Skiing Rendezvous

Last Friday, we and some close friends went skiing at Silver Mountain on a NIHEA Homeschool Day (discounts!!). Because of 3 major knee/ankle accidents in the last 3 winters (from horses, snowboarding, and stairs), I haven't skied (except 3 mini runs last year) in 2 years, so the first part of the day I pretty much just 'got back into the swing of things'...tons of fun!!

That morning, both Mama and Papa had a premonition that an accident could occur, and so reminded us to use our judgement on the slopes we skied...never did I dream that their premonition would/could apply so specifically to me!

That afternoon, I skied some runs with Papa, Rachel, and 2 friends.  I haven't skied a Black Diamond since my 3rd day on the Slope around 4 years ago (because of accidents)...but I'd been doing well all day, and when there wasn't another available run down to the Lift (that I knew of), I thought, "Why not??  I'm doing really good, Rendezvous is the run of the day & they said it is REALLY smooth...I might as well!!"

See Rendezvous slope in the middle

Because of knee injury, my brain created a 'protective mode', which sometimes turns on in certain conditions, making me go a little slower and turn wider...which on a Black slope is exactly opposite of what you want to do!! :) Also, brain is still perceiving skiing left as more difficult than skiing right is. (working on changing that!!)

FYI, Rendezvous is a long,  steep, smooth, 1/4++ mile, 2-part slope, with a plateau in the middle...at the top, it doesn't look too terribly steep..until you get to the crest. :)  By the time I was 1/4 down the first slope, I realized that maybe this wasn't the best idea, but reminded myself that 'there was no other way, so just keep skiing'. Everyone else was down at the plateau by that time, waiting for me... And just after I thought, "Oh great....now I'm going to slow them down!!", it happened....I was skiing left and was in the middle of the slope, when I lost my  balance or something, and started rolling...

(Photo by Alyssa Gaul)

Of course, wearing a slick suit doesn't help any, and though I tried digging my poles in (not good enough though), I wasn't stopping. After 5-6 rolls, I figured I wasn't going to stop too quickly, and knowing 'rolling' is not safe with skis and poles, I pulled myself around so that I was doing "Snow Angels" in a circling type of way (e.g. first head-first, then side-first, then feet-first, and so on).

I figured (as did my group), that I'd stop when I got to the Plateau, but instead I caught air (with a grin on my face, so they say) and kept accumulating speed as I went down the next steep slope. (After almost running into a friend who had to jump out of my 'path'.)  Up until the Plateau, I had tried to stop, but after I passed it, I figured "I'm not going to stop until I do, so I might as well relax and enjoy the ride!!" Good for me, but my non-movement freaked my group out  and they started imagining the worst, with the least being unconsciousness. 2 of the group were EMTs (either presently or in the past), and so in that way, I consoled myself on the way down that even if I was severely 'damaged', at least they'd know how to take spinal precautions and make sure my airways were patent!! :)

Praise God, I finally stopped at the end of the steep slope (a long ways from the cliff), in powder, with no injuries, and lots of snow in my hair!! :) My group concluded that that was the first human missile they'd seen on a Ski Slope, and that I traveled 1/4 mile, going about 25-35 mph in about 40 seconds!!!

Some of our gang-Earlier in the day (Photo by Alyssa Gaul)

Looking back, the only thing I was worried about, was that I knew there was a slope that had a large chunk of exposed granite in it (like Narnia), and I couldn't remember if I was ON that slope!! Thankfully, it happened to be the slope next to it.

I tried to keep my skis/poles intact  as long as possible for 'gathering's sake', but my skis ended up coming off about 50-100+' above the Plateau, and my poles came off a few hundred feet from where I stopped. Gratefully, my group brought them down on their way down.

I looked the slope up after I got home, and destination360.com said: "On powder days, Rendezvous is a great black diamond run on the Kellogg side." Yup, I'd have to agree there.....it is a GREAT run!!!! And if it wasn't for "danger's sake", I'd happily slide down it again!!

However, on a more serious note, if I had known what was going to happen might happen, and that there was another run to that chairlift, I would have done as Proverbs 2:11 says: "Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee..."

Safe & Sound Afterwards with my dear friend Alyssa (Photo by Alyssa Gaul)

I know it is just because of my parents and friends praying for me, and because of God's gracious hand that I'm not in a cast, hospital, or something.....so I thank God for His protection.

Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

~ Proverbs 32:7 ~