Then and Now

I went skiing again at Crystal Mountain yesterday. What a great day on the slopes! Decent weather, decent snow, and no major lift lines! It doesn't get much better.

Years ago Marian dug up an old picture of me skiing, had it cleaned up and blown up, and gave it to me for my 50th birthday (I think). It was taken at Blackstrap "Mountain," literally a ski hill made out of garbage (well, OK, landfill) near Saskatoon. So here I am, circa 1969, on skis for the first time. I think they may have been wooden skis with lace-up
boots.




So here I am almost 40 years later. I tried to get a picture of me with the same semi-out-of-control stance, and the semi-terrified look on my face, but I wasn't successful. So here's a more usual picture of me skiing now. As I've become older and wiser, I'm not out of control as much as I was in my misspent youth, but my wide-stance technique hasn't changed all that much.

Crystal Mountain closes for the season next weekend. I've learned to love skiing at Crystal this year, and I may well go back for the season finale.