Do you ever just spend days practicing your skiing or is it just adventure and challenge all day long?
A little back ground to the question. This past weekend was the 1st of several what I will call "Ikon" weekends in New England. The wife and I went up to Sugarbush Resort in Northern Vermont.
We arrived Saturday knowing it had rained last Thursday and it would most likely be somewhat slick. It certainly was but nothing a seasoned eastern skier has never seen before. Started working on the Gatehouse trails, getting used to the snow (and the cold) and ramping up for a fun day. 3rd run down was an intermediate run called Sleeper. Seems like they had done some snowmaking on it but the surface (and whales they had blown) were pretty hard and kind of weird. Well what happened next I'm not really sure. It kind of seemed to me like on of the Hollywood action movie scenes where the characters get launched from an explosion behind them. I know it started with a patch of ice but the only thing I know after is I was air born and the ground was approaching fast. My wife who was below me didn't see the fall either just heard the thud and groan as I hit the ground. Skis were 40 yards above me stuck in the snow, like I said not sure what exactly happened.
Well approaching the the big 60 falls are not what they used to be. 2 years ago on my first day back from a western trip I hooked a tip on the home bump and came down on my shoulder hard. It took me a year and a half to recover from that one and I couldn't play tennis for a while because I could'nt toss the ball for a serve. This crash was some what similar in that In the way but I think I was able to get my forearm out to block the landing and only jammed it, but make no mistake I was in pain. Must of hit my knee on the way down to as I had a twinge of pain there but fortunately no pain in walking so I'm thinking that it may just be a bruise.
Anyway the fall "Shook" me. These were days 11 and 12 for me this season so coming into the weekend I had been feeling good, hitting a nice stride and had visions of going up and hitting Castlerock for a couple and adventuring around Mt Ellen Sunday. Well that all went poof in those moments I was on the ground. Changed the whole purpose of the weekend. We continued on and skied for a while but knocked off early and went to do some other things then back to hotel to take a hot tub and diner. The wife was wonderful enough to apply a nice dose of Mineral Ice to the shoulder before going to bed, but I went to bed fearing that I my have really messed up my season, which still has a long way to go and many more trips (including the west) to be taken.
Woke up Sunday determined to go hit it again but not with the same aim. No longer about the adventure and challenge but about recovery and getting the "mojo" back. Fortunately we hit Mt Ellen and started the day over in their terrain park hitting the nice cord on the side just getting turns and the confidence back. Spent the day on the easier runs doing much the same for the rest of the day. Not what I visioned going up there but a useful day all the same.
Got 4 or 5 days to work out on the home hill before our next weekend trip to Stratton. Hoping I can get the confidence back and ease my self back in to the moguls before then. My next full ski days will be all about practice.
A little back ground to the question. This past weekend was the 1st of several what I will call "Ikon" weekends in New England. The wife and I went up to Sugarbush Resort in Northern Vermont.
We arrived Saturday knowing it had rained last Thursday and it would most likely be somewhat slick. It certainly was but nothing a seasoned eastern skier has never seen before. Started working on the Gatehouse trails, getting used to the snow (and the cold) and ramping up for a fun day. 3rd run down was an intermediate run called Sleeper. Seems like they had done some snowmaking on it but the surface (and whales they had blown) were pretty hard and kind of weird. Well what happened next I'm not really sure. It kind of seemed to me like on of the Hollywood action movie scenes where the characters get launched from an explosion behind them. I know it started with a patch of ice but the only thing I know after is I was air born and the ground was approaching fast. My wife who was below me didn't see the fall either just heard the thud and groan as I hit the ground. Skis were 40 yards above me stuck in the snow, like I said not sure what exactly happened.
Well approaching the the big 60 falls are not what they used to be. 2 years ago on my first day back from a western trip I hooked a tip on the home bump and came down on my shoulder hard. It took me a year and a half to recover from that one and I couldn't play tennis for a while because I could'nt toss the ball for a serve. This crash was some what similar in that In the way but I think I was able to get my forearm out to block the landing and only jammed it, but make no mistake I was in pain. Must of hit my knee on the way down to as I had a twinge of pain there but fortunately no pain in walking so I'm thinking that it may just be a bruise.
Anyway the fall "Shook" me. These were days 11 and 12 for me this season so coming into the weekend I had been feeling good, hitting a nice stride and had visions of going up and hitting Castlerock for a couple and adventuring around Mt Ellen Sunday. Well that all went poof in those moments I was on the ground. Changed the whole purpose of the weekend. We continued on and skied for a while but knocked off early and went to do some other things then back to hotel to take a hot tub and diner. The wife was wonderful enough to apply a nice dose of Mineral Ice to the shoulder before going to bed, but I went to bed fearing that I my have really messed up my season, which still has a long way to go and many more trips (including the west) to be taken.
Woke up Sunday determined to go hit it again but not with the same aim. No longer about the adventure and challenge but about recovery and getting the "mojo" back. Fortunately we hit Mt Ellen and started the day over in their terrain park hitting the nice cord on the side just getting turns and the confidence back. Spent the day on the easier runs doing much the same for the rest of the day. Not what I visioned going up there but a useful day all the same.
Got 4 or 5 days to work out on the home hill before our next weekend trip to Stratton. Hoping I can get the confidence back and ease my self back in to the moguls before then. My next full ski days will be all about practice.