First Day on the Slopes

            
             There I was on the beginners slope in Aspen Colorado. While I sat on the bench waiting for the ever-important ski instructor, I viewed at the scene around me. I was enveloped in a rolling blanket of white, dotted with skiers dressed in colorful attire, ski lifts that carried skiers to the mountaintop, and off to my left was the lodge. I always have a camera with me when I travel and noticed a group of kids perched on a bench also waiting for their instructor and snapped their picture. Two instructors, dressed in red, glided effortlessly across the snow in our direction. After coming to an impressive, snow-throwing stop, one instructor approached the agile youth and took them off to conquer the moguls. The other gentleman introduced himself to me as, Jack Hunter. He asked if I had ever skied before and if I was involved in any type of sports activity. I said, "Hello, I"m Debbie Nelson, and this was my first time to ski, but I usually walk about two to three miles twice a week".
             He instructed me to pick up my skis and poles and follow him. .
             Doing as told, I found it quite difficult to walk up hill in ski boots. I too was dressed in fashionable ski attire, but soon after strapping skis onto the already uncomfortable ski boots and walking, or should I say, shuffling, around the bunny slope, I soon shed the jacket that I so proudly sported while sitting on the bench anxiously awaiting to begin my first ski lesson. For me it was quite difficult to maneuver the long skis through the snow, complete each exercise as instructed, and remain standing. Jack had me start out, with skis on, walking sideways up and down a slope. I realized quite quickly that I had not walked near enough to prepare myself for this sport. He continued with instructions on how to wedge, ski parallel, importance of keeping the ski tips up and not letting them cross. Also, I was to think of my knees as headlights.