Snowboard
In my head, I have sort of an unofficial list of things I want to do before I die. Lately, learning to snowboard became one of them. Well, I'm happy to say that today, with extraordinary panache, I fulfilled that goal.
Needing to drive around anyway to find a clothing donation center (according to maps.yahoo.ca the closest seemed to be one on West 4th in Kitsilano, despite one coworker's insistence that, "You live downtown. They are everywhere downtown. Big green thing in front of grocery stores," there are indeed no big green things in front of grocery stores downtown, nor clothing bins of any big color, it turns out), I hopped in the car and headed out of the day. With me I had a camera, and a book bag containing reading books, a journal to write in, and study books, so I was prepared for whatever came along.
A few little glitches, but nothing too serious:
1) Because of the infrequency with which I drive my car lately, the battery had decided to get a little weak. Not so weak that I couldn't start the car, mind you (though it did seem a little tentative at first), but weak enough that it triggered the anti-theft function of my stereo, so that I'm permanently sans-music until I can find out where the dealership is here and get it reset. I'd meant to do that anyway, so in case of auto emergency I'd be equipped with that knowledge, but now I have a real motivator.
2) The clothing bin had a big postbox-style flap on the front of it, presumably to prevent people from digging in there to steal the clothes (of course, there's always the question that if a person is needy enough to steal clothes from a donation bin, where they don't quite belong to the Salvation Army just yet [legal fine line, I'm sure] whether they should be allowed to keep them, but I'm sure there are probably mess-prevention issues, among other things), and as this flap thing probably worked just fine for an empty bin and small bags of clothing, neither criterion was true in my case. Long story short, when fighting with it, trying to angle it just right with one hand while I stuck the other arm down it trying to push the bag on through, somehow the flap rebounded and clocked me right in the upper lip and cheek. I was indignant. Until I realized I was picking a fight with a clothing bin.
Anyway, that task being completed, I drove [very silently] back through downtown and across the Lion's Gate Bridge, and as I'd said before, this time turned left at the big fork in the road toward Squamish, Whistler, and Cypress. Further along, I took the turn up to Cypress, took some pictures from a scenic overlook, and then decided to go on up to the ski area, if nothing else to get some lunch. I got my lunch, and then I walked over to the Ski Lesson office to inquire about prices for snowboard lessons, as long as I was there. Turns out, because of the crappy snow conditions, they were offering discounts on nearly everything, and price for lesson, equipment rentals, and lift tickets totaled up to like $90, including taxes and everything, and a beginner lesson was starting in about an hour.
There was no way to say No to that.
I got my equipment together, and, per the lesson coordinator's instructions, went ahead and tried things out on the bunny hill a little.
Okay, first off, this was not the kind of bunny hill they had at Ruidoso, NM, where I first learned to ski. On that hill you could point your skis straight down the slope (which was even a little difficult to determine by sight, were you not trusting your general momentum), and, albeit a little fast for a beginner, still safely arrive at the other end with only minimal spills. I think the beginner hill at Cypress is labelled beginner strictly because they had to pick something, and all the inclines to choose from were pretty steep. (I consider the difference between a blue slope and a green slope one in which knowing how to make turns is required, and this was pushing that boundary).
Secondly, the ski conditions this winter have been pretty bad, because it's been so warm. Nice weather to be out in, but it means there was almost no snow. Initially, that seemed okay, since I was going to spend most of my day on the beginners' area anyway, and it was pretty fully covered, but still not so thorough that there weren't little pointy rocks scattered all over the snow, and bare patches, and icy patches, and . . . you get the idea.
Yeah, initial run down the slope, not pretty. Much knocking out of wind and bruising of hands commenced.
I nearly turned around and went home I was so frustrated, but decided that would be a disservice until I'd stayed for the lesson and learned the Right way to do things.
I'm glad I waited.
With only about a half hour's worth of background info on how to use the heel and toe edges, and practicing some basic drills, and then some pointers on doing turns, I was feeling totally natural up there. (The instructor said I picked it up more quickly than any beginner he'd ever taught. I didn't know what to say to that compliment — having grown up as sort of a bookish, clumsy kid, I've never been the best at any physical activity. If only snowboards [and snow, and mountains] had been around back then.)
