On Long Weekends in Tahoe…

Got back today from a long weekend in Tahoe. George and Candice, friends of Chel and me, managed to get a condo-cabin in North Tahoe. Apparently it’s been sort of an annual thing for George in the past; hasn’t done it since before he was married and sprouted a kidlette.

I eluded to the fun I had in my twitter post: “Managed 7 hours of snowboarding across 2 half-days after not for 13 seasons. Windy, icy, packed green runs not fun. Fuckme, I’m sore.” Wasn’t exactly complete in information, though. I have been boarding, once, in the past 13 seasons.

Some history: About 7 years ago, in college, I went on the All-UC 4 day trip Aspen… It was supposed to be a really great trip, super cheap, lots of drinking, etc. Well, the first morning, a little grommet decided to board flailing straight down the hill and bailed right in my path. In order to not plow completely over him, I decided to go high…. edge caught and I also bailed, right into a wood post. Yeah, 10:30am, first morning of a 4-day college ski trip of a life-time to Aspen, CO, I fractured my leg. They dragged me off the hill on the back of a snow machine; the stupid clinic took X-Rays, told me I had a simple fracture, gave me an ACE bandage and crutches and sent me on my way… Yes, I was on crutches in the ice and snow… with an ACE bandage… to support my fractured leg. Did I mention that I still had to deal with my rental board and boots? Yeah, that transit bus ride was fun. Miraculously, I returned my rental and made it back to the condo. Roommates and parents both convinced me that an ACE bandage wasn’t enough; I plead pain for lack of brain function, there. I called the clinic about it and apparently I missed that I was supposed to go across town to the hospital to pickup a walking air-cast. Convinced a friend to go with me, you know, to pick me up in case I fell while trying to traverse the ice on crutches? Got the air-cast. Felt much better. On the coach-bus ride back from Colorado, I was on the cripple-section of one of the busses. There were half a dozen broken or sprained wrists, one girl with a matched-pair of wrist casts and me with a broken leg. IIRC, I didn’t have it as bad as the girl who flew back to Berkeley with a broken pelvis… that must’ve been a great flight. So, yes, I have been snowboarding once in the past 13 seasons… for an hour and half, 7 years ago.

Anyway, Friday, George and Candice, Adam and Deadra, both of their their kids and Chel and I made it to Tahoe around noon and decided to do a half day at the very-close Diamond Peak. In the few hours we were there, I managed to get in 10 or so runs down the nice little Green Run they had, but my knees and bum were too freshly-sore to get up the courage to take a chance on something more challenging. The five of us that went that day were all a little bruised and battered by the end… the other four in my party had been at least 2 seasons missed, so it was to be expected. Chel, bless her heart, had decided to stay back at the cabin-condo with two(!) one year-olds. She said she was fine until Trixie (12mo old) got a little fussy at the end. How she managed that for four hours, I don’t know; I know I couldn’t. We all sorta hobbled back to the cabin. Dea made a stellar dinner of a super-veggie stew with separate/add-in beef-meaty chunks; awesome idea, considering Chel is a lifer-vegetarian. Sleep came easy that night.

Saturday, Dea and Candice decided to give Michelle a reprieve from sole child-minder (I think the soreness had something to do with it) and forgo skiing. Adam and George made their way to Squaw Valley for an all day session. I hung around the cabin-condo and made my way to Squaw for an afternoon session. Considering my previous days performance, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Adam and George, even if I wanted to. I get to Squaw Valley, meet up with G&A fresh off their lunch-n-beer to hand off the sunblock they forgot and made my way up to the top of the mountain… Squaw does things a little backward, their Green Runs are at the top. I’d heard there was a nice 2,000vft Blue run that went down the entire mountain, and I had hoped I’d be able to work up to making that trek (or at least psyching myself up to it). I did attempt the top 10% of the Blue “Mountain Run”, but the fall that both knocked with wind out of me and broke my sunglasses popped that dream; I took the Gondola back down the mountain. Dinner that night was a tasty, carb-rich spaghetti and meat-balls, again made by the glorious Dea.

There were plans for a half-day at Sugarbowl, but between the kidlettes and group-soreness, those plans were shot. Chel and I decided to boogie a little early to meet up with her parents, Mike and Kim, for lunch.

I have a bruised bum and knees, tight forearms, half-sprained wrist and a pulled shoulder muscle; basically, I’m a heaping pile of sore today, but nothing a little Tiger Balm, Ibuprofen and a day or two taking it a little easy wont fix. Will I go again? Definitely, but probably not this season… and I’m going to need better gloves if I’m going to be falling as much as I did this last trip… they’re still a lottle damp.