angledge | Ski lessons.

Today I skied the blue runs for the first time! OK, for the first time on purpose - last time we went out, I skied one blue & it scared/frustrated me so badly I started crying.

But today went great! I did a couple of runs on the Peak 9 greens & then, after talking to a couple of people on the chairlift, I decided to give a couple of easier blues a try (Cashier & Bonanza, still on Peak 9). My first fall was a yard sale - skis & poles went everywhere. Then I fell two more times on that run, but they were much smaller. So I went again - two falls. Third time - NO FALLS. Fourth run, legs got tired - three falls.

Breckenridge Resort Map

LESSONS:

Ski the challenging runs early when the legs are fresh. Everything gets impossibly hard when your legs are gassed.
Going faster is EASIER. Going slow, doing lots of turns - takes so much more energy!
When I go fast, I get into less trouble - but the trouble I do get into is worse.
hotpantsgalore is TERRIBLE at judging what runs I'm ready to try. TERRIBLE. Advice from strangers on the chairlift is better than guidance from HPG. Her thought process seems to be, "Well, I can do this run, & I like this run, so angledge will be fine." This, my friends, leads to TERRIBLE guidance.
Next year, I'm definitely getting a season pass. One-day lift tickets are extortionately expensive.

Today the temperatures at Breckenridge ranged from 22-26 degrees F. I wore my Patagonia long johns, my silk thermal top, a long-sleeved shirt, my black bib snow pants, my pink ski jacket, black tortoise, & helmet. I was warm - too warm! - except for my gloves. My gloves just suck. I don't think they're even waterproof.