Monday, November 26, 2007

Training Log: Nov 25: Where in we SKI at Big Sky as a FAMILY!


YES! For the first time in SEVEN years, Tom and I skid alone together! It was great. We went up to Big Sky on Sunday, and Tom got on his new skis, (Snoop Daddys in 174) (His first shaped skis!) and boogied down the mountain with his knees locked together in the classic 80's style. Ah, memories of last February for me!

It was amazing. We took a run together with Ethan, who couldn't BELIEVE how long Mr. K was, as he's only ever skid at Bridger before, and then he went into a great lesson for two hours and Tom and I explored the runs off of Swift, and took a quick turn in the bowl.

I made the mistake of forgetting that Skiing is a COLD WEATHER SPORT, hello, Kate, you live in MONTANA! The last four months of skiing in the spring and summer were so warm and lovely that I totally forgot about cold hands and so on. I was woefully under dressed, chilly fingered, frozen toed, and so on. Tom was lovely enough to give me his gloves and fleece. IT IS NOT SUMMER ANY MORE!

Anyhow, the point is, the day was amazing, cold hands and all, I have a gear list to tackle before Bridger opens on Dec. 8, and I am greatly indebted to Troy and Jill for our lovely day of familiy skiing.

I realized afterward why I was so giddy to be skiing alone with Tom again, aside from the fact that once you have kids, you don't really spend a whole lot of alone time together, and I remembered something... ten years ago, Tom proposed to me half way down the hardest run I'd ever been on at Northstar. We were on a cat track taking a breather half way down this fierce mogul field on our snowboards and out of the clear blue sky he asked if I'd marry him. I thought he was joking. I told him to shut up. He looked wounded as I laughed at him, and then asked if I was going to answer. "Are you serious?" I had asked. "YEAH." he said, and then I kissed him for his answer.

Its funny to think that ten years and two kids later, my life revolves around skiing again, and that such a significant event happened on a ski hill. Of course, we got married at Northstar, as well... but there was no snow yet.

Enjoy this very fuzzy vintage picture of us on our boards from 2001. Yes, friends, these are the very same mittens that I wore at Bridger last year. The warmest ski gloves ever. They are retired now, sadly, but they fought a good fight, I have worn them since 1992!

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