I'd love to go back, but they say the mountain will probably be closed tomorrow until it snows again (no surprise), and I think a week or two to heal my bruises from that initial flop down the mountain is probably a wise idea.
Needing to drive around anyway to find a clothing donation center (according to maps.yahoo.ca the closest seemed to be one on West 4th in Kitsilano, despite one coworker's insistence that, "You live downtown. They are everywhere downtown. Big green thing in front of grocery stores," there are indeed no big green things in front of grocery stores downtown, nor clothing bins of any big color, it turns out), I hopped in the car and headed out of the day. With me I had a camera, and a book bag containing reading books, a journal to write in, and study books, so I was prepared for whatever came along.
A few little glitches, but nothing too serious:
1) Because of the infrequency with which I drive my car lately, the battery had decided to get a little weak. Not so weak that I couldn't start the car, mind you (though it did seem a little tentative at first), but weak enough that it triggered the anti-theft function of my stereo, so that I'm permanently sans-music until I can find out where the dealership is here and get it reset. I'd meant to do that anyway, so in case of auto emergency I'd be equipped with that knowledge, but now I have a real motivator.
2) The clothing bin had a big postbox-style flap on the front of it, presumably to prevent people from digging in there to steal the clothes (of course, there's always the question that if a person is needy enough to steal clothes from a donation bin, where they don't quite belong to the Salvation Army just yet [legal fine line, I'm sure] whether they should be allowed to keep them, but I'm sure there are probably mess-prevention issues, among other things), and as this flap thing probably worked just fine for an empty bin and small bags of clothing, neither criterion was true in my case. Long story short, when fighting with it, trying to angle it just right with one hand while I stuck the other arm down it trying to push the bag on through, somehow the flap rebounded and clocked me right in the upper lip and cheek. I was indignant. Until I realized I was picking a fight with a clothing bin.
Anyway, that task being completed, I drove [very silently] back through downtown and across the Lion's Gate Bridge, and as I'd said before, this time turned left at the big fork in the road toward Squamish, Whistler, and Cypress. Further along, I took the turn up to Cypress, took some pictures from a scenic overlook, and then decided to go on up to the ski area, if nothing else to get some lunch. I got my lunch, and then I walked over to the Ski Lesson office to inquire about prices for snowboard lessons, as long as I was there. Turns out, because of the crappy snow conditions, they were offering discounts on nearly everything, and price for lesson, equipment rentals, and lift tickets totaled up to like $90, including taxes and everything, and a beginner lesson was starting in about an hour.
There was no way to say No to that.
I got my equipment together, and, per the lesson coordinator's instructions, went ahead and tried things out on the bunny hill a little.
Okay, first off, this was not the kind of bunny hill they had at Ruidoso, NM, where I first learned to ski. On that hill you could point your skis straight down the slope (which was even a little difficult to determine by sight, were you not trusting your general momentum), and, albeit a little fast for a beginner, still safely arrive at the other end with only minimal spills. I think the beginner hill at Cypress is labelled beginner strictly because they had to pick something, and all the inclines to choose from were pretty steep. (I consider the difference between a blue slope and a green slope one in which knowing how to make turns is required, and this was pushing that boundary).
Secondly, the ski conditions this winter have been pretty bad, because it's been so warm. Nice weather to be out in, but it means there was almost no snow. Initially, that seemed okay, since I was going to spend most of my day on the beginners' area anyway, and it was pretty fully covered, but still not so thorough that there weren't little pointy rocks scattered all over the snow, and bare patches, and icy patches, and . . . you get the idea.
Yeah, initial run down the slope, not pretty. Much knocking out of wind and bruising of hands commenced.
I nearly turned around and went home I was so frustrated, but decided that would be a disservice until I'd stayed for the lesson and learned the Right way to do things.
I'm glad I waited.
With only about a half hour's worth of background info on how to use the heel and toe edges, and practicing some basic drills, and then some pointers on doing turns, I was feeling totally natural up there. (The instructor said I picked it up more quickly than any beginner he'd ever taught. I didn't know what to say to that compliment — having grown up as sort of a bookish, clumsy kid, I've never been the best at any physical activity. If only snowboards [and snow, and mountains] had been around back then.)
I'd love to go back, but they say the mountain will probably be closed tomorrow until it snows again (no surprise), and I think a week or two to heal my bruises from that initial flop down the mountain is probably a wise idea.