My original plan for today was to do the paper route, go to the brunch with my KA girls about the fund raiser for Eliza, and then come home and deep clean the three bathrooms. Boy am I glad that is not how it turned out!! At breakfast, Christy invited me to go cross country skiing with her.
Now, I have been on skis once in my life. I was 16. That was 20 years ago! (Sad.) I have also hated Winter for the 8 years I have lived here. I hate being cooped up inside and since I don't ski or snow- mobile, there isn't a lot for me to do. But that all changed today! I have a Winter Sport! I am a cross country skier!!!
Christy and her hus- band, Mike, have been skiing for about 7 years. They go several times a week in the Winter. Some- times they go on the Deer Fence, which is on this side of the moun- tains, and only about 1.5 miles from our house. Other times they go up Logan Canyon -one of the prett- iest places on God's green Earth. This morning Christy took me up the canyon to the Juniper-Jardine Trail.
First we stopped by Al's and rented me some skis and boots. It was $10. Then we headed up the canyon to the trail turn off. We had beautiful weather all last week, and then it snowed all day Friday. But this morning was beautiful and up the canyon was even better. It felt so warm that we didn't need hats, and I ended up taking off my second shirt and just tying my jacket around my waist. The skis took some getting used to. I tended to cross them at the front, and I fell a few times going up. Usually I'd just topple over to the side. No problem. We went up the hollow for just a little over 2 miles, and I do mean UP! That is a serious workout! That's a good trail in the summer, and this made it even more challenging. Christy is one of the sweetest women I know and she kept telling me how good I was doing for my first time. By the time we got to the switchbacks, where we were to turn around I was dripping sweat! I LOVED IT!!! I love a good sweat, because I know I'm doing something good for my body.
Now, getting back down the trail was a little trickier. It was mostly downhill at this point, and seeing as how it wasn't a ski resort, there were trees everywhere. I was a bit nervous. My heart had that extra little shot of adrenaline. Christy showed me how to make it down and I tried my best to follow her. I fell so many times! It was awesome. Getting back up with skis strapped to your feet is not the easiest thing I've ever done. My poor left ankle would stay at a funky angle for a bit as I tried to right myself. My balance was WAY off on the way down as well. I'm sure my form was not up to par. But I was having such a blast. Christy would go up the rolling hills so she could ski down some bigger slopes. It looked so fun, but I was still a little too scared to try it. I told her those tricks would have to be for my third time out. Most of the time my falls were just tipping to the side, but there were a few that could have won me some money on America's Funniest Home Videos. I was ahead of Christy, going pretty fast down this one little stretch, when suddenly I was nothing but a rolling ball of skis, poles, and limbs. I wiped out good. We were laughing so hard! Another time I was brave enough to try a bigger hill and Christy told me to just veer towards the right at the bottom of it, and showed me how it was done. She must have had special veering skis, because mine didn't know how to do that. Instead I kept going straight for a tree. I had my poles out in front of me, trying to lesson the impact, and in the end was just able to miss it and grab a branch to stop myself.
I told Christy this was the most fun I've had in the snow my whole life!!! And that finally after 8 years of living here, I have a reason to like Winter. I'm just sad I am discovering this at the end of the season. I must get myself my own pair of cross country skis. I told her we have to go again this next week. I want to try to get in at least 2 or 3 more times before Spring gets here. I JUST LOVE CROSS COUNTRY SKIING!!!!
I love being outdoors. I love nature. I love this Earth and the beauty of it. I love the stillness of the mountains, and how close to Heavenly Father I feel out in the world. I love getting my heart rate up and working my body in different ways. I love accomplishing something I didn't think I was capable of. I'm so glad today was so beautiful. I just had such a great time with Christy.
I want skis! They are 50% off at Al's, but the sale only goes through the 20th. I don't get my next paper route check until the 5th. Goo! Ryan assures me I'll find something in the paper, and not to fret. I hope Ry can come next time. This would be a fun activity to do together. He would have gotten such great laughs at my falls today. I'm sad he had to miss it.
