Week 13 Theme

Alpine skiing is downhill snow skiing. It involves having two skis, both attached to the front and back of your foot. This is different than Nordic (cross-country) skiing, where one would have the heel free and only the toe of their boot attached to the ski. Skiing has been around for thousands of years, but downhill skiing only became popular in the late 1800's. This new fascination with the "alpine" skiing got it's start in the European Alps. Now a days skiing is a popular sport and past time during the winter months. There are many Ski resorts and areas around the US, including a few great ones in Maine!

A few of the bigger resorts in Maine are Sugarloaf, Sunday River,Saddleback and Shawnee Peak. They all offer a variety of trails ranging from black diamonds and free terrain for the more experienced, to bunny hills for the beginners. They also offer mountainside lodging and rentals so people can come and stay for extended trips. Each one has a main lodge that includes dinging areas, restuarants or small snack shacks, rental shops, waxing and sharpening areas, locker rooms, and more. One can enjoy a full day out on the mountain and is able to come inside to all the amenities these resorts have to offer. It is a very relaxed and fun environment.

I personally enjoy skiing very much and I look forward to it each and every year. My favorite place to go is Shawnee Peak however, I do like trying out other ski areas as well. I know that mountain like the back of my hand and even though it's not the biggest I still choose to go there. It is where I've done the majority of my skiing. I started going there when I was in 7th grade with the middle school ski club and have continued skiing there ever since. Although I've been going to Shawnee Peak for many years I got my start at another mountain, King Pine when I was in 6th grade.

Starting ski club when I was younger was the greatest idea. My parent's encouraged me to do it and I ended up falling in love. I was a "natural" I guess you could say and picked it up right from the get-go. I loved the rush I got from cruising down the mountain in the crisp, cold air. It was refreshing, energizing, thrilling, and so much more. I used it as a relief from the outside world, when I was on the mountain it was just me and the snow, nothing else; I had no worries, no problems, I just cleared my head. It was fun, it was like I didn't have to think much about what I was doing once I got the hang of it. It didn't feel like I was exercising or exerting myself, although I liked that it was challenging at times, I never found it hard.

Here I am today, I junior in college. A pair of K2 skis, Noridca boots, hats and mittens, all packed up with odds and ends in a big duffel bag. Going to hit the slopes for the day at Sugarloaf with my friends and family. The excitement is killing me, I cannot wait to ride right to the top and do my first run. I love the feeling when I first ski off the chair lift, pick a trail, and just start going like it all just came rushing back to me. Just like I had said before, It's more of a release for me, I don't have to think about it. I just go.