a99kitten's Musings

Went on a great snowshoe hike today! Over the past couple years I have definitely moved away from other snow sports and to snow hiking or show shoeing. Plus I get to spend more time with the huskies this way (although they don’t always go with me.)

When I first moved to California I learned how to ski. My old boss got me private lessons at Northstar. Cute instructer = bonus :) After 2 years I moved to snowboarding. All the cute boys were just starting to do it so my girlfriends and I decided to learn :) Back then a lot of girls did not snowboard. So we were pretty cool ;)

I was/am a decent snowboarder. I liked trying to learn/do tricks in the snowboard park. And I did enjoy myself. I never hurt myself skiing, but also never tried anything other than cruising down the standard runs. With snowboarding, I did try more stuff.  Jumping, trees, etc. One time I almost plowed right into a tree. I did actually plow into the tree but not Kennedy or Bono style. I was careening through the trees, lost control but thought with my head and covered my head with my arms and hit the ground with my butt so I could slide into the tree – whew. My friend said she heard the thwack against the tree and was freaked out. Meanwhile, she found me laughing since I was imagining in my head how that looked to anyone watching! Not hurt at all.

But then a few years later I tried a jump in the snowboard park and landed wrong. Slid half way down the run on my face….on the ice. Ow. My husband had taken the jump first so he was down the run going “what are you doing, just get up and come down here.” Ummm…yeah..sure pal. A girl boarded down to me and saw I was hurt and my bleeding and red face. She got the ski patrol and I rode down with them on the lift.  From that point on, I basically thought to myself – is this really worth it? Is the level of fun worth the potential outcome? No..actually…not really.

So since them I go boarding a few times a season. Between the ridiculous cost of the lift tickets (ridiculous since I get bored after an hour or 2) and the fact that I really get bored and don’t want to break anything means I find other things to do in the winter now.

Now…the very first winter I came to Tahoe I decided I wanted a house in the mountains. I love it so much.  And when we were able to, and decided to, buy a house here, I was ecstatic. In the spring/summer/fall, I hike around and love the beauty of the mountains. In the winter, I now hike around too. I love it.

My husband hates that I don’t snowboard much anymore. Moans and groans every season. Says I “tricked” him. Um…yeah…people never change what they like.  Who cares. I am doing what I enjoy. Plus I get so much more husky time :)