Today was the first full day at Mt. Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. This is my first time skiing in five years. After a semester of ups and downs for the Ski & Snowboard Club, they finally made it to Mt. Tremblant! My interest in the trip grew over time, through conversations I had with officers and members of the club. After much deliberation, I decided to join the group of 57 SUNY Oswego students and test my rarely used skills on the slopes.
The trip began yesterday, Sunday, January 2, 2011 at about 7am. Well, I woke up at 7am and the bus left at about 10:20. Why so late? Well, we had to wait for some people and I was almost forgotten! No worries though, I made it and was on my way. We spent about 7 hours on the bus and arrived at the hotel at about 8pm. This trip included a few stops to eat and grocery shop. After unpacking the bus and settling into the room, we all decided to lay low and enjoy the night. The next morning was to bring a very early start and a great day on the slopes.
Check out what my room looks like!!
At about 7am this morning, Monday, we woke, went to breakfast, and immediately headed out to the mountain. I had a little bit of hesitation, but received a lot of motivation from my friends. The first run down was very bad; I was falling avery few feet and twisted my neck in a way I would never think to be possible (I’m still very sore right now). After what could have easily been my 15th fall, a few of my friends stopped to help me down the rest of the way. I owe my life to Mike and Wilson, who both stuck with me through every following fall. At about 2/3 of the way down I finally got the hang of my “pizza” and completed the trail with ease. The final stretch was very exciting because I was able to go on my own. Here I am, a 22 year old man, and I can’t ski down a hill. Now I can! (I think).
Ater the second run, I headed inside and rested for a while. Everyone from my room came back for lunch and then headed out for another run on the mountain. I stayed back and hung out with my friend Tom, who had fallen earlier in the day and really injured his neck. After Allie and Griffin returned, the four of us ventured the village. It is beautiful here, you all should see it! (I’ll take pictures tomorrow and post them with my next entry). We stopped at a few stores and this restaurant, Le Diable. It was incredible! The group ordered a Honey Blonde, homemade beer (we are all of us, I promise) and Allie and I shared a French onion soup and garlic escargot (yes, i ate snails!) They were so good!. The time I sped with them was great. I am really enjoying this group of people and am honored to be a part of this trip.
We then headed back to the hotel room and stuck around for a while. We spend the rest of the night in and I’m now watching three of them play backgammon. Two of the girls are sleeping and I’m sure the rest of us will get to bed soon. It is now midnight and I’m sure tomorrow will be full of adventures. I am looking into going dog sledding and possibly horseback riding. I love skiing, but I want to experience as much as I can while here. I’ll probably make a pit stop at the restaurant and order another bowl of that delicious French onion soup. For now, I must sign off and say good night. I will write again tomorrow and include pictures and hopefully some amazing experiences.
Sounds like the ski trip was fun. You must be glad to finally have a break from all of the responsibilities of being SA President. Any new posts coming anytime soon? Maybe a graduation farewell kind of thing?