Falling is Part of the Experience

Before we left for the US, some people were advising me that I need a bucket list for our US stint so we can make the most of our time here.  These are people are folks who don’t know me well.  Friends will know I am all about buckets! And list and goals and plans. 

On my New Year Resolutions this year is a goal to learn three snow sports.  Come to think of it, that wasn’t too ambitious.  I should have written it as “become proficient in three snow sports”…but after having tried three snow sports this weekend, maybe leaving it as “learn” is good enough.

On Saturday, we drove two hours north to Crystal Mountain for a snow sports weekend stay.  I signed us up for alpine/downhill skiing and cross country skiing lessons, and a guided snow shoe walk.  The night before the trip, I was wondering, again, if I was lacking in ambition – only 5 hours of planned program over two days and so many pockets of free time?  I blame my experience staffing senior executives on business trips for the urge to fill every pocket of time with something happening.  So I drifted to sleep amidst thoughts of dog sledding, sledding, snowmobile rides, skating and spa visits as other activity options.

***Be prepared for a long post...I'm in the mood to write***

Bright and early on Saturday, we got out of bed and lo and behold, still had a ton of things to pack and the car needed fuel, and we needed breakfast and bio breaks and so on and so forth...we departed late for the resort.  Plus it was snowing and we didn't want to drive fast.  Calling ahead to the resort, the kind folks there rescheduled our first class, downhill skiing, for an hour later.

Snow Sport Experience #1: Alpine or Downhill Ski

I've always fantasized about carving my way down a mountainside of snow, giant goggles on my face, ear flaps of my beanie fluttering behind me as I kick-up clouds of powdery white snow with every turn I make, leaving ski and pole tracks to mark my path.  BULLSHIT this will ever happen.  Firstly, I couldn't even get on and off the ski belt (a conveyor belt on the floor that moves skiers up a hill) in the learning area they call the 'Carpet' (because the slopes are gentle and made for beginners).  Secondly, my knees went weak on the ski lift from fear of heights.  Perching on a rickety bench hanging from not much more than what looked like cables atop lamp posts (ok, I exaggerate...they are much sturdier) didn't do much for my vertigo.  Plus at the top of the hill, I slipped and didn't get off the ski bench as elegantly as the others did (our coach, Jerry, made us pause to observe how others get off but seriously, almost every other bench that came up emptied a skier on his/her butt).

Then came the downhill skiing experience.  It was actually pretty fun and exciting because the trail we followed was gentle, again, and meant for first timers like us, yet came with a couple of nice slopes to keep your heart racing.  So zoom zoom I went, with Coach Jerry screaming madly at me to "Make a pizza! Make a wedge!" while desperately trying to keep an eye on Leon who was falling at almost every turn.  When you need to slow your speed downhill, you stand with legs wide apart in an A-frame and turn your toes inwards making the shape of a 'wedge' or 'pizza'.  It was hilarious.  

When we reached the bottom of the hill and the end of the lesson, I don't know which of the three of us was more relieved - Leon, me or Coach Jerry, a wizen old man who truly looked like he grew up in the mountains and foraged for food in the wild, like he told me he did.  His size truly does not give hint to his strength.  He could support Leon and I when we needed him.  He gave us a namecard and invited us to learn with him again the next time.  We might just come back and terrorize him again soon.  Plus I like that he calls us 'Kids'.

Snow Sport Experience #2: Snowshoe

By the time we were done with alpine skiing, it was 2pm and way passed our lunch time.   Snowshoe was booked for 4pm.  We were so tired and hungry, we checked into our room and came out almost immediately for a leisurely bite.  By the time Leon downed his second cup of coffee, it was time to get ourselves to the snowshoe center.

So I knew that snowshoes have evolved a long way from the tennis racket look-alike of yesteryear.  And I thought that it was going to be just a walk in the park - strap on the contraption so you wouldn't sink into the snow and take a stroll.

When our guide, Alan, said at the start of the tour that after cross country skiing, snowshoeing is the next most strenuous exercise, I knew I was in trouble.

 

You strap on snow shoes over your own boots.  It has an oval metal frame with some sort of canvas/plastic base with holes for snow to flow through and crampons on the base to give grip.

