Powder!

We like skiing on slush and we like skiing on ice (we live in Northwest Washington, afterall).  But we love skiing on fresh powder!

 Mt Baker received a lot of snow over the last 48 hours and it was a fantastic day to be up on the ski hill.

 

 

 Apparently, we aren't the only ones who enjoy skiing on powder.   The great conditions in addition to a snowboard competition - The Banked Slalom - brought out more people than I have ever seen on the hill.   The wait line to get on the Black Diamond chairs was huge and it was 90% snowboarders.  Don't get me wrong... we weren't in line to get on a Black Diamond chair.   We were on the Green chair - but we did go by them several times. 

 Alice and I had a great class, once again, with Elliot and Alice's friends, Emma and Julia.

 

Last week, we mastered getting on and off the chairlift together.  This week?  My independent girl figured out how to get on and off all by herself.  She did not need me to put my arm around her waist.  Not one little bit.  But boy oh boy, she sure made my heart swell with pride.

Elliot took us down some new runs today - including a couple very steep, narrow runs - and we all did great.  Next week, he's threatened us with Chair 3 and Chair 4.

 It's really incredible to realize how far these three have come in a few short weeks.

 Alice and I met up with Henry for lunch.  Following a quick break, we managed to talk Henry in to just one run down the hill.   He didn't want to.  He wanted to rest for a little bit after skiing hard all morning.  But we pleaded and smiled nicely, and he obliged.   It meant a lot to Alice, and to me, to have Henry go up on the chairlift and down one run with us.

Happy, happy, happy.   Me, skiing with both my children.

 Henry was a good sport and even waited for us two slow-pokes to catch up with him for a quick photo before he zoomed off to join his friends.   That's okay though, Alice and I were happy.

 This has been such an incredible experience.   I've always been happy that Henry skis and very proud of his accomplishments on the hill.   But this year, I'm up there.   I see him and realize what it means.   And the time I get to spend with Alice is like nothing we've ever done before.  Admittedly, the two of us spend a lot of time together on fun outings and adventures - we always have.   But skiing has provided us with this very special bond.   We're learning together.  We're experiencing this level of happiness and peace that I don't think we've had before.

I've often marveled over how nice everyone is up on the ski hill.  Riding on the chair lifts, we've met such wonderful people from all over the Northwest.   It's been great.  Today, after we got off one of the lifts, Alice turned to me and said, "Mom, did you notice that everyone is happy here?  Nobody is in a bad mood.  Everyone is smiling and they're nice and everyone likes to help everyone else."   She's right.   Everyone is skiing which means everyone is happy.  Including us!