Ski Bunny
Just came back from a fantastic ski weekend! It was so much fun. It only ended up being Tom, Trey and myself and on Friday night we headed up to Cheongu, which is about an hour away, to meet our friend Mary who we have met a few times, and was the brains behind the operation this weekend as she had been before.
We arrived in Cheongu just before midnight and ended up at a random house party with some foreigners in that area. It was alright, although we didn't know anybody and they all seemed to be involved in their own conversations so we pretty much stuck to ourselves. We left around two, which was pretty late given that we had plans to be up at 6 in the morning. Six o'clock came around and we cursed ourselves for staying out late the night before but reluctantly got up and headed to the bus station. Another two hour bus ride (which meant another two hours of sleep!) and we were at the ski hills!
I was pretty excited because I used to enjoy skiing, though it has been years since I had done it, and I was also nervous because I was pretty convinced I was going to be awful at it. It was okay though because Mary had only been 3 times before, Tom hadn't skiied in 8 years, and Trey had never done it. We bundled up and got our ski gear on and headed to the bunny hill lift.
The first hill down I made it down without falling, I was able to zigzag along and go at a reasonable speed and stop when I wanted to. I was a happy camper. Tom and Mary were naturals and put me to shame, and Trey did okay for his first hill with only falling a few times. We looked at the line of the ski lift for the bunny hill and figured it was too long, so we moved on to a bigger hill. At the top of it there were 3 hill options and we got to the top of a really steep one and Trey decided this was the one he wanted to do. I got my video camera going and the 3 of us watched him take off down the hill, falling about 2o seconds later. Tom and Mary took off down it and, ever the follower, I went down shortly after. I started off okay with the zigzagging and then started going faster, and faster, and faster. Zooming past Tom and Mary who were helping Trey up. So fast that they didn't even see me go by. I figured I had two options, I could keep going and pray I didn't crash into a tree, a fence, or a person or I could wipe out. I opted for the latter and fell, only the hill was so steep I just kept right on going down at record speed. Finally, I was able to stop myself with my ski pole. With a back full of snow I started getting my skis back on and prepared to give it another go. Just as I was about to get up I looked up and saw Trey sliding down in the same manner I had, and I moved just enough to stop a collision, and also enough to lose my grip on the hill and take off sliding again. (I'm sure it was quite comical to anyone who wasn't me.) I did manage to stop myself, get up and ski down the rest of the way without falling.
After that we went onto the hardest hill because Tom and Mary were prostars and Trey is much much braver than I am. I fell a few more times on this hill, which was just enough to kill my confidence in my skiing capabilites and for the rest of the day I went down the hills at a turtle's pace trying to work on my turning, and stopping, and general gracefullness. By the end of the day we were sore, wet, tired and hungry. We headed down towards town in search of a hotel room, where we found a pension, which is a hotel that has sleeping rooms with no beds, just blankets and pillows meant for sleeping many people. We had six people staying in our room because two of Mary's friends were joining us and we got the biggest room in the place, which was clean, had a tv, and a massive pile of pillows and blankets. Even though I'm sure that that room would normally get used by 20 Koreans, and there were only 6 of us, we used every blanket, and pillow in the place and had it set up like a big slumber party.
Next we went to the Hot Springs Sauna next door and refreshed with some hot baths and saunas. After we went for sam gyup sal for dinner, which is bbq pork wrapped in lettuce, and then we went off for some drinks, despite being so exhausted. Around 1 we were all knackered and headed back to our slumber party where we slept until after 10 this morning.
Trey and I were far too sore for more skiing, but Tom and Mary were raring to go. So Trey and I headed back, in pain, and left Tom and Mary for round two. Despite my embarrassing ski skills and the pain I feel today, we can't wait to go again! Possibly next weekend, or the weekend after.
We arrived in Cheongu just before midnight and ended up at a random house party with some foreigners in that area. It was alright, although we didn't know anybody and they all seemed to be involved in their own conversations so we pretty much stuck to ourselves. We left around two, which was pretty late given that we had plans to be up at 6 in the morning. Six o'clock came around and we cursed ourselves for staying out late the night before but reluctantly got up and headed to the bus station. Another two hour bus ride (which meant another two hours of sleep!) and we were at the ski hills!
I was pretty excited because I used to enjoy skiing, though it has been years since I had done it, and I was also nervous because I was pretty convinced I was going to be awful at it. It was okay though because Mary had only been 3 times before, Tom hadn't skiied in 8 years, and Trey had never done it. We bundled up and got our ski gear on and headed to the bunny hill lift.
The first hill down I made it down without falling, I was able to zigzag along and go at a reasonable speed and stop when I wanted to. I was a happy camper. Tom and Mary were naturals and put me to shame, and Trey did okay for his first hill with only falling a few times. We looked at the line of the ski lift for the bunny hill and figured it was too long, so we moved on to a bigger hill. At the top of it there were 3 hill options and we got to the top of a really steep one and Trey decided this was the one he wanted to do. I got my video camera going and the 3 of us watched him take off down the hill, falling about 2o seconds later. Tom and Mary took off down it and, ever the follower, I went down shortly after. I started off okay with the zigzagging and then started going faster, and faster, and faster. Zooming past Tom and Mary who were helping Trey up. So fast that they didn't even see me go by. I figured I had two options, I could keep going and pray I didn't crash into a tree, a fence, or a person or I could wipe out. I opted for the latter and fell, only the hill was so steep I just kept right on going down at record speed. Finally, I was able to stop myself with my ski pole. With a back full of snow I started getting my skis back on and prepared to give it another go. Just as I was about to get up I looked up and saw Trey sliding down in the same manner I had, and I moved just enough to stop a collision, and also enough to lose my grip on the hill and take off sliding again. (I'm sure it was quite comical to anyone who wasn't me.) I did manage to stop myself, get up and ski down the rest of the way without falling.
After that we went onto the hardest hill because Tom and Mary were prostars and Trey is much much braver than I am. I fell a few more times on this hill, which was just enough to kill my confidence in my skiing capabilites and for the rest of the day I went down the hills at a turtle's pace trying to work on my turning, and stopping, and general gracefullness. By the end of the day we were sore, wet, tired and hungry. We headed down towards town in search of a hotel room, where we found a pension, which is a hotel that has sleeping rooms with no beds, just blankets and pillows meant for sleeping many people. We had six people staying in our room because two of Mary's friends were joining us and we got the biggest room in the place, which was clean, had a tv, and a massive pile of pillows and blankets. Even though I'm sure that that room would normally get used by 20 Koreans, and there were only 6 of us, we used every blanket, and pillow in the place and had it set up like a big slumber party.
Next we went to the Hot Springs Sauna next door and refreshed with some hot baths and saunas. After we went for sam gyup sal for dinner, which is bbq pork wrapped in lettuce, and then we went off for some drinks, despite being so exhausted. Around 1 we were all knackered and headed back to our slumber party where we slept until after 10 this morning.
Trey and I were far too sore for more skiing, but Tom and Mary were raring to go. So Trey and I headed back, in pain, and left Tom and Mary for round two. Despite my embarrassing ski skills and the pain I feel today, we can't wait to go again! Possibly next weekend, or the weekend after.
1 comment:
hopefullyyou took some pictures to pass along :) sounds like you had a good time!!! B
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