Do One Thing a Day That Scares You

Well, yesterday was full of things that scared me!

1. Hiked up to Delirium Dive to check it out. The sun was shining and it was the perfect opportunity to see first hand what I've only seen in YouTube videos. Jim (my ski-bus buddy) assures me that I can do this. First, I need to get me some avvie gear!

Check out this video to see what I'm talking about!

2. Skiied just past the boundary rope--not out of bounds, but in a non-patrolled area. It was steep, there were rocks, but oh my God, there was fresh, untracked powder!! Jim and I made beautiful (ok, his were prettier than mine, but the guy's a former ski racer who's been skiing for 47 years!) big swooshy S's in the snow. So. Much. Fun. We did it again and again and again!

3. Skiied Goat's Eye with the expert skier. He took me through some trees...there was swearing...he got me out fairly quickly when he realized I wasn't up for bush-whacking. Unfortunately, we'd gone past the point of no return and the only way out was down an incredibly mogul'd up, icy run. I got down it one turn at a time and got a high five for my efforts at the bottom. Then we went back up to the top (see #2, above) 'cause the snow was better!

Best part of the day: I didn't wipe out at all! I kept up with the ski-racer-turned-powder-hound all day (although I'm pretty sure I was a lot more tired than he was, even though he's got 20 years on me!) and lived to tell about it. Sunday bus-friends rock! 

It's hard to believe that a year ago I could hardly make it down a green/easy blue run. Yesterday the only blue run we skied was at the end of the day on our way out. Everything else was black. Skiing with people who constantly push me has made me a better skier. Like my yoga teacher, Noah, says, "There's always more. More harder. More dangerous." In asana practice or on a mountain side, there's always more.

Being scared of going fast, of steeps, of black diamond signs (my brother is always telling me, "Ignore the sign, just go! Turn. Turn again. You'll get to the bottom eventually."), some fears are justified. It's a dangerous sport I play. There are big risks. But the ones I take are calculated. I know that I can turn. It may not be pretty (see #3, above), but I can get down. It's just better when there's somebody to talk you down off the cliff (literally). And skiing with somebody who recognizes that you can do more, but not so much more that you're going to hurt yourself or hate them and never ski with them again. =)

It's been a big ski year for me. I've grown more confident. Speed is my friend. Steeps and I are feeling each other out...but I think we'll get along just fine. And the whole diamond thing? Well, what girl doesn't like diamonds?