Helping Families Explore Outdoors
I recently got a chance to ride with the Team Utah Adaptive Chapter and write an article for their website. It was so cool, I wanted to share it here as well. Enjoy!
http://teamutah.org/team-utah-snowboarding-adaptive-chapter-by-guest-blogger-susan-strayer/
Last winter, Big E started his skiing career by accompanying me to Sundance Resort several times. He had a lesson and by the end of last season was able to make it down the beginner run all by himself. I was so proud, my little skier at barely four years old.
This season, I expected him to catch my love of the mountain as if it were contagious. Unfortunately all those months between last season and this one left plenty of time for him to forget. Our first (and only) run together was frequently punctuated with falling, crying and frustrated pouting.
.jpg)
“I’m done with doing this on my own,” I thought and I signed him up for a lesson. His instructor was great, but said he “got frustrated when the skis didn’t do what he wanted.”
A few days later Mountain Dad tried cross country skiing. He’d done it before, years ago, but never on his own. When he came home annoyed and red faced he said, “I just couldn’t get the skis to do what I wanted.” Do you think they’re related?
January is Learn a Snow Sports Month, and I’m pretty sure our family will be first in line.
Snow fell from late Friday night, through late Saturday night dumping eighteen inches at a rate of one to two inches per hour. Fat, heavy flakes filled the sky as I enjoyed some of the best snowboarding of my life!
Saturday morning I was giddy with delight as the fresh powder tracks just kept coming. At one point the snow was up to my knees as I sliced through the cloudlike powder like it was butter. I love this sport and I can’t wait to get back on the slopes!
I woke up this morning to a thick layer of ice on my deck. Last night I heard thunder and rain pounded against my roof. Last week we wore t shirts and basked in the sun while playing at the park.
We are officially on the bump. It’s no longer winter, but not quite spring.
Part of me mourns the lost winter, part of me loves the sun. My tots plead daily to go outside. Little g by her actions of constantly bringing shoes to me and E by just walking out the door with no shoes at all.
This time of year is awkward. Do we wear winter coats or t shirts? Pull out squirt guns (E asks daily) or go skiing?
Soon flowers will bloom and birds will twitter. I’m excited for the time when I won’t even think twice about walking out without a jacket. The weather will be warm, unlike today when E said his sandbox toys were all frozen. For now we’ll make do, and someday soon we’ll be over the bump.
