I have a confession. I was a ski bum (read: unemployed because we just relocated cities) this season – and I kinda liked it. The snow, the challenge, and the views really attracted me to this sport. I really pushed my comfort zone this season. I gave myself many pep talks before going down my first blue hills. Also, my loving, completely well-meaning fiancé accidentally introduced me to my first black diamond. Luckily,  I survived and was proud of myself for taking on the challenge. My first ski season is coming to an end, but I’m so excited because we already bought our passes for next year.  

 The views are always spectacular.

I went skiing for the first time in 2014 in Whistler. I know what you are thinking. Yes, I was a very lucky girl. I had a bit of a rocky start though. We went over Thanksgiving weekend. As an aside, this a great time to get a good deal to go Canada; especially if you leave on Thanksgiving day while everyone else is eating turkey. We took a bit of a gamble because it was Whistler’s “opening weekend.” There was not a whole lot of snow on the ground. Powder was definitely scarce. There was quite a bit of ice though. So my ski first lesson was essentially on ice.

This Iconic Statue is the Whistler Mountain Inukshuk, created for Whistler as a Symbol of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The second day at Whistler, I decided to join Ben up at the “big kids lodge” on the top of the hill. I convinced him to let me ski a green run with him because after one lesson I thought I had this whole skiing thing down. I sure did not have that whole skiing thing down. I ended up on my back with my skis still going down the hill towards trees. Not the experience I was going for.  When I finally made it down to the lift to get back to where we needed to go I was so happy/relieved. The entire lift ride back to the gondola Ben was explaining how to get off the lift because my only ski lesson had occurred on the “magic carpet” where no lift was necessary. As we approached the unloading area, I was getting ready to follow all of Ben’s well laid out instructions when the lifty started saying something to us.  Well, I was so bundled up that I couldn’t hear what he was saying so I was trying to figure out what was going on, but I ended up missing the unloading point completely. I was still on the lift when it started turning to head back down the mountain. Ben started yelling at me to “jump” so I did…from about four feet off the ground. I loved Whistler, but I left with a few bruises – mostly to my ego.

Fast forward to this past winter, and my first ski season living in Colorado. We bought a Subaru when we moved here because we wanted to be as Colorado-ish as possible. Luckily, our Subaru came with two ski passes to Copper Mountain. I love Copper. It has a whole side dedicated to beginners. I loaded up on ski lessons. This time I took it slow and tried not to get ahead of myself. The instructors so far have been phenomenal. They push you without scaring you for life. I’m 30 now, but I totally want to be the 95-year old still skiing down the hill. I only discovered skiing recently, but I feel like it is a sport that I will continue with for as long as I can. I also LOVE the whole Après-ski concept. So far, my favorite is a glass of nice wine with a side of hot tub. I have a feeling I will be investing in a pair of skis very soon.

Here is a Après-ski cocktail recipe for the next time you find yourself in the lodge, sitting cozily by the fire, and peacefully unwinding from a day on the slopes

INGREDIENTS

• • 3 ounces hot strong-brewed coffee
  • 1 ounce Frangelico
  • 1/2 ounce Licor 43 (sweet citrus- and vanilla-flavored liqueur) or Navan
  • 1/2 ounce Cognac
  • 1 large dollop of unsweetened whipped cream
  • 3 coffee beansNow, in a mug, mix the espresso with the Frangelico, Licor 43 and Cognac. Top with the whipped cream and garnish with the coffee beans.