Snow Firsts: Skiing, Snowboarding and Snow blowing!

So I played hooky from work and Dave, the kids and I drove up to the snow for some snow firsts. Well, technically I didn't play hooky as I DID get my time approved (see how responsible an employee I am *said for those employees of mine who read the blog :P*).

Sounds like a simple plan right? Collect kids and gear, get in car, drive to snow. (I WAS going to say drive north to the snow, but then I thought...maybe north is not the right direction and I didn't want people to correct me so...). The plan was simple enough, but the journey did not come without excitement. We got an early start, and didn't want to backtrack so I met Dave at the fire station as we were going up with Mark and John (Engineer and Firefighter respectively).

It had been very rainy and stormy, so I was a bit nervous about making it up the mountain in Dave's truck. Even though it is an HD truck with 4 wheel drive, we didn't have snow chains for it, so we weren't sure if we were going to make it up without getting turned back around.

Confident as always Dave hopped in the driver's seat and began the drive up. Everything was fine until we got to the snow. That's when it all got a bit too scary for my taste. Scary because we are Cali people not accustomed to driving in the snow, and scary because Dave is quite the adventurous driver (see previous blog entry about our last snow accident...I mean experience). We are on our way up the mountain and the roads were incredibly icy. We didn't have many options for roads as many of them were closed because of treacherous conditions and avalanches. We were doing ok until we got to a hairpin turn on an incline where a bunch of cars had stopped. People were jumping in the backs of their pickup trucks trying to weight them down. They were slipping and sliding, and it was a accident waiting to happen. There were people out of their cars, and one guy who was trying to stop people from going up the mountain.

Some of the cars coming down the mountain would slide right into the guardrail and then have people down at the guard rail guiding the car with their hands away from the other vehicles. Cars were sliding down the mountain, fish tailing, back wheels spinning. Honestly, it is NEVER a good idea to stop on an incline in icy conditions...how are you REALLY supposed to get traction to get going again. Even people in chains weren't making it.

This is actually of a picture AFTER the hairpin turn. I was too nervous to take any pictures.

Dave jumped out, still in his work clothes, and walked up the mountain to see if there was a wreck which was causing the guy to stop traffic. No wreck. The dude just thought the conditions were too bad and that it was too dangerous for people to go up to Big Bear. Dave had a few choice words for him, and he moved out of the way. A few brave people decided to banzai up the hill, and we didn't see them again. We figured A. They wrecked or B. They made it. We decided to vote for B...it was the nicer of the two options.

We sat contemplating whether to keep going. The scene was scary. No one was able to get started and people were just losing control of their vehicles on the ice. Finally we turned around and started heading back down the mountain until this little voice from the back seat (aka Caiden) said. "But I wanna see Papa and Grammie. I thought we were going to see Papa and Grammie?"

Dave and I exchanged looks, and I told him it was up to him. He could feel the vehicle under him, he was the driver. If he felt that we could get up there safely without wrecking then I would trust that decision, but that I didn't want to risk the safety of our family. I have already been over a cliff once, and it was not an experience I would care to repeat. (Many of the turns did not have guard rails).

Again AFTER the hairpin turn

We decided finally to banzai up just like the two cars we saw before. And guess what - we made it!!! It wasn't so bad. We had to drive slow and keep a steady pace, but we made it safely and without incident. In fact the worst of it was when that tool of a guy who made everyone stop because that's when the accidents were starting. People couldn't get started again, and then they were sliding down the mountain barreling at the other vehicles.

We FINALLY made it up to see Jim and Sue. The kids were so excited! Kiya quite enjoyed being out in the snow, and Caiden got to try out snow blowing with Papa Jim & SKIING!!!!

Papa Jim explain how to use the snow blower
Papa Jim teaching Caiden how to snow blow
Caiden snow blowing

Caiden took ski lessons and did SO well!!! It was so cute, and I am very proud of him. He couldn't stop talking about it. I had to steal the following pictures from Sue's blog as I don't have copies quite yet. We were nervous about going down the mountain as it got colder, so we didn't have time for me to download the pictures she had taken with her camera.

Caiden is the cute one in front with the orange hat :)

He did so well, and LOVED it!

He talked about this part for awhile. He liked this escalator part
And here is the grand finale!

I even got to try out snowboarding. Despite the less than friendly people that worked at Snow Summit, Mark Murphy (Dave's engineer) took over as my snowboarding instructor and taught me the basics. It was extremely nice of him to do that, especially since his family was there and I am sure he would have preferred hanging out with them.

Me halfway through the day. I'm actually ON the snowboard, but it's covered with snow so you can't really tell.

After several runs on the bunny hill, Dave decided to take me up the REAL mountain. I cautioned him that I was new at this, so I didn't want any black diamonds. He tells me "don't worry...I know the perfect hill". Famous last words. As we are riding up the ski lift, I see signs that say "Inverted aerials not recommended". I'm thinking..."well, I sure as heck am not going to TRY to do an inverted move, but I can't really control myself that well" but as I am looking around there are ramps, and jumps and all sorts of inappropriate maneuvers for someone like me with 2 hours of snowboarding under my belt. We get up to the top and jump off the ski lift. I gaze down the mountain and all I see are hills.
Dave skied instead.

I look at Dave and say "I don't think I can do this."
He says "Well, you have to get down one way or another."
My response: "I think I'm going to go down on my arse".

I decided to man up and try to get down on two feet (one one snowboard as it is). At this point, I am only praying that I get down safely. I strap my foot in and start down the mountain. I am LITERALLY praying that I get down the mountain without the assistance of one of those big dogs with the barrels around their necks, or worse the snowmobile unit. I am goofy footed, but unsure so I am basically trying to head straight down switching my positioning of my lead foot every few seconds. I get halfway down and am so thankful that I have made it halfway and I am not in traction yet. Then I realize that they have closed the rest of the mountain and they are sending me back up a ski lift and now I have to do it ALL OVER AGAIN. I am nearly in tears at this point.
That's me, and Mark is the guy in the background. He had a prime spot for all of my falls :)

We get back up to the top and I sitting down strapping my foot in the snowboard when I see Mark. I swear angels could have been singing at this moment! I was like Great!!! Someone who can help me get down the mountain, because that is my only goal - getting down in one piece. But no...Mark doesn't let me just take the safe route...he makes me do tricks and learn. Which at the end of the day, and when I finally made it down the mountain I appreciated, but at that exact moment I was less than sure.

All in all it was a really fun and excitement filled day and I can't wait to go again. :)