Fun & Fitness over 50

I have to admit it and I hate to admit it but Mrs. MTBMan1 is more brave than I.

She's always the faster one on the ski hills and not just because of skill but because of her fearlessness.

She relishes the thrill of the risk.

I was confronted with this realization last Tuesday on the summit of Whiteface.

While she was enjoying the views and suggesting I take pictures of this and that, I was just annoyed because my attention was consumed by what looked like sheer drops on all sides. I wanted to get on with it and get it over with.

For me, it's because of the unknown. We knew there were intermediate trails from the summit and we intended to take those but there's intermediate and INTERMEDIATE. These trail difficulty designations are somewhat subjective and vary quite a bit from mountain to mountain.

Generally, on the bigger mountains, intermediate trails are going to be tougher and steeper than on the smaller resorts.

Also, difficulty varies with the conditions. A trail that's icy or is slushy crud is going to be harder than first tracks on a groomed trail with soft, packed powder underneath.

So anyhow, the trail was great. While it was late morning and the grooming was no longer pristine, the snow was soft and manageable.

From the top we took Riva Ridge to Paron's Run then John's Bypass to connector to Victoria. On Paron's Run I slid out once but no real problem. Victoria gave me my first trouble and faceplant. It was steep and bumpy. Not real moguls but enough of a challenge for me to take it cautiously. I'm getting better at picking out a line in this stuff but I think sometimes I'm a little too far forward of a skier and not light enough on my feet. Anyway I hit a pile of crud on a bump and clipped out of one ski. Face forward down the hill. Then it's a steep walk up hill carrying one ski and poles to retrieve my other ski.

I suppose I could have left my ski and poles downhill. That would have made it easier climbing. Before I got to it, another skier on the way down picked up and brought me my ski. Thanks.

While it's easier getting up on a steep slope I have trouble clipping back into my skis. I thought I had them clipped in but when I took off, the one ski fell right off again.

I often marvel at other skiers how relaxed and natural they look sliding down a slope that has me white-knuckling. They look like they're going comfortably slow and not working hard.

If I make turns often enough to maintain a comfortable speed, I find it very tiring and can't maintain it for too long. So I wind up either going too fast for comfort or doing wide traverses across the slope face which is even more unstable and tiring.

I'm sure losing some weight will help. Less for gravity to pull and less for me to resist.

Similarly, when we took The Wilmington Trail from the top of Lookout Mountain, it started out pretty flat
but then has 4 or 5 steep, narrow and bumpy sections that discouraged me to look at them. Also the left side of the trail was all drop off with an orange fence
but the fence wouldn't hold you if you hit it head on.

Mrs. MTBMan1 was still enjoying it though even though it was a challenge for her too.

I enjoyed it too, in retrospect. I wish I could take another crack at it now that I know what to expect. But Whiteface is too expensive for us without free or heavily discounted tickets.

So I'm cautious. I'm not saying I'm going to change or even want to change. As my skill improves, so will my confidence, so that part will change.

Mrs. MTBMan1 is a risk taker and I'm not.

That's just the way it is.