It was Ind vs. Eng on Saturday night - the first real match for India in the world cup. So, we had a little poker + cricket party at Bharath's place. We gathered at around 10pm and started playing and then the cricket match started at 1am. Thoroughly enjoyed Sachin's sixes :) and India's batting, but was a little disappointed with India's finish.
After India's innings, I headed off with 2 other friends (Jenny & Ishwar) for a ski trip to Tahoe. The weather forecast was sunny and there was supposed to be a lot of snow because it had been snowing the whole week. So, there was lot of anticipation about skiing on Sunday. While driving there, we had the luxury of watching cricket on Jenny's iPhone. That was something. It was awesome being able to do that. But India were terrible defending a huge score of 338 and we were glad we lost signal when the match was all but lost. And Jenny took over the driving. I predicted the match would be over with 2 overs to spare the way Strauss and Bell were going at it.
We reached Kirkwood a little bit before 9am on a beautiful sunny day and decided to check the score out. Surprisingly the match was still going on. England had dramatically collapsed and they needed 30 from 13 balls with 3 wickets to spare. Thanks to the technology, we were able to witness the drama and the thrilling tie!! Okay.. at least we did not lose the match. Not a bad start to the day we thought.
The weather was perfect, lot of sun and lot of snow. :) It wasn't snowing then and there was lot of fresh snow on the slopes. It was my first time skiing on so much powder (ski lingo for snow). This was my 3rd time to a ski resort and the first two times I had taken the beginner package with lessons and stayed on the bunny green slopes. So, the order of difficulty of ski slopes goes from green t0 blue to black (or diamond) to double-black (or double-diamond). After one run, we joined AP at the resort and the group I was with this time were regular skiers and Jenny and AP were daredevils, I heard from Ishwar. They would go on the blacks and the double-diamonds and also go off terrain. Whoa!! Anyways.. here I was with them.
I did not want to be on the green slopes skiing there by myself. The last time I was there at Kirkwood, I did that and was bored at the end of it and wanted to try something different. It was my first time with this group, so, they had no idea how I skiied or on which slopes I could ski. So, the first run with Jenny was more of an assessment. I think it was blue slope. There was so much snow and first time on a blue slope for me. I was intimidated. After a slow and unenventful run, we tried to find a run that I can go on repeatedly. I waited at the base of a lift while Jenny went up a lift to assess that run. In a few minutes, he had gone up to the nearest peak I could see and come down. And by this time, AP joined us. After deciding that would be a suicide for me, we went up a different lift. It was a difficult blue. It was a little steep and narrow at the top of the run and once I fell down I found it hard to get up on that slope. So, after trying in vain to get me back on feet, AP and Jenny went down the slope and promised to come back up that lift. I can't believe now that I just stood there at the edge of the slope waiting for rescue like a deer caught in headlights. I pretty much froze.
I stood there wondering if it was the shoes which had a bit discomfort. Or is it the excess powder on the slopes. Jenny was back in a few minutes and with his assistance I managed to come back down the slope this time. At the end of the run, I was more comfortable to negotiate that slope than before. I practiced slow turns & I also learnt new techniques to get up after a fall. After checking if I would be able to go on that run alone again, Jenny went off with AP to jump off a cliff, or ski down some precipice. That run was called "The Wall," so you can imagine how steep that could be. They had gone off to the highest peak I could see from where I was standing to do their stunts. I went back on that slope and after exhausting myself with some slow turning all by myself, I looked for company and that effort going in vain, I took the lunch break. As I finished up my lunch, I bumped into Ishwar & then caught up with the other guys too. During the break, I had refreshed myself and also adjusted my shoes.. so, I felt much more comfortable after it.
Post-lunch, I just wanted to stay with at least one of them. Well, I probably had to because my cell phone died. But either ways, it turned out to be tremendous fun. It was such a huge resort and Ishwar wanted to go a different side of the mountain. In order to get to those lifts, we either needed to walk up some slope a bit or go up a lift and ski down to those other lifts. We chose the latter and at that point these three guys wanted to leave me on the easier slopes while they were gonna tread some blacks. I refused to go to the green slopes and just stayed with them instead. :)
Best decision I made? Maybe Ishwar would not agree. Over the next hour or so, I negotiated my first few blacks and took umpteen number of tumbles. The first run was probably an easier one and managed to ski down it fairly comfortably falling only a couple of times. The second one was way too sleep and made me take a variety of tumbles -- on the belly, on the back, facing uphill, facing downhill, legs in a V position, legs in an X position. If there was a way to fall, I fell that way. Once I even lost the ski pole boarding the lift, and another time I lost the ski boarding the lift and had to hop off on one ski after that -- all sorts of adventure. Given the amount of discomfort I put my body to though I feel very lucky and thankful though not to have broken a bone or two. But after getting out unscathed through all the hell, I felt satisfied. Good workout. And enough for the day.
Few more blue runs and green runs, few more fast runs and fast tumbles later, I was back to the lodge, having explored lot of Kirkwood. It was a great day to ski - lovely weather and lot of snow. And a lovely experience overall!
After that, it was the drive back, to a sumptuous dinner @Ishwar's including mango lassi, parathas & kabobs all home made by Ishwar's & Jenny's spouses. Great way to end a great day. Now, if only India sneaked in on the victory, it would have been even more special. By the time I reached home at midnight, I had slept for an hour (on the way to Tahoe) in the previous 24hours and that was by far the fullest utilization of 24hours in a day I can remember.
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