Day Trips

It was on the slopes of Nebraska that I first tried skiing. It was on a hill in
a little town where all the kids went sledding. I don’t remember much about
the experience. I remember thinking, “I can do this.” Little did I know I would
eat those words.

Twenty-five years later, my first real experience at skiing was a disaster.
My ego was as bruised as my rib cage. The only sure way I found of stopping was
throwing my body to the ground. It worked, but I could hardly breathe the next
day.

Five years later I went on my second ski trip (not including the hill in
Nebraska). I actually moved from the bunny slope to the novice slope. When I
learned how to stop without throwing myself to the ground, flying down a
slippery mountain became more like an amusement park ride.

After two days of the easy slopes, I let a friend talk me into going up the
mountain. We grabbed the last lift of the day going skyward. I discovered a
whole new world I didn’t know existed past the parking lots, lodge, and ski
lifts. The mountain was covered with pine trees and white snow for miles. My
heart was pounding with excitement and a growing fear.

Everything went well the first little bit. I skied a little ways, fell,
skied, and fell. The space between falls varied, so I thought that is how it is
supposed to be. Does anybody make it down the mountain without falling? Being
the last of the skiers on the mountain, every time I fell, the ski patrol was
there to help me up. They started asking if I needed a ride down on a
snowmobile. I kept putting them off with a cheerful, “Not yet,” until I hit a
group of moguls (bumps) that sent me sliding at breakneck speeds before
throwing me wildly into a snow bank. This time, I accepted the ski patrol’s
offer.

The snowmobile ride down the last three-quarters of the mountain was the worth
the price of the lift ticket. I hardly remember the vibrating machine ever
touching the ground as we passed skiers. The towers holding up the lift cables
looked like a picket fence.

We slid to a stop in front of the ski lodge and I climbed off shaking from the
vibration and the thrill. I yelled at the driver over the roar of the motor,
“That was great. Let’s do it again.” For the first time I saw my chauffeur’s
face. He was a burly guy with a matted and dirty beard; his smile revealed gaps
where teeth were missing. “You might not say that if you knew I turned over one
of these puppies this morning,” he yelled before roaring off in a puff of gas
fumes.

For first-time skiers — and I still count myself as one — I recommend they
invest in a minimum of equipment. A cheap ski bib, gloves, and maybe goggles
will set you back less than $50 in Austin. Rent your equipment in the town
closest to the ski area. Take lessons; the price is usually little more than
the cost of the lift ticket and well worth it. And don’t tell anybody you skied
on the plains of Nebraska.

Although it may not be a day trip, New Mexico has the ski resorts closest to
Austin. Ruidosa is about 12 hours from Austin or 130 miles north of El Paso.
Airline service is also available to Albuquerque. For more information, check
out these numbers: New Mexico, 800/545-2050, http://www.nets.com/skinm;
Colorado, http://www.aescon.com/ski/index.htm, 800/433-2656; and Utah,
800/538-1030.

Coming up this weekend…

La Bahia Celebration at the presidio in Goliad will open the store rooms of
the largest collection of Spanish colonial artifacts in the U.S., for one day
only. Other events include Las Posadas Procession, Frontier Rendezvous, and
Pony Express ride , Dec. 7. 512/645-3752.

Christmas Stroll through the streets of Salado lined with luminarias until
10pm, Dec. 6-7. 817/947-5040.

Candlelight Tour of Conservation Plaza in New Braunfels decorates the historic
buildings for the season, Dec. 7. 210/629-1572.

Dickens on the Strand turns the old harbor area of Galveston into a Victorian
village, Dec. 7-8. 409/765-7834.

Coming up…

Texas Christmas Tree Grower’s Directory lists pick-and-cut farms around the
state. Ask for one from the Agriculture Department, 463-7462.

This article appears in December 6 • 1996 and December 6 • 1996 (Cover).