This past weekend was day number 2 for Jbird on the slopes. JR, B, Jbird and I headed up to the ski slopes. JR actually took them up to start skiing at 9 and I hung with JB for a bit before arriving at 11. They started on the beginner hill - it was JRs first time in 8 years snowboarding. Then they went up the lift. From what I hear Jbird kept falling so about half way down the hill he took off his skis and walked down.

When I arrived I skied the bunny hill with Jbird. The first time down, I wanted him to go around the cones. Every time he attempted to turn, he fell. First cone, fell...second cone he fell...third cone he fell...fourth cone he fell. He was up as quickly as he went down. The second time down the hill, he pointed the skis straight down the hill and did not turn at all. He ended with a baseball slide at the bottom. The third time down he headed straight down and ended with a baseball slide into the lift fencing. The fourth time down he headed straight down and weaved out the 'gate' and slid around several people watching - one of them a lady holding a small baby. I followed him down and told him he needed some control. A man nearby laughed and said 'he had control' and I said 'control enough to know when to fall'. That kid...he looked great on skis until he had to turn, then he would find himself sprawled all over the snow.

At the beginning of his lesson I casually mentioned to Jbird that maybe his instructor would help him learn how to turn instead of doing the slide. She said 'you are the one..I have been watching you do hockey stops all morning!'. They could get him to turn a bit, but not much. After the lesson was over, he went down the bunny hill probably another 30 times. It sure was fun riding the lift and watching him. He is a liability on the hill though...he needs to understand why turning is beneficial and how to stop.

During Jbird's lesson I went up on the lift with B. He wanted to use my poles. I have told them no, that poles are just a distraction until you get more comfortable turning. For some reason I gave him my poles as we headed to load the chair lift. Bad idea. Somehow he managed to sit on the lift with the poles but got tangled up enough that his skis fell off. I turned back around to see the lift operator grab the skis and hand them to a man behind us. I turned back around and then it was probably another 30 seconds before B looked down and said 'my skis...'. He did not even know they had fallen off. So, of course when we got ready to download at the top, they stopped the lift so he could 'walk' off. He is more comfortable on his skis but still tends to use more of a wide snow plow, which tires the legs very quickly.

They are both anticipating the last day so that we can eat in the lodge cafeteria!

This week is spring break - not a lot planned except the one night in a hotel room.