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Ski Trip 2006 By Mrs. Meyer What a start for a ski trip! March 21st,the day we were supposed to leave, we had 16 inches of new snow on the ground. We wanted the snow on the mountain, not delaying our travel! I couldn≠t even get out of my own driveway. (It was a good decision to leave a day later as the roads were terrific all the way to Red Lodge.) The "skiers" arrived at school on time and we wrapped up a set of exercises for Keesha (otherwise known as Skeesha). After pulling out of Macy at 7:48 am on March 22nd, we made it all the way to South Sioux City Wal-mart before stopping. (Something about needing cameras, snacks, sunglasses, snacks, sunblock, snacks, etc.) The official start time for the trip became 8:35 am from Wal-mart in South Sioux. A 9:45 pm arrival in Red Lodge allowed time for swimming and hot tub before bedtime. 8 am the 23rd found us at the ski resort getting fitted for boots, skis, and poles. Faces contorted as they squeezed feet into stiff, cold boots, trying them on to make sure they would be "comfortable" (not possible in ski boots, but nice try). Next, the rental personnel selected and fitted the long boards that would be attached to the uncomfortable boots. Then on to pick up the poles that helped us get over level ground on the way to lifts AND made arms sore. Skiers were instructed to write the rental number on their lift ticket so they could find the right skis after a lunch break. That way, their skis would fit their boots---good idea. Now---onto the snow. Of course, Oliver and Keesha needed only to warm up as they recalled their skiing expertise from last year. For Kathleen, Julia, and Ashleigh, the bunny slope was a different story. They started out learning how to "snowplow" to slow down, stop, and turn. Snow frequently "decorated" their pants. Falls were numerous at first. Eventually, they went farther and farther without falling and were ready to go on the lift up to Miami Beach---the loooong, wiiiide bunny hill. Ashleigh's reaction to riding the lift, "This is so scary...but what a rush!" (For her, that rush continued all three days!) Once on the lift, the riders could pause to enjoy the scenery, and the first day rewarded us with a deep blue sky, glistening white snow, and deep green evergreens. I remember hearing the comment, "Mrs. Meyer, you never told us how beautiful it would be up here!" Kathleen and Julia skied the rest of the day with "reckless abandon". They had the "going" part down really well, but stopping and turning were still problems they encountered frequently. They did keep up with Oliver and Keesha. Their crowning achievement at the end of the first day was to come down the 2Π mile "Lazy M", a wide, groomed, blue run that winds all the way from the top of the mountain to the lodge. (They skied most of the way down and fell and slid the rest.) Ashleigh could best be described as a "cautious" skier. She worked hard on perfecting her turns and stops before going on to her next challenge (reminded me of myself in the early days of my skiing experience). Kathleen and Julia developed the sliding stops and turns and really covered the mountain after the first day. So now Mr. Ross and I had a hard time keeping up with Kathleen, Keesha, Julia, and Oliver. The last run of the last day, Mr. Ross and Ashleigh took off down ≥Turnpike≈, a nice beginner≠s run. Then Keesha laid down the challenge to go down "Lower Limited", a short black diamond (experts) slope. Skiing hard all day made my legs noodles by that time, but Oliver and Julia accepted and down they went. Successfully, I might add. All the skiers this year met their own personal challenges to the maximum degree, including Mr. Ross and I. Mother nature held up her end of the deal with great snow on the mountain and none on the roads! We arrived home Sunday, March 26th with no injuries and plenty of good memories! Can't wait for next year...... Quotes from some of the skiers: Favorite memory of the first day: "Going down Lazy M. It seemed really steep and I was so scared, but I never gave up!" "Just watching Jewelz and Kathleen fall. Because they reminded me of me last year." "Improving my skiing and doing very well for my first time. I surprised myself while going down Miami Beach." "When we went down Lazy M; it was so fun. The whole day was fun though. I loved seeing Julia wipe out. It helped me see myself and I knew I looked funny too." Hardest part about the first day of skiing: "Stopping because it was scary. When I was going too fast, I always panicked and forgot how to stop." "Learning how to ski--stops--- turns--- and getting control." "Waiting for everybody!" "Learning to control my speed. Because I get really nervous when I go fast. And it being my first time skiing, I panic." Most surprising thing about the first day of skiing: "That I hit most of the intense and wicked slopes and conquered them." "The pain in your legs and falling cause it hurts and it gives you bruises." "That I can go down Lazy M without falling." "I thought I would be too scared to go down any hills, but I surprised myself (even if I did fall)." "That I could go faster than what I usually go." The things I liked best about the ski trip: "The jumps." "Finally skiing and loving it." "Just having fun with everybody and plus, I wasn≠t the only girl this time." "Being here with my best friend Keesha and my sis Jewelz." "Skiing and having fun." Some things I learned about skiing were: "Take risks and challenge yourself." "Don≠t be scared and do what you set your mind to do." "It's really easy to learn if you just concentrate. It≠s FUN!!" "Don't be afraid and go with the(flow) snow!" Additional comments: "Awesome" "Favorite lift is Grizzly Peak! BEAUTIFUL VIEW!!!" "I only fell 4 times today, because yesterday I fell too many times to count." "Favorite run is Turnpike because of the jump." Additional happening: This is the first time I have ever had a student skier miss getting off the lift and ride the chair around the "wheel". They had to stop the lift and let her get off on the return side. Copyright 2008 Umonhon Nation Public School This site is using the Slab-Red 1.0 theme.
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