Powder Days: Susan(1), Charles(2)
Today was a bonus day tacked on to a long weekend. The weatherman last night said it was only going to be 1 inch, but when we woke up it was more like 6-10. Saturday was a school day and a day off from skiing for Sara as they were preparing for the race on Monday (today). She went with all her girl teammates down to the Maine Mall.
Susan, Caroline, and I all did our programs. Caroline is working hard and progressing well. This year the GSR program has decided to introduce Slalom skiing to the younger kids and Saturday that got to spend time working on those skills. I went with the Black Diamond race group and we had some fun of our own trying to run the gates. Every time that I try to do it I am reminded just how subtle and difficult it is to properly ski gates. This Saturday I was not dialed in at all and my attempts were really inconsistent.
Saturday night Caroline, Susan and I went to a potluck for the J5s and got to meet some more of the other parents and coaches. The kids had a great time and it was interesting to hear some of the other stories of folks that have moved or have considered moving to ski country.
Sunday was another good day on the hill it had warmed up quite a bit and the ability to skip lines that Black Diamond affords was well worth the investment. It was a holiday weekend and this was by far the most crazy it has become on the slopes this season. The combination of a lot of new skiers and the tendency of the slopes to get skied off by the late afternoon made it an afternoon to avoid the crowds by heading to some of the less frequented parts of the mountain.
Sunday night we had the goal of getting in bed early. Caroline had gone home with a friend after skiing for some sledding and hanging out. We went to collect her late in the afternoon down in Bethel. When we arrived the Dad invited us in for a beer and to watch the end of the Jets game. His hospitality was overwhelming and we ended up staying for burgers and yummy broccoli and getting to know the family some. They have a beautiful chocolate colored greyhound with the gentlest manner and sweetest eyes.
Sara left on Saturday morning with her team to do some reconnaissance at Sugarloaf and stay overnight there. Starting at Sugarloaf would allow them to get up later than the normal five AM to get there on time.
The forecast was for only a couple of inches of snow this morning and we were planning to ride over to Saddleback. When we got up in the morning at clearly snowed a bit more than that. I went down to the locker and loaded the skis in the car and came back up stairs to tell Susan that I was not sure we were going to make it. She was determined to give it a go and we were on the road at 7:15. We were all the way down to the Rte. 2 and heading towards Rumford at 30 mph when we realized that by the time we got there we were going to miss the first run at any rate :-( We reluctantly turned back...
The good news is that it was a powder day!! Having pulled the plug on the driving we made it back just before eight and wasted no time heading out onto the slopes. Caroline headed over to train gates and Susan and I headed west to float down velvety trails covered with a fresh coating of 6 inches of soft powder. The woods and the bump runs that were looking a bit dirty and showing patches of granite and wood were refreshed and clean. We crashed by early afternoon and headed back to the condo to shower and nap. I walked Maggie late in the afternoon and brought my camera out in the hope of catching a few birds at the bird feeders. One of the women in the building is a birder and had moved her feeders further from the building down to the corder of the parking lot. I was rewarded with the woodpecker photo. This one is for my Dad is an avid birder himself...We met up with our friends Mark and Steve and skied until our legs were toast at around noon. We had lunch at Barker and headed back to check on the online results from Sara's race. She continues her gradual improvement and each race her form and her times improve. When I picked her up she as talkative, smiling and positive knowing that this is just another leg of the journey. As a parent you can't ask for more than to see your kids challenging themselves, working hard, and loving life.
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