Last Friday, I rolled out of the rack early, grabbed a quick shower, and hit the road. I was out of Boulder before 6am, driving in the dark with a few other hardy souls. We skirted the hogbacks that line the Front Range of the Rockies, splashing pools of light along the windy highway.
The early morning hours in my car were quiet. I was driving alone, and I had decided to refrain from my usual habit of listening to insightful speakers or other information, choosing instead to make it a more contemplative and introspective time. It was a very useful time as I considered topics ranging from my family to my life's purpose, and many things in-between.
At that early hour, the phone doesn't ring, and even with the snow on the roads and a bit of trepidation on the drive due to the road conditions, I enjoyed the time and arrived at Copper Mountain at about 7:45 with time to grab a quick breakfast before meeting with the group for a returning instructors' clinic.
The book with the terrible title (http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html) can be your own little clinic, too.
We spent the morning inside while the snow continued coming down outside. In the theater, there aren't even windows to see what's happening outside. But, we all knew. The snow has been great over the past few weeks, falling consistently every day or so, keeping the snow surface fresh, and piling up snow in the hidden pockets all around the mountain. But, we were inside!
After lunch, I geared up in my uniform and headed out for the afternoon component.
Oh, man! The snow surface was great on the one free ski run I had before meeting up with my clinic leader and the other members of the group. Now, I'm not sure why they call them clinics, to tell you the truth. They are times when instructors get together to learn from each other and from an especially skilled "clinic leader." This was no exception.
We jumped on the American Eagle, cut over to the Excellerator, and then dropped over to the Storm King button lift. We got off at the top of Copper Mountain's Spaulding Bowl above 12,000 feet aove sea level.
This is not where I expected to practice my beginner teaching progression!
Coker smiled at us... "A little fun?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. I grinned. We all dropped into Patrol Chute, one of the steepest shots at Copper, and on this day filled with fresh snow that had blown into it. During some turns, I dropped into snow almost to my waist. For me, this was heaven!
We had another run later in the day through the trees of Enchanted Forest before I ended my ski day and got back on the road.
But, my day wasn't over yet!
After a sometimes harrowing drive back to the Front Range and a quick bite and change at home, I was back on the road with the entire family... to my first ballroom dance lesson!
You see, Terry has plans for us, and one of them is that we will dance together at an upcoming marriage event that we are helping to sponsor!
So, I'm learning the Foxtrot, Swing, and other dances that I can't even identify right now!
I could have danced all night... It was fun. Which, for me, was a surprise. I'm looking forward to not tripping over my own feet at the upcoming dance!
That night, though, I didn't write my e-mail to you.
There's a reason for that which I will share in an upcoming e-mail.
In the meantime, are you moving forward?
Let's go!
Stephen Sven Hultquist
PS I've changed the page about the book I wrote. Did you know that I hate it's name? More on that here: http://stephenhultquist.com/skiing.html.