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| The Top by � movenup_woman It was so beautiful, our trip to the top. The girls, Desi, Darci and Leaha brought me up for my first time. It's breathtaking being way up there but at the same time brings up all kinds of feelings, just thinking of having to go down. Anyways, one of those unusual and exciting experiences... The lift to the top goes faster than the lift to the bunny hill..I wasn't prepared for it and it swept me off my feet. We ended up in a pile on the four seater lift. My feet with skiis on and Darci's snow board tangled across each other. The attendant was hollering at us to go to the line first...seemed kinda ludricrous since we were already seated in a jumble and moving along. He halted the thing just in time to move Desi quickly to the lift behind us and then it started up again..with Darci and I still struggling with each other. Soon we were on our way up..no turning back. I don't know if it was something in my face or if it was a premonition but it seemed important for Leah to call out to me from the other side, 'Stay Strong'. It's funny, these girls taking me on my first trip to the top. I mean these are the kind of experiencs that really make life important. Firsts. I love it. I'll remember it always. Anyways, I didn't get to experience the top very long cause very quickly we were on our way down. Didn't even get a chance to dwell on my slightly shaky knees. We got partly down the first stretch of trail and Desi vears off to the right..down a side trail over the side..it's called Jr. Black Diamond. My hands and arms get tingly just thinking of it. I'm the kind of person who is willing to try something new, but I know when I've reached my limit. No doubt, I'll try it one day. But yesterday wasn't meant to be the day...I was so sure of it. I just told her this trail that I'm on seems pretty good to me...the last words I heard her say was..'Stayyy to the rigggghhhhtttt!'...'Seeee yoooouuuuu at the booottttom!' It was kinda strange being way up there, almost at the top, all by myself..at the same time it was exillirating..just sailing along, not knowing where I was going. The first place I stopped was a place where signs pointed out in 4 different directons. All with various names and symbols..I knew I should have had the forthought to stick a map in my pcket. I asked a couple and they pointed me to the steepest hill. They said it's pretty steep but once you get to the bottom, if you turn off to the right, you'll be on the catwalk all the way down. I don't know what a catwalk is but it seemed pretty tame and inviting compared to the steep hill before me. Off I went zigzagging my way down the hill. I was thinking if they can do it I can..they were at least a few years older than I, weren't they? I didn't notice till I got to the bottom that everything had fogged over. I had no idea how steep any of the trails leading down on all sides were. I took off my skiis to walk up a small incline to get a closer look ove the edge. I was pretty sure I was going to take the couples' advise and head off over to the right..I was just wondering which of the three trails to take. I didn't need to wonder long because when I tryed to get my skiis back on the clicker wouldn't click them into place...no matter how hard I tryed. I was getting tired. I thought of just sitting for awhile and resting till someone came along..I must have been there for a bit because in that time..Desi had gone back down to the lodge and got an attack of conscience..because suddenly, there she was...watching me intently, like she does..asking me, 'were you a little bit scared?' I just told her, 'Of course not', as cheerily as I could and told her about the delema with my skiis. She informed me that I had lots of snow packed to the bottom and took my poles and scraped it off. When I told her what the couple had told me about the catwalk,she said that we had to go the oppisite way following the sign called Gladiator Way. I didn't know whether to believe her or not but was glad that she'd remembered me. It turned out that Gladiator Way was the right way to go ..because it was the best skiing experience I ever had...just felt so happy, proud and exhilerated when we passed the couple on the way down. Everything was soft and hazy..kinda magical in the thick fog. I wouldn't even really tell if I was floating or not..and how fast or how slow I was going. I practiced new moves with my legs, swaying and tensing different parts to get a differnet result. We went down for quite awhile and then came to another lift that to my surprise brought us up yet again. It was at that point that Desi informed me that she didn't really know where we were going...We took a couple of more pictures of each other on the lift and without speaking we decided to relax and just enjoy the ride. We were glad when we reached the end of the lift to see some familiar signs. And headed off towards the one that said, Shwietzer Village. The rest of the trail took Desi racing on ahead into the fog and me floating along to find her somewhere seated on the side of the trail, waiting..we repeated this over and over again until we got to the lodge. I was sooo spent, that I thought of taking off my skiis to just make it up the little bit left to the lodge..but Desi reached back and said, 'give me your pole..I'll pull you'..I told her I could take my skiis off and walk..she just gave me one of those looks and said, 'But I want to pull you.' So that's how it was...her pulling me our last little ways..until I could ski it again. It was one of those firsts that will stick in my mind forever..the thing that I'll remember the most is Desi..watching out for me..coming back..sitting on the side in the snow bank waiting for me..pulling me..and something she said..something like..'We're Indians..We're strong..and We help each other.' |
