Memories of Skiing

Today is a beautiful sunny day that is perfect for cleanup after the recent storms.  As I work for an hour and then have to rest for a half hour or more I am reminded of our skiing days because Richard could only ski for a run or two and then he would have to resst.

We started skiing when Jimmy was about 9 and Richard and I had at least a dozen or so years before we quit and just watched.  I loved those trips where we would all be crammed together for the holidays and Christmas was always a simple affair.

The first trip to Mammoth was a riot.  We had left our rented boots in the car and they were icy cold and stiff.  We could hardly get them on.  Was this fun?  A little painful at first but we learned.  The next year we bought the time shares at Park City and that became our Christmas for many years.

I remember one Christmas Eve we put the turkey in before we left for the slopes and picked up a scrawny tree on the way back to the lodge and the guys took down a door so their was room to sit around the coffee table and have lots of room for everyone.  We were skiing with Martin's family that year.  Those were good times.   This is a picture with Martin's family and Brian and Norma taken at Snowbird.

But Richard would always ski a run or two and then he would have to rest in the snack area at the base of the mountain.  Everyone liked to take a turn resting with him because it meant hot chocolate or nachos or some other treat.  The novice skiiers always had a good skiing partner in Richard.  He was patient and would take the time to help them and encourage them. 

Not like John who talked me into going on a very difficult slope with him.  I skiied to the side, took off my skiis and walked down the hill.  Or the time the children encouraged me to follow them and waited at the bottom of the hill to see how I would do on the jump at the end.  And, of course, the time that someone I was with (Linda?) was very embarrassed when I forgot to get off at the top and they had to stop the ski chairs and help me down.

Lots of good memories from those ski trips.  I am glad we shared that time together as a family.