1.22.10
Ohh the (MIS)adventures that make for excellent stories…
Thanks to the lovely Katherines (Kaye Foley and Katherine Seck) almost our entire program posse went to the Sierra Nevada on Friday (since none of us have school then!).
We wanted to spend the entire day on the mountain, so we took the earliest bus possible. Here is how the morning started.
5:30am- My alarm goes off
5:45am- My alarm goes off again, and I actually get up.
6:15am- I’m dressed in all 3 athleticwear/legging type pants I brought, all my long sleeve shirts, a sweatshirt and a rain jacket to put over my sweatshirt…aka my ski coat. Awesome.
6:30am- I’ve eaten my “yogur” and honey (my staple here), packed all my snacks, my bocadillo, extra socks, sunglasses, etc.
7:00am- Meet Lillee and Kahti (Leslie and Katie) at the corner, we power walk our freezing cold bums to meet the rest of the group.
7:30am- Gang's all here! Except Kaye…what?! Kaye FOLEY the only person late?
7:45am- Waited…waited..no Kaye…sorry we left without you and you had to take a bus by yourself :)
8:15am- We arrive at the bus station and all CRAM into a tiny little rental shop to get ski equipment and winter gear.
8:50am- Chaos. The ONE guy working the rental shop is sweating profusely trying to handle all 50 of us plus others in 3 different broken languages before our bus leaves in 10 minutes. He gave me snowpants for free.
8:58am- I try avoiding seriously injuring anyone with my mochilla which is sticking out about 2.5 feet behind me while simultaneously juggling all my ski equipment.
8:59am- Massive FAIL. Slip on the edge of the platform, fall, WACK an older Espanola in the face with my skiis.
8:59:32am- A VERY angry Espanola is cursing at me in Spanish as I sputter out as many “Lo siento mucho!!” as possible. Her response “You say you are sorry but you are NOT! You hit me in the BACK! YOU IMBECIL!”
8:59:42am- I am tearing up a teeny bit out of the pure embarrassment. Oh. My. Life.
9:02am- I made it to the bus- still a little shaky from public humiliation. (Luckily Kelly Gustafson is with me telling me stories that don’t even compare to this one!)
After a quick 45 minute ride through the beautiful countryside we arrive to the ski resort. Kelly and I went in search of helmets (rather be safe and goofy looking than a sorry Sonny Bono) and other winter gear that we didn’t have time to get at the rental shop (coats, gloves, goggles, snowpants for Kelly…we were totally prepared for this trip). Then we realize the signs are not helpful and not even workers at an international ski resort speak English or understand broken Spanish. We say a quick prayer, barter with a guy on the street for gloves, and set out for the lifts.
God bless Kelly Anne Gustafson- the ULTIMATE trooper.
The last time my dear friend skied was 6 years ago in the hills of Wisconsin, yet she came out with fearlessness and a smile to face the Sierra Nevada. I gave her a crash course (emphasis on the crash!) on some rather icy greens where the rest of the group was warming up.
one of my favs of kelita!
Can you say GORGEOUS?
After a couple rounds of snowplowing and learning to “carve into the moutain,” we wanted to try another part of the mountain. But then several questions came to mind: Where did the rest of our group go? How do we get to another part of the mountain without a map? Why didn’t we think to get a map?
Thanks to technology we connected with Kevin and other friends (aka the professional skiers) who told us what lift to go to. Since each phone call is .53 euro we decided it was a good idea to keep the call going and put the phones in our pockets. Our plan was to check the phones sporadically once we got off the lift and they got done with their run. But for some extra help Kevin told us that they were at the run closest to the sun…GPS has nothing on you Kevin.
I made sure I was very careful with my phone as we prepared to go on the lift.
(subtle foreshadowing)
Me: Kelly, I’m putting my phone in this pocket but it doesn’t have a zipper. I’ll just be REALLY careful with it, and it should be fine right?
Kelly: Yeah!
Me: Ok, but Kel, remind me it’s in there. DO NOT LET ME FORGET!
Kelly: Ok!
We plop down on the chairlift.
.5 seconds later I reach in my pocket…
Me: SH** (pardon my French) KELLY WHERE IS MY PHONE?!?!?!?!??!?!?!!??!?!?
Kelly reassures me that I had to have dropped it right when I got on the lift. We resolve to remain calm, see if we can find our group at the top of the lift and ski down together to find it.
We get to the top, and what do you know- the sun is shining on all 8 runs! Thanks Kev ;)
Oh, and all the runs are advanced. Thanks Kev ;)
Oh, and we are peeing our pants scared. Yay.
Even though I’ve skied many times before (even in the mountains) there was something different about this mountain. Not much snow. More jagged rocks in between runs than trees. LOTS of ice. The feeling of being stranded may have exaggerated these feelings…
My first thought- I WANT MY DAD!
My second thought- I’m going on a bear hunt…we’re NOT scared, we’re not scared…can’t go over it…can’t go under it…we’ve GOT TO GO THROUGH IT.
My third thought- Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee…
Big breath. Go!
Within the first few minutes Kelly falls and snaps her skis off. A man who speaks a little English helps her. Her response- “ I WISH I WAS IN AMERICA.”
Few more falls and we made it! I shuffle over to the lift and mutter something about a phone..blue…lost…you have it? The guy messes with me a little and gives me MY PHONE!
SIGH OF RELIEF
Kevin called 6 times. I try calling him back but the call doesn’t go through because there are NO MINUTES LEFT ON MY PHONE.
Fabulous.
We regroup. Borrow a map from a kind kind woman in the bathrooms. Find our way back to the main area, find our friends, and grab our lunches.
By that point NOTHING sounded better than my cheese and tomato bocadillos. Then I reach into my backpack only to find NOT my delicious boacadillos but a HEAD OF CAULIFLOWER!!!!
WHAT?!?!?!!?!?! How could I grab the WRONG bag?!
And when something like that happens after a series of mishaps, all you can do is LAUGH. Hysterically!
It was the joke of the day, and possibly the week, possibly the semester
The rest of the afternoon was just as absurdly ridiculous. The gentlemanly Kebi/Debi duo took pity on the chicas and skied/boarded with us the rest of the time. I fell only ONCE when I was blindsided by Hurricane Kelly. I was on my back sliding down the mountain, skis toward the sky and just decided not to fight it. According to Kelly, I twirled like a graceful flower down the mountain.
And now....for Kelly’s ULTIMATE WIPE OUT. Caught on camera!
Kelly on skis =
In conclusion,
Bus rides to get to Sierras: 10.40 euro
Semi-sketchy ski rentals at bus station: 12 euro
EXTREMELY sketchy ski gloves bartered off the street: 6 euro
Lift ticket: 40 euro
Lunch that I had to buy b/c I brought cauliflower: 6 euro
Cell phone that I did not have to buy again b/c thank the LORD I found it: 0 euro
A crazy “ghetto” skiing day spent spiraling backwards down an icy mountain absolutely terrified and laughing your butt off with the best of friends---- PRICELESS
(Plus your senora RELENTELESSLY making cauliflower jokes until the end of time and sharing this with her friends and family… even more PRICELESS).
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