The fun in snowshoeing is to break new trails but it was also the harder to do than follow a pre-walked trail.  No prizes for guessing that before long, I was quietly walking in the tracks made by everyone else.  I think tour guide Alan realized a few of us in his group needed frequent photo breaks.  The stops every now and then made the hour-long workout more tolerable and actually pretty fun.  There's something about trudging through foot-high fresh snow in countryside-like surrounds.  Oh, the trail we took was actually on the golf course.

On one of our photo breaks.

So three hours of snow fun later, we were exhausted.  As we headed back to the room to take a break, I was secretly glad I didn't follow through on any of the 'other activity options' I was considering the night before.  My core muscles, gluts, thighs (both inner and outer), calves, shins, shoulders, arms were so s-o-r-e it felt like we had been tumbling down the hills and over bumpy fields instead of doing what we did.

We headed to the same restaurant for dinner - prime rib buffet special that was surprisingly good and reasonably priced - and had no trouble falling asleep that night.  Staying asleep though was an issue for me since my first night in a new bed is usually not restful...and Leon's very vocal enjoyment of his rest did not help.

Snow Sport Experience #3: Cross Country Ski 

Our cross country ski class was scheduled for 11am.  I was looking forward most to this.  I had been reading and watching Youtube videos on cross country skiing and what I saw appealed to me - (i) no great heights involved; (ii) there seems to be more control (iii) there are tracks to follow; and (iv) if we do want our own equipment, the whole set-up is just over $300, less than what downhill skis alone (no boots, bindings, or poles) would cost.  Plus you don't need to head to the slopes to ski.  You could just go to any parks or golf course with a groomed ski trail.

Alas, this again wasn't as easy as it seemed.  The gait itself needs practice.  You're almost doing lunges on alternate legs, with the heel of the hind leg lifted, as you slide forward with each lunge.  Then you add the arm swings, which is a bit counterintuitive in that the arm moves forward with the leg that is forward.  Doing this well also requires you to be comfortable 'slipping and sliding' on one leg.  Who can blame Leon for falling at almost every turn then.  HAHAHA.

Taking a nap on the soft bed of snow he fell into.  I fell at the same corner.

Learning how to stand again is a critical skill.

After an hour at the training center, we headed over to the easiest cross country ski trail to go 'solo' without our coach.  We met other skiers on the trail, and thanks to our coach, Greg, could at least stay upright when we were around them and make the right motions.  If you've been on the cross training machine in the gym, it felt a lot like that, as great a workout but a lot more enjoyable because you're outdoors, every effort gets you  somewhere, and if you get the technique right, gliding around on the skis is like floating on ice.

Coach Greg used to be a downhill skier but nowadays cross country skis instead because of the aerobic workout he gets.  By the way, Coach Greg says his daughter fell off the ski lift when she was about 9 years old.  She was sitting between Greg and his wife, leaned over, fell and landed on a soft pile of snow about 10 feet down.  Greg jumped off straight after her - what a Dad.  Neither was hurt although it was scary...and my worst nightmare on the ski lifts.

Reflections

When we planned these lessons, we knew falling would be involved, maybe a broken limb or two.  I guess being prepared to fall, and accepting that falls and injuries are part of the experience, helped eased the fears a little.  Does it sound contradictory?  For me at least, if I know what's the worst that can happen, I feel less fear.

Discussing our experience following the trip, it was interesting to observe how Leon and I dealt very differently with the loss of control we had over our body.  For Leon, when he feels like he's about to fall and doesn't have control, he falls deliberately.  His philosophy is if he has to fall, he wants to fall on his own terms.  For me, I fight falls.  I will twist and struggle and try to regain control so that I have every fighting chance of not falling.  I believe this is what helped me learn faster than Leon.  On the last segment of our first downhill ski, our coach commented that 'Linda is wedge skiing very well.  Leon, you need to work on your pizza."  

Isn't it tempting to psychoanalyze what that says about our personalities?

******

We're planning another trip in March.  Hopefully there'll still be enough snow to play in.  The Michigan winter is quite unpredictable.  People say not to be surprised if it snows in April or May, when we're already well into Spring.  Warmer weather and longer days will bring opportunities for more activities.  Cycling tops the list of course - nightly spin on the Sengkang-Punggol Park Connector is something we both miss very much - and then there's also kayaking and hiking...and perhaps fishing and camping too.