Full Moon

For Valentines Day, Jer and I decided to go cross-country skiing up at Sundance.  Of course, it wasn't just any ski-date.  It was a full moon ski date.  And it was awesome.  We got there right around 6--when the sun was just starting to set (remember when it used to set at 5??  I'm excited that we have more sunlight now!) The mountains, as usual, were amazing!  I even saw a bald eagle flying on our way up.  I think I should let you know that I have a gift for spotting wild animals, it just comes naturally to me...

 

First, I would like to say that the people that worked in the cross-country ski hut were so nice!  I have never seen such friendly folk before.  Last time we went snow-shoeing, the guy that fitted us wasn't so nice...with his velvet sweatsuit and gold chains around his neck...Yes, this was much better!  

I would first like to say that I have only been skiing once, before we had children, probably 7 years ago...Jeremy has never taken me since :)  I've never been so good at ice skating either, so I was just a little curious as to how this would all turn out.  The nice lady helped me with my ski's and I was ready to go--and it was just a little bit slippery...the poles saved me!  She looked worried.  She told me to alternate my hands and legs just as if I was walking...and I had to really think hard about doing that...It was a conscious effort...  But then I found these nifty tracks and it was sooo much easier!  Not that it was really hard in the first place, just kind of different...

See?  I really did it!

It got darker, but it was so peaceful and beautiful outside!  And it really smelled good.  We would just stop every once in a while and listen to the silence.  Heaven!  We saw the moon rise and the sky turn purple.  We could see our shadows on the snow.  It felt warm and there was no wind, which was perfect.  But no matter how wonderful the atmosphere was, I always had this nagging irrational thought in the back of my mind.....Is there a mountain lion stalking me?  Are those things nocturnal?  Could it be sitting on a tree limb waiting for me?  After I made a mental evaluation of what to do in such an extreme circumstance I felt better.  I just have to have a plan, you know?  Other thoughts that crossed my mind?  Avalanche and a pack of wolves.  But don't worry--I had a plan for that too.

Going uphill soon became a cinch for me.  But then we came to this enormous section of downhill.  I was nervous.  I did the extreme "pizza".  I was still going too fast.  Occasionally I would have to make myself fall over, just to stop the momentum from building.  But, I finally made it down.  If you were to ask Jeremy about this enormous hill, he might tell a different version.  But really, to me it was enormous...a beginner kind of enormous... Then we entered into the intermediate section of the trail.  It was a lot of uphill and then a lot of downhill.  I don't mean to brag, but I got better.  There was a point where I could feel the wind in my hair. :)  I forgoed the "pizza" for "french fries" (Bridger would have been so proud of me!)  and we cruised down the rest of the hill. 

I wanted to do more!  We had already been out for almost three hours but I could have gone longer.

I am dying to do this again!  We both loved it!  After we got back we drank our hot chocolate out of Jer's new thermos--it keeps hot hot and cold cold for over 24 hours.  Pretty amazing, really. 

Oh, and they're teaching a class next Saturday--I am really wanting to do this.  Anybody want to do it with me?????