Downhill in Fresh Powder

The first time I did it was when I was a senior at Kansas State University.  I signed up for a trip with a group of students to Vail, Colorado.  My initiation on skis.   Mostly, it was about looking like a graceless fool, falling down and making every kind of mistake possible.  But it was great fun. I left Vail, eager for more.

I skied in Switzerland and Germany when I was in the Army, based in Europe. After leaving the military and resettling back in Seattle as a post-graduate student at the University of Washington, I continued to ski and got a lot better at it.  Flying downhill in light powder is awesome fun.

For me, as far as sking is concerned, the best of times came linked with the worst of times. At Lake Tahoe, after three days of my greatest moments on the slopes, I pushed it a bit too far.

Sierra Ski Ranch, California

The photo above was taken literally within  minutes of the moment I caught an inside edge and torqued my knee.  The damage was bad enough that I required surgery.   It was  pretty much the end of the story for me on the slopes. I skied again a few times after that, but my passion for it was gone, and I turned my attention to other things.