Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Day 125 - Snowy Hill

Thought of the day: We had a fun day skiing at Steamboat today.  The base was pretty good to begin with and it snowed an additional 6 inches yesterday, so we got some pretty good skiing in the upper mountain and in the trees.  The scenery of white, snow covered trees sparkling in the sun looked more like a postcard picture than something real.  Serenity, which flows naturally when you are immersed in pure beauty, is your best friend in the mountains as it can make you forget about yourself and become one with the nature.  Maybe that's why some people like to ski in the trees so much.  What's your worst enemy in the mountains?  I don't think it's the trees or the ice or unpredictable snow.  I think it's your fear as it creates a barrier between you and the nature.  Instead of feeling joyful by being one with the nature, you feel helpless and resentful by alienating yourself from it.  I have an example of that today.  We took Jasmine and her friend, both pretty good skiers, down a double black run called Christmas Tree Bowl.  It was steep in the first segment and her friend froze with fear at some point.  That caused Jasmine to panic too.  We eventually did make it down but only after a bit of fuss and a lot of tears.  With their skill levels, they could have made it down comfortably if fear had not taken over.  To be honest, I can see the same problem in myself too.  I usually ski in a terrain that I feel most comfortable with.  I like the speed but I don't challenge myself to ski in a different or more difficult terrain.  On one hand, that makes me feel "safe" so it's a hard habit to break.  On the other hand, that's a limiting factor for me to get better with skiing.  I'll need to learn to overcome my fear to ski at a higher level.

Photo of the day:
Jasmine and her friend running down a snowy hill next to our condo.  Fun activity.  Bad idea.  Their ski boots had to be removed to be cleared of snow afterwards.  (cell phone photo)

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