Cross Country Skiing

I AM SOOOOO SORE! We had a great time! Helena had me French braid her hair, and it promptly fell out. She will probably HATE this photo.

So, there were only TWO chaperons and one teacher for 85 students! The other chaperon drove separately with her son because he is a special needs student and was unable to stay for the entire time. That left the teacher and me for two buses of kids. Fortunately, most of the kids were very well behaved.

The bus sorted out just like it used to when I was a kid. I guess things don't change that much. The goof off boys sat in the back. The quiet kids sat in front. The socialites sat in the middle and dominated all conversation. I bet you can guess where Helena sat. Yup, she was right in the middle! On the way up the mountain, they were all very cheerful and noisy, laughing and teasing one another. The ride home was much more subdued, with kids falling asleep all over the place. The only scare we had was when Helena couldn't locate her digital camera until a friend found it in Helena's coat hood!

Once we got there and got our gear, Helena waited for me while I helped some boys find the right sized boots. Yes, she waited for me! She and her group of girlfriends included me in their group on our first trip out on the trails. The teacher had said that there were easier trails, like the City Slicker; and there were harder trails, like The Roller Coaster. After we set out, though, we kinda lost track of signs and just followed whichever trail Helena and her friends felt like going on.

The trail they went on sure had a lot of climbing! I had a really hard time negotiating one steep hairpin turn. I kept sliding back down no matter what I tried to do with my skis! Finally, I cut across the hairpin to the deep powder off the trail and made it up in that!

While the upward climbing was hard work, the downhill parts were really very fun! And in case you couldn't guess, we found out when we got back to the lodge that the girls had chosen The Roller Coaster quite by accident!

It was a first time cross country skiing for both Helena and I. We managed very nicely as long as we were moving! I fell over several times, 5 in all, I think. The funny thing, though, is that I did not fall over so much while skiing. Rather, I would fall over when standing! I know! Stupid, huh? I would shift my weight and try to compensate with some lateral movement of my foot. I discovered that my feet just won't move laterally while in skis and I would end up on the ground. Walking with long poles attached to your feet is no joke! It is harder than walking with flippers on!

For all that, though, I really enjoyed it! I was able to figure out a gliding walk that engaged my thigh muscles and had me moving forward much more gracefully. That is probably why I am so sore today! My thighs are protesting every movement.

There were some kids on the trip that I would have called 'skanky' when I was a teenager. There were a couple of girls that promptly stripped down to their tank tops and hung out with some sleazy boys in the lodge and it's vicinity for most of the stay. What makes a girl think that a skin tight lime green tank top barely covering a dark brown and pink bra will look attractive? Especially when she needs to lose about 20 pounds of belly fat?! Ugh! It wasn't just their wardrobe that made me classify them as slutty, their foul mouths clinched it! I have to wonder how they behave when around their parents? The final nail in the coffin was their behavior towards adults. They foul mouthed the bus driver and teacher behind their backs. When I went to the bathroom, they were in there washing their hands. I said 'hello' and went into a stall. They promptly left and TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS! Fortunately, I hadn't sat down yet, so it was a small matter to go turn the lights back on. I guess it takes all kinds to populate the world. I am just so grateful that my daughter is not like that!!!!

Which brings me to my last comment on the trip. Helena told me several times that she was glad I had come! It made my day! When we got back to school, there was still 40 minutes left of the last class of the day. It was Orchestra for Helena. She has an 'A' in that class, so I agreed to check her out and bring her home.