Spruce needles tugged at our sides as we glided down the trail, still trying to get used to our skis. It was a rather cloudy day in Slana, the sun making brief appearances here and there. Since Spring had come late this year, the snow was still quite abundant. Mr. Hobbs took the lead and not far behind followed Kenny Lake’s Writers’ Workshop Class.
The first mile sped by pretty fast, but the remaining five were more of an uncomfortable process. Ski ten strokes, warm up my hands, ski some more, fall down, brush off the snow, warm up my hands again, watch someone else fall, shiver, and do it all over again. Occasionally there would be a hill to add a little excitement, but other than that, the process was repeated until we reached the end. From the time it began snowing, I thought it would only become worse.
However miserable this may sound, there were some funny moments during the trip. Amanda Wygant was in front of me and Amanda Friendshuh before her. We were going down a small hill—almost too small to be considered a hill—but we somehow managed to be klutzes. Amanda F. skied down just fine and stopped at the end. The other Amanda came down right after her. Not paying attention, she ran into her and their skis became tangled. Then along came me, to top it all off. I was already going and couldn’t slow myself down. When I caught up to them, we of course toppled like dominoes. Well, they did at least. I, on the other hand, caught myself and was able to back up amidst my laughter. These were the enjoyable moments, even though they were brief.
Most of the students would say they’re probably never going cross-country skiing. Sure, our fingers, toes, and even our minds were numbed. Sure, some people got blisters on their feet while some fell 150 times. And sure, it wasn’t the most exhilarating trip ever, but it wasn’t all that bad…Okay, maybe it was, but the overall experience was a good one. We all got some exercise while being outside and I’m definitely sure we have all decided how we feel about cross-country skiing now.
The first mile sped by pretty fast, but the remaining five were more of an uncomfortable process. Ski ten strokes, warm up my hands, ski some more, fall down, brush off the snow, warm up my hands again, watch someone else fall, shiver, and do it all over again. Occasionally there would be a hill to add a little excitement, but other than that, the process was repeated until we reached the end. From the time it began snowing, I thought it would only become worse.
However miserable this may sound, there were some funny moments during the trip. Amanda Wygant was in front of me and Amanda Friendshuh before her. We were going down a small hill—almost too small to be considered a hill—but we somehow managed to be klutzes. Amanda F. skied down just fine and stopped at the end. The other Amanda came down right after her. Not paying attention, she ran into her and their skis became tangled. Then along came me, to top it all off. I was already going and couldn’t slow myself down. When I caught up to them, we of course toppled like dominoes. Well, they did at least. I, on the other hand, caught myself and was able to back up amidst my laughter. These were the enjoyable moments, even though they were brief.
Most of the students would say they’re probably never going cross-country skiing. Sure, our fingers, toes, and even our minds were numbed. Sure, some people got blisters on their feet while some fell 150 times. And sure, it wasn’t the most exhilarating trip ever, but it wasn’t all that bad…Okay, maybe it was, but the overall experience was a good one. We all got some exercise while being outside and I’m definitely sure we have all decided how we feel about cross-country skiing now.
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