I think my left knee might actually show a bruise. And my bum is sore. And my hip flexors and my biceps and triceps and my abs. And, well, my whole body...almost. No fall so hard that I got a whip lash effect so my neck is just fine! There is something liberating about learning something new. And I'm not usually one to say such things being stubborn and all when it comes to new. I don't always like the learning phase, rather I prefer to go from novice to capable. Not novice to expert, just capable. But there is still an awful lot in between novice and capable.
I achieved something new to me on this trip to Monarch. I went into the trip expecting to spend a lot of time sitting in the snow and I expected to laugh at myself a lot. I did both. A lot! :-) In other words, I was okay with new and learning.
The drive to Monarch was gorgeous. I am wishing now that we had stopped somewhere along the Arkansas River to take photographs of the ice - bergs and sheets in amazing shapes and patterns. The water looked very cold. But it really was stunning.
We arrived at Monarch Mountain amid glorious sunshine. We were too early for a half day ticket, but just in time for me to sign up for a half day lesson and ticket. After which we munched on some cheese and clementines before deciding to hoof it up the bunny hill before my lesson and strap on the board. I was a little giddy - childlike really. Somehow snowboarding was really different - more so than my ice climbing - and quite reminiscent of the surfing adventure in May!
I was sure I'd be the oldest in the lesson. Not so. Me and a forty-something guy from the Springs and 3 teenagers joined Matt for a two-hour lesson. Classic snowboarder, out instructor appeared, but he was also a good teacher.
We sat on the bunny slope and talked about toe side and heel side of the board and then we just dove in - literally. Strap on the board, stand up and see what happens. Thank goodness Jane and I had spent that 45 minutes prior to my lesson playing around.
I never did master the lift. I managed one time - the first time post-lesson with Jane - to get off the lift without falling. And my last run on day 2 I made it all the way down the ramp, but then didn't really know how to stop, so I sat down. After all, what's one more landing on the bum - it was already sore! So lift mastery will come another day.
Within a run or two I had mastered a flowing leaf set of back side/heel side turns down the bunny hill. So what comes next, I ask Matt. You try a toe side/front side turn. Turns out, I'm not very good at these. At all.
Snowboarding is all about balance. Shifting your weight forward (toes) or backward (heels) and keeping your board pointed downhill, not sideways. And it's also about being "tough." gotta have a stance like in football (which I have never played) that won't get you knocked over: knees bent and pinched together, body straight. One might have thought I'd learn hard (literally) lessons quickly. Like if you try to stand up straight (knees not bent) on your board - WHAM down you go butt plant in the snow. Or in attempting a toe side turn shift your weight in your toes NOT your whole body. Otherwise, WHAM, it's a face plant - or nearly so but those trusty hands generally catch you before you eat snow.
So day 1 ended with two more runs up the bunny slope with Jane and then a trek down the mountain to the Monarch Lodge for the night. Quaint, clean and perfectly located we were both hungry and chilled. Food first then we sought out the hot tub - not so hot apparently and outside. Brr. We opted for the sauna which was perfect. Warmed us to the core and then upstairs we went.
We awoke to what appeared to be clear skies, but in fact it was gray. And then it turn to snow - must have dropped 4-5 inches while we were on the mountain. Jane is a saint. She took a million pictures and gave me as many pointers. And took only one run up high where she'd been the day before making her own tracks in untouched snow and without masses of people. Thank goodness for good friends! We did many runs and I fell an awful lot. But I laughed an awful lot too. There were definitely moments of frustration and as the day moved along it got colder and windier and so I got colder and colder - that's what happens when you spend so much time in the snow! We finally decided to take a break - warm up. Was a good idea on some fronts; not on others. It was hard to go back out but the rest was good. We did a run together, Jane and I, and I actually did some complete circles - toe side to heel side to toe side to heel side. Maybe, just maybe I was getting the hang of it. So while it was hard to go back outside after warming up, the rest adjusted the mental attitude and gave me two solid final runs of the day. One with Jane and the second on my own as she headed up high for some fresh tracks.
I'll get this, I'm sure of it. I'm eager to go again when I'm not tired and sore and can get a bit out of my head and just ride. Long on the list of things to do over winter break, it is also #4 on the list of 40 Firsts!
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