I used to love to ski. Mom and dad would wake us up at 4am, throw us, our gear, as well as a pile of pillows and blankets into the truck, and make the four-hour drive for a fun day on the mountain. Hit it early, hit it hard, and make the most of every single minute we had.
From a young age, my sisters and I were racing down Black Diamond runs, carving lines around moguls, and taking every jump opportunity we could find. Our parents raised a bunch of wild women on the mountain, and we simply could not get enough.
As the oldest, I always got dad’s hand-me-downs when it came to gear. I remember him laughing with some of his friends that his (one foot shorter) 13-year daughter was skiing on his 174s. I didn’t know any better. I just knew if I wanted to ski, I either used his old gear or I had to buy my own, and gear was expensive, even back then. I have told this story a couple of times at various ski rental shops. They smile, hand me 164s, and tell me they don’t recommend anything longer. Ha.
As I got older (and my dad stopped paying for my ski lift tickets), my trips to the mountain slowed down. I blame a heavy workload, a solid social calendar, and the fact I was living in a city where there was always a lot to do (shout out to San Francisco!). I’d go a couple of times a year, renting equipment as needed, and finding I was ok not tearing down the mountain as much anymore.
Then I met Heuer. My snowboarding, Tahoe-loving partner-in-crime. We’d rent homes for the ski season and come up as much as we could. It was great, and I realized how much I had missed gliding down the mountain.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before I started to get a shooting pain in my knees, the right one mostly, but both were having issues. After a couple of doctor’s visits, I learned I had chondromalacia patella and scheduled the surgery to remove a couple of bone spurs that had formed under my kneecaps. I thought my skiing days were over.
They were, mostly. Every once in a while I would rent some gear and hit the mountain with Heuer, but I would pay for it after. So, I took up my post as an official “lodge bunny” and have spent the last decade+ reading or working at the resort while he slid around the mountain. I lied to myself and said it was “good enough,” even though I knew it wasn’t.
That all changed this year when we moved to North Lake Tahoe. With this move, I swore I was going to get back up on the mountain and enjoy the perks of living a mere 10 minutes from a resort. I rented some gear and got in one day of spring skiing. While my knees were not thrilled, they allowed the day to happen. This was a good sign, very good indeed. I decided to set the intention that I will ski, so it was time to buy some gear. Gulp.
We hit a local ski swap/sale and found a pair of new Atomic boots that fit my feet like a glove, er … sock. As I was not sure what type of skis I wanted (a lot has changed in 10+ years), I decided to only buy the boots as I could rent different pairs of skis each time I go out until I find something I’d really like. So I handed over my credit card and took them home.
We have gotten quite a bit of snow over the last couple of weeks, so Heuer and I picked up some rental skis for me, and headed up to Diamond Peak Ski Resort. I only lasted an hour that day, but it felt good and I was ready for more.
So, yesterday, we headed to the mountain again. I did a couple of runs on the bunny slopes to warm up the legs and make sure my knees were going to tolerate this, then we headed up the Crystal Express chair. The thing I love most about this lift is it drops you in front of (I think) one of the best views of Lake Tahoe, whether the sun is shining or snow is dumping down on you. Heuer waited patiently as I took a few minutes to get a couple of photos. You are welcome honey, as I think you look super cute here.
The runs down the hill are long and well-groomed, but there were a lot of fluffy snow piles throughout from people carving their own way down. While these little wannabe moguls would not have been an issue for me in my younger years, my knees quickly spoke up to remind me I am not quite ready for the Winter Olympics. I got down, but that was the last run of the day for me. I need to do more leg workouts and some yoga to help make sure my knee caps track correctly.
All in all a great day, but it will take me another week or two to get myself back up this hill. And I will, as I have to get my money’s worth out of these boots!
