Ice, Ice Baby!

Me and Jen at the carpet lift on the bunny slope at Bear Creek
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Today me and my cousin Jen went snowboarding at Bear Creek in Macungie. I wasn't sure how I was going to do because the night before my friends and family had a surprise birthday party for me at the bar and I was out doing shots until 3:30 a.m.

When I woke up I was still a bit drunk and very shaky. Thankfully we didn't go til 4 p.m. By that time I felt only slightly better but I decided to go anyway because with the weather the way its been who knows how long the season will last.

But that's the way it is in PA, mainly ice with a little snow on the top so you just have to learn to deal with it.

Jen at the end of the trail
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When we got to the mountain it was crowded, the top parking lots were filled up. We found a parking spot and hiked down the side of the mountain to the lodge. When we got to the base of the mountain we could tell it was ice.

The line for the magic carpet to the top of the beginner's slope was pretty long. The left side of the beginner's slope was being used by the Ski and Snowboard School and was really crowded so we went off to the right hand side of the slope which is a bit steeper.

As soon as we got on the magic carpet it was stuttering really badly, I guess they didn't have the weight spaced out enough but it was terrible. When we got to the top there were a bunch of snowboarders sitting on the hill just hanging out so we had to wait a while to go down.

When we finally got our turn and stood up you could tell it was ice! I could remember the last time we both rode on ice and got hurt and wasn't too happy. But that's the way it is in PA, mainly ice with a little snow on the top so you just have to learn to deal with it. So we sucked it up and decided to try it anyway.

It was weird, the middle of the slope seemed to be ok but either side was complete ice........so guess where my board kept going! You got it.......right to the ice patches! LOL! Atleast this time it was softer and didn't hurt as bad when you fell on it. You really had to watch though....the slope would look fine, then BAM a huge ice patch or a big divet in the snow that would catch your toe-side edge and face plant you! I guess that's all part of learning.

We did alot better though, we fell alot less and got in alot more runs. The right side of the beginner's slope is pretty steep near the bottom and there is a huge bump in the middle of it. I was going a bit too fast and had to really dig my heelside edge into the bump for fear of falling over and tumbling down the slope. I think that was my first serious carve on my board at a high rate of speed....it was both scary and fun.

We did a few more runs on the right hand side of the slope until Ski and Snowboard School let out, then we started going down the left hand side. We got quite a few runs in on that hill. On my next to last run a woman who was just learning to ski cut infront of me and caught her skis on my board and sent me into a full head over heels somersault down the mountain! Now that landing hurt! Thank god I had my crash pads and knee pads on.......I still got seriously bruised even through them. I sucked it up and did one more run but that was it cuz I was hurting.

It was a good day and I'm glad we tried it even though it was pretty icy and really crowded. We're both getting better and more confident. Now we just need to practice more, link a turn and conquer the bunny slope.