If there were ever a ski trip recap to read, this is it!
I did something new! And different! And exciting. I went snowboarding at Sunlight on a Wednesday, all by myself.
Day seven: 3/17/21
I decided to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a solo ski day.
There was something very empowering about this experience. As someone who generally likes to do things on my own (Chad is a rare exception to my introvertedness), COVID has taken away many of those opportunities outside of the house. I used to take myself to the movies when Chad wasn’t available, or sometimes eat in a restaurant by myself. Sometimes I’d have to drive to Denver by my lonesome, or run a ton of errands. It has been a while since any of those things have been an option. When I’m alone, I’m home (which is nice and necessary but doesn’t necessarily fill my cup).
This was a breath of fresh air.
I should add that this day wasn’t as easy as leisurely walking the aisles at Target. Snowboarding alone is something that has always been out of my comfort zone. Deciding to do it, and actually following through with it, was a pretty big deal for me. I’m really proud of myself.
It was a fun, beautiful day. I wasn’t
On the slopes
I got to Sunlight a little past 11 and made quick work of my arrival. Within a few minutes I was ready to ride and went up Tercero to Primo, riding all the way to the top. Once there, I did a practice run down Ute (green).
My next run, I went down Ferret’s Hollow (blue). For my third and final run, I did the same thing.
Though I only did three runs (well, really six if you count all the times I had to go down Tercero), I felt as though I packed a lot into a few hours. I definitely made each moment count, working on my turns and taking several breaks along the way to preserve my leg strength. I made it through all up-hill and catwalk-ish moments, which was a definite point of pride.
Going into this trip, I assumed that I would only want to go on trails that are easy. I love easy runs, and Chad gets tired of them quickly. However, that wasn’t the case today and I surprised myself by going the more challenging route.
Highlights were the many moments of solitude, the music playing in my helmet, riding the lifts with nothing but my thoughts, and the snow-packed runs that kept things interesting. Also, got another four compliments on my pants. No complaints there!
Photos
As promised, I hope to have more photos and less words as I go. 🙂
That looks so great1 My wife doesn’t ski, so once we attended a charity event at Beaver Creek – afterwards she got massages and I hit the slopes for an afternoon and loved it! Such gorgeous scenery! Terrific photos by the way!
That sounds like a wonderful compromise! My mom skied one time and one time only—my dad and I would go on the slopes in Crested Butte while she’d hang out at the lodge with a warm drink and a book. Perfect for everyone. Also, I hear amazing things about Beaver Creek. It’s high on my ski bucketlist!