My bedroom's view is of tall, snow-covered pine trees, and the view out the balcony is the peak of Whistler mountain. Kind of daunting for a beginner snowboarder, but nevertheless, I just bought my season's lift pass! Went up snowboarding for the first time today. It was QUITE an experience!
(Conversation while sitting on the gondola)
"So.. where are we getting off?"
"This gondola only goes one place.. to the very top."
"Um... WHAT?"
"Yeah. And there's only one way to get down."
I stare at the (very far away) snowy ground, gradually inching higher up the peak, fearing for my life.

The process of "skating" along flat ground on a snowboard is very difficult. I'd much rather be going downhill. Well, at least that's what I thought until I saw the edge of the hill. It looked like a cliff. Of snow. Well, technically it was. I told him it was steep. He told me it wasn't. I strapped myself in and
hoped for the best. After that very first (very scary) part, the hills were more reasonable - not as steep, and not as many turns. I felt relieved. Plus the serious rain storm had stopped and it was just light snow. Things were looking up.
Once I mastered (note: I use this term very loosely) heel-side snowboarding, he wanted to teach me toe-side. I found this to be much more difficult, so he literally held my hands and slid down the hill with me, board-to-board, and we tried to turn and lean forward together. Another two face plants.



it took me an entire day to get down the mountain), you could see me "carving" down the hill, zig-zagging left and right, with my extended arm and pointed finger changing direction every time. It looked like I was a bicycle rider downtown, signalling left and right turns with my hands .. but riding a surfboard, on snow.
***By the way, there's two styles people can board:
1. regular (where you guide with your left foot and your right foot is behind - which most people do) and
2. goofy (where you guide with your right foot and your left foot is behind).
I'm goofy. Figures.
diary excerpt, 2011
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