I Need to Ski More Often

From Crested Butte

Crested Butte

Before this vacation, I think the last time I skied was about 3 years ago in Tahoe and before that I think it had been 3 or 4 years. No one can be a great skier skiing once every 3 years, or at least I can’t. I did manage to make it down the mountain on the first pass without falling although I certainly feel many times after that run down the mountain. Falling didn’t deter me; I skied all 4 days and loved every minute of it, even the falls.

I stuck mostly to blue runs with a few greens; I didn’t want to break anything before I embark on yoga teacher training. Breaking something would be devastating to my new life goals so I decided easy and fun would be better than trying to “out do” my last ski experience, which again, was over 3 years ago. (No need to be a show-off.)

I got some great ski tips on Thursday and practiced actually using my poles instead of holding onto them like they were simply an accessory. I also learned to make smaller “s” curves and to keep my knees together. Both techniques made my thighs and quads hurt so I was glad I had received those tips late in the trip!

On my way back to the airport in Gunnison, I started thinking about the last 5 days in Crested Butte; I don’t think I could have asked for a better trip. As I rode the Alpine Express shuttle back to Gunnison I looked at the mountain and admired the steep snowy slopes I had just spent the better part of 4 days skiing and the lifts I had become good friends with. And the weather could not have been more perfect, sunny some days and snowing others, perfect every day.

The sun was beating down on me in the Alpine Express van, making me drowsy. I leaned my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. About halfway there I hear the driver point out a bald eagle up a head. I slowing opened my eyes and squinted toward the tree I thought she was referring to and barely made out a blackish looking thing that could have been a bird but my eyes were too sleepy to make it out. I blinked a few times and as we passed the tree I saw through the back window a bald eagle sitting in a tree. I smiled inside and thought that was a nice way to end an already wonderful trip. I promptly fell back asleep.

Around Gunnison and Crested Butte (Images of America: Colorado)

Crested Butte: From Coal Camp to Ski Town

Amazing Creste Butte Snow and I was There to Enjoy It

From Creste Butte

Me at the top of Paradise Express Lift

Creste Butte got something like 9 inches of snow last week, or so I heard from just about everyone over the last few days. I don't really know the difference between a few inches or 9 (as it relates to skiing) so I usually just nodded my head and gave an approving expression as if I knew 9 inches was a good thing. As we drove in from Gunnison, it was clear what 9 inches does to a town, every rooftop had at least 2 feet of snow on top and the snow banks on the side of the road were at least a full person tall. I just stared out the window and watched the beautiful scenery in amazement. I stopped pointing things out to the rest of the people in the car because there were just too many wonderful things to see. If there was that much snow on the rooftops and on the ground in town, the mountain had to have just as much, that must be what people were so excited about. Then I was thinking, skiing is going to be awesome!

From Creste Butte

We started off today at Red Lady Express lift and did one green slope either Mineral Point or Keystone. My friends and I haven't skied in years so our objective today was to get our ski legs back. At the bottom, near Red Lady Express, we met up with a fellow yogi that now lives in Creste Butte and she took us up Silver Queen Express to what I would consider the "top" for those beginner to novice skiers. (Meaning, we were not in the black diamond area.) We skied down a great blue slope, Paradise Bowl, back down to the Silver Queen Express Lift.

We did Paradise Bowl one more time, at which point I promptly fell within a few seconds of hitting the slope. After huffing and puffing and moving my skies several times, I finally got my skies back on with the aide of a friend. the rest of the run was sketchy, my mind took over and every steep area I psyched myself out and made myself afraid of falling.  I made it down, I'm sure the few people that were behind me didn't appreciate the wide slides from left to right, but what do I care, I made it down.

After lunch we moved to the middle of the mountain and did some shorter blue runs off Prospect Lift and Gold Link Lift. I liked this area, it had some good areas to test my skill, narrow parts and even a few tunnels to go through. After half a dozen runs I called it a day. From where we were, it was an easy ski back to the house.

We are staying at a place right off the slopes so all I had to do was ski down Homeowner and look for a flag which marketed the turn off to the road where the house was. This was so cool, I've never done this before, I saw the flag, turned the corner and then slid into the street and literally skied on the street, down the driveway right into the garage! It was so awesome, talk about ski in/ski out!

I just met Nick Vujicic!

From 2010

A friend invited me tonight to a fundraiser event supporting Life Without Limbs and Nick Vujicic.Nick was born with no legs or arms. He has had a life full of challenges few of us could ever imagine and fewer could actually handle. And yet, he is a man full of love for life with a mission to share his story with the world. Nick spoke tonight of his life and how he came to help motivate and empower others. It was so amazing to see Nick in person, I had seen several youtube videos and have one of his dvd's but to see him in person was really a fantastic treat.

I first heard of Nick Vujicic from a youtube video I saw of him speaking to a crowd of people, all sitting on a table. He was vibrant, funny, and joked about having no arms or legs just as I might joke about being short or clumsy. It seemed no more odd to him for him to be the way he is than for me to be the way I am. Just watching him feel so comfortable in his own skin, his own life was inspiring.

Tonight was also filled with a little humor. At one point he mentioned how he wanted to be a speaker when he grew up and at his first speaking engagement he was nervous, even his palms were sweating!

He spoke of a time when he wished he had arms and legs, then he thought he might be happy. But then he saw people WITH arms and legs that were not happy and he realized he could be happy just the way he was. Arms and legs don't make you happy, just like that bigger salary or nicer car or [insert your vice] won't make you happy.

He also spoke about not so funny things like wanting to commit suicide as a young person and even tried 3 times. On his third attempt, he decided he couldn't burden his parents with the guilt and remorse that would happen if he died so, he didn't.

I can't explain the feeling I had sitting there listening to him. It was as if he was speaking directly to me. I felt happiness and joy both for him and for me. For him, for overcoming such overwhelming challenges and for me because if he can overcome not having arms or legs, surely I can overcome any obstacle that comes my way. And this attitude certainly bodes well for me and my upcoming teacher training, I sense I will have a lot to overcome.

If you ever get the chance to see Nick Vujicic in person, I highly recommend you do. He has beaten the odds. He lives life with a smile and in spite of his physical limitations, he has no limits of love for others. 

I hate bendy people behind me in yoga class

From Sat.ChampionWorkshop

I hate bendy people behind me in yoga class, they makes me so competitive. 

Don't you hate it when you end up next to a bendy, flexible person in yoga class? I do. I particularly find it annoying when they are right behind me, they end up in my peripheral sight line and I am always aware they are going deeper than me and that makes me push myself more. This happened today, a lovely lady sat behind me that is known for being super bendy. Whatever right? I mean, she is at least 12 years younger than me...I shouldn't think I can compete with a twenty-something.

And THAT is the annoying part. Not that I can or can't compete with a twenty-something...that I even NOTICED there was a bendy person behind me. I'm suppose to be focused on myself and not worry about others. One of the great things about yoga for me is it isn't a competition with others in the room. My 90 minute practice is for me, I am suppose to go to my deepest points, do my best stretching...not go deeper or try harder because some young bendy person is behind me.

I was almost done with class when I realized I had forgotten about the bendy lady and was just focusing on myself. I guess that means the yoga is working. I'd like to learn how to lose sight of people outside of the room too! Maybe that will come with more yoga....and so...I'll keep going. Namaste