Jessica Smokes Her Dad at Yet Another Sport....
Thank goodness
there are still climbing and skating.
Yesterday we went to Liberty, for the first time in 2 years; last
year there was no winter, and even 10 days ago they have
only sparse cover. Though
Jessica took to skiing like a duck to water, dad was able
to stay ahead, relying on a deep base of ice skating skills and considerable effort. This year I got smoked.
- I've laid off everything
for 4 weeks, trying to get a rib to knit. The rib is better,
but the legs were mush. It's different from biking too; high intensity rather than endurance.
- I was being careful. I didn't
want to fall, so I was less relaxed.
But I did ski blues and blacks all
day with zero falls, keeping up with the squirt until near the end, and I feel good
about that.
Late afternoon,
after having serious thigh cramps--so bad I had to lay down
mid-slope and stretch--and preparing
to call it a day, I joined her at the top of a double black
diamond with a particularly steep start; about 200 feet at 45-35 degrees. Crampons would be required
for accent, no way I would hike down it without them.
Like looking down an icy
staircase. I had already decided I
would only watch. We watched a half dozen good skiers start down,
sliding and falling, and groping their way down until it leveled out to a more human
slope. Then Jessica mumbles some crap
about it looking too hard (like she heard dad mutter before many rock and ice
climbs--a private inside joke)
and easily carves down the escarpment, like it was the bunny
slope, with nary a break in form. I went off to cry.
Well, actually, I did take an straight forward black down to the
lodge--I'm not that dead--where upon I had a medicinal Stella and
waited for nightfall.
:)
ReplyDeleteOh well...
Mike
There comes a time in every man's life when his kids pass him. It is a time that before it arrives, we talk nobly about. But when it does arrive, we realize that our time has passed. Both of my kids can ski circles round me - they are Warren Miller-class skiers. And yet, they still invite Jane and I to ski with them. It is an honor.
ReplyDeletebob
Snow skiing sounds like so much fun! At least you went!
ReplyDelete