Monday, January 24, 2005
Back from a weekend ski trip to Red River – up there in northern New Mexico near the Colorado border.
We weren’t doing the yo-yo ski-ing, otherwise known as downhill. Instead we were going cross country, which means you can go up and along as well as down.
It’s no accident that you can get those nordic ski indoor trainer things, because it’s hard work – the perfect winter sport for masochistic cyclists.
But the real challenge is keeping under control on the way down.
Without metal edges, and on light narrow skis, it’s very hard to stop yourself or steer when gravity begins to take over. Especially if you’re not very good, like me.
Buendia’s been doing this for twelve years, so she made it all look as easy as falling off a log. My performance was more based around avoiding crashing into a tree.
But the lesson I took was a great help, and it was good to get out in the snowy woods under your own steam. Another couple of trips and maybe I’ll be able to stop when I want to.
Back to Santa Fe yesterday with sore muscles.