Snow Report

It finally snowed this weekend! It started just before I went to bed on Friday night. Saturday I woke up to go to work and it was coming down hard. I'd say we got a couple of inches. I did fine driving in it, though it took me 20 minutes to get somewhere that it should only have taken less than 10. In true Southern form I calculated the route that would include the fewest hills, and have the most traffic so the snow would be broken up.

Saturday afternoon we took a group of participants Cross Country skiing. It was with Oregon Adaptive Sports, an organization I have gotten to work with a few times. (www.oregonadaptivesports.org)  Its a really great program. The do downhill skiing, lessons for people with special needs/Intellectual disabilities, but mostly do instruction with sit skis for those in wheelchairs or with limited mobility due to a physical disability. It sounds like they are branching our more into other sports now as well. I've worked alpine ski trips, snow shoe and xc ski outings where we partnered with them. Anyway the xc ski on Saturday went well. There was a lot of fresh snow on the ground and falling! It was a bit stressful getting our gear and everyone up the mountain, in their boots and on time..but once we arrived everyone had a great trip. I even learned I have a new skill, the ability to teach things that I am not real good at doing myself. I have been xc skiing twice in my life, both times in the last 3 weeks..yet somehow I was able to give a lesson to a participant and shocked myself at how well it sounded like I knew what I was talking about!

Sunday I went up to Mt Bachelor with my work friend and her husband. We snowboarded. I take that back, my friends snowboarded...I somehow got down the mountain with a board strapped to my feet! We split up in the morning and they rode the NW side of the mountain where it is more like backcountry skiing. I stuck to the groomed slopes and green runs. After we met up for lunch I followed them on a few blues and even cut through some trees to switch runs. It was a bit comical! After that run I took myself over to the bunny slope and we agreed to meet up at the end of the day. Here is what I discovered on this adventure- snowboarding to me is a bit like Widespread Panic. I really want to like it, all my friends like it, and I admit it looks much cooler than skiing. But I just dont. I'm horrible at it, and in turn getting more frustrated than having fun. Maybe one day I will get good enough to see what everyone else sees in the sport. Till then you can find me on nerdy skis and in uncomfortable boots.

I decided to sleep in today. When I woke up I was surprised by more snow! A couple more inches I'd guess. It was too late to get up to the mountain (or be worth the money). I debated socially appropriate ways for an adult to play in the snow. I should say, socially appropriate for where I am living currently, ways. I ruled out sledding down my street, as there seemed to be a good number of cars out and about (did they not see all this snow??). Building a snow man was an option but I also decided my neighbors would stare and doing it alone did not seem as fun as with friends. After much thought I came up with the perfect solution...shoveling my driveway! My driveway is gravel, so it was a bit tricky and probably did not need to be done at all. But it was my excuse to be outside and playing in the snow, and to get to use that huge shovel in the storage room. It was actually mildly fun, and I felt very productive. I am after all, my father's daughter!