  HA!  I think the boots were worse on me than the actual skiing.  Michael let me rest for the afternoon and we made plans to go for a sleigh ride that night.

 

 

We had so much fun riding in the sleigh.  It felt like Christmas!  After the hour scenic tour in the sleigh, we went back to a small dining hall and ate a wonderful meal that was part of our package deal!  It was absolutely wonderful. 

 

 

It was a great ending to a very stressful day in the snow!