Ice Rider

All that sogginess from yesterday had frozen solid on Jiminy Peak, making skiing conditions...hm, let's say, horrible today.  Even the gentle baby slope had nasty patches of ice on it.  So what made me think it would be fun to have a go higher up the mountain I really don't know.

I soon came a cropper - sliding down on the ice, leaving a ski behind.  I crawled back up to get that, tried to get my skis back on, fell over.  I decided to hold onto the skis and slide on my backside for a while, but guess what, snowpants offer no traction at all...it was terrifying, and I ended up in the woods. 

I tried walking down the slope for a bit, but that was miserable and I was at least a mile from base.  Tried putting the skis on again - and fell over.  So I did the only thing left that I could think of: I sat down at the edge of the slope and waited to see what would happen next.

"What are you doing?"  asked the ski patrol lady.  Not unkindly, more incredulous really.  I explained, noting that I wasn't hurt, that I just kept falling over.  "Would you like a ride down?" she asked.

I considered the shame that this would bring upon myself and my family.  And then I looked down the icy slope and said "Yes, yes I would!  I would like a ride down!  Thank you!"

She radioed for a sled.  It arrived.  Moments later, so did members of my family, out looking for me - but I was too busy with my new best friends to do more than give them a reassuring smile and a goofy thumbs-up.

Off we went (too quickly for the Man to snag much of a photo).  Yes, it was a total humiliation.  It was also...an AWESOME RIIIIIDE!!!!  Seriously, the most fun I have ever had in snow.  Didn't even have to break my leg - gosh, I love the ski patrol!