Now, I have been on skis once in my life. I was 16. That was 20 years ago! (Sad.) I have also hated Winter for the 8 years I have lived here. I hate being cooped up inside and since I don't ski or snow- mobile, there isn't a lot for me to do. But that all changed today! I have a Winter Sport! I am a cross country skier!!!
Christy and her hus- band, Mike, have been skiing for about 7 years. They go several times a week in the Winter. Some- times they go on the Deer Fence, which is on this side of the moun- tains, and only about 1.5 miles from our house. Other times they go up Logan Canyon -one of the prett- iest places on God's green Earth. This morning Christy took me up the canyon to the Juniper-Jardine Trail.
First we stopped by Al's and rented me some skis and boots. It was $10. Then we headed up the canyon to the trail turn off. We had beautiful weather all last week, and then it snowed all day Friday. But this morning was beautiful and up the canyon was even better. It felt so warm that we didn't need hats, and I ended up taking off my second shirt and just tying my jacket around my waist. The skis took some getting used to. I tended to cross them at the front, and I fell a few times going up. Usually I'd just topple over to the side. No problem. We went up the hollow for just a little over 2 miles, and I do mean UP! That is a serious workout! That's a good trail in the summer, and this made it even more challenging. Christy is one of the sweetest women I know and she kept telling me how good I was doing for my first time. By the time we got to the switchbacks, where we were to turn around I was dripping sweat! I LOVED IT!!! I love a good sweat, because I know I'm doing something good for my body.
Now, getting back down the trail was a little trickier. It was mostly downhill at this point, and seeing as how it wasn't a ski resort, there were trees everywhere. I was a bit nervous. My heart had that extra little shot of adrenaline. Christy showed me how to make it down and I tried my best to follow her. I fell so many times! It was awesome. Getting back up with skis strapped to your feet is not the easiest thing I've ever done. My poor left ankle would stay at a funky angle for a bit as I tried to right myself. My balance was WAY off on the way down as well. I'm sure my form was not up to par. But I was having such a blast. Christy would go up the rolling hills so she could ski down some bigger slopes. It looked so fun, but I was still a little too scared to try it. I told her those tricks would have to be for my third time out. Most of the time my falls were just tipping to the side, but there were a few that could have won me some money on America's Funniest Home Videos. I was ahead of Christy, going pretty fast down this one little stretch, when suddenly I was nothing but a rolling ball of skis, poles, and limbs. I wiped out good. We were laughing so hard! Another time I was brave enough to try a bigger hill and Christy told me to just veer towards the right at the bottom of it, and showed me how it was done. She must have had special veering skis, because mine didn't know how to do that. Instead I kept going straight for a tree. I had my poles out in front of me, trying to lesson the impact, and in the end was just able to miss it and grab a branch to stop myself.
I told Christy this was the most fun I've had in the snow my whole life!!! And that finally after 8 years of living here, I have a reason to like Winter. I'm just sad I am discovering this at the end of the season. I must get myself my own pair of cross country skis. I told her we have to go again this next week. I want to try to get in at least 2 or 3 more times before Spring gets here. I JUST LOVE CROSS COUNTRY SKIING!!!!
I love being outdoors. I love nature. I love this Earth and the beauty of it. I love the stillness of the mountains, and how close to Heavenly Father I feel out in the world. I love getting my heart rate up and working my body in different ways. I love accomplishing something I didn't think I was capable of. I'm so glad today was so beautiful. I just had such a great time with Christy.
I want skis! They are 50% off at Al's, but the sale only goes through the 20th. I don't get my next paper route check until the 5th. Goo! Ryan assures me I'll find something in the paper, and not to fret. I hope Ry can come next time. This would be a fun activity to do together. He would have gotten such great laughs at my falls today. I'm sad he had to miss it.