Vail - The End

I Finally returned from my Vail excursion. This was definitely a well needed, well deserved, break from reality. I truly enjoyed it, although I'm tired as dehydrated as I don't know what! I swallowed a jug of gatorade as soon as I returned. I know, it should've been water, I'm working on that.

The snow started off hard, then we got dumped on. Perfect conditions after that. Snow got a little choppy after each day passed. I didn't win a medal in my race this year. There's a lot of competition in my age group now, and its just impossible from an Atlantan to have as much snow experience as the other ski bums in any given season. So I was rusty. I have another race in March, in Vermont. Less competition. :-)

As I watched one of the races, the lady wiped out. She was almost done, maneurvering through the gates, and I guess her legs decided that it wasn't going to make the next turn. So she sped out of control, off the course, twisted her knee. No one did anything. Other racers continued after her. I thought at least, the Vail employees would run out there, but no one did. So I ran up the mountain a good 100 yards in my ski boots to the screaming in pain racer. I after I unlocked her skis from her boots, she said her knee was in great pain. Still, no one was around to help. I tried to signal to the onlookers, but they just watched. :-| So I grabbed the ladies skis, and she used me as a crutch to hobble down the steep slope. FINALLY, the Vail crew that kept the race course in good condition saw us struggling, and they came by and took over from there. Found out later, she was taken to the hospital with a sprained knee. She's from Detroit, probably 40+, I wish her the best.

As for me, my only painful moment came when navigating the thick, soft powder. I had to adjust, since what I that was a mogul, was instead a soft mound of snow. So I was just slicing through everything. It was sweet. Then one time I tried to slice through a small snow mound, and I misjudged it. My left ski went straight into something hard, immovable. The impact jerked my entire leg backwards, ski popped off, and I felt a sharp pain in my inner knee, probably my LCL. I shook it off, and was fine after a few minutes. I praise my workout regimine for avoiding an injury.

My new camera came in the mail a few days before the trip! From here on out, no excuses for a not having any pictures. These are mostly scenery shots, some happy hour shots, and some ice skating shots. Click on Vail 2005.