Appreciating the Skiing - and the Scenery

By Keely Kelleher, 11-27-09

I strap my ski boots; breathe deeply filling my lungs with icy air and click into my bindings. I glance out through my rose colored lenses into darkness. It’s 5a.m. at Copper Mountain, I’m tired, my body feels as though it’s been bucked off a bull from yesterdays’ training and the two cups of coffee aren’t kicking in.  Looking out past the chairlift I see a glint of pink rising over the Colorado Rockies. Riding the chairlift alone I look around, birds are singing their songs, trees silently rocking in the wind, and hearing the all too familiar hum of the lift, I start to get excited about my first run. I sit back in the chair and enjoy the scenery.

There are too many times on chairlifts I forget to be thankful for getting to ski as much as I do.  I’ve been coming to Copper to train with the U.S. Ski Team for the past decade and throughout that time I have not once taken in the scenery. Yes, it’s quite the realization and I am not proud I have not taken time to enjoy what I see when I ski. I hope I am not alone when I say I can be quite self involved on the mountain.

The age-old slkier saying rings true with me, “No friends on a powder day.” Honestly, how many times do you find yourself thinking about the next run you are going to make? Or chatting on the lift about your new skis? Or about the sweet powder stash you found? I’ll be the first one to admit, I am guilty of all these things. However, I don’t think they are bad, in fact they are good! The culture of skiing is different to everyone and it’s that difference that makes skiing fun.

Park skiers are thinking about what trick they are going to throw, powder junkies are searching for the next best run, family skiers are enjoying the holiday season with one another, and racers are in search of speed. Regardless of the differences between skiers, we all have something to be commonly grateful for: Mother Nature’s beautiful mountains. Having grown up in Big Sky, Montana, I often take it for granted. Riding lifts with tourists who make comments like, “This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been,” and, “I can’t believe you grew up here,” is an amazing awareness.

So this is the oath I have decided to take, for those of you who feel flawed in the “appreciating Mother Nature” department. Every day I ski this season I will take a chairlift ride to look around, appreciate and be grateful for the mountain I get to lay fat arcs into. Happy Thanksgiving!

Keely’s Top Five: Reasons to be thankful for skiing

1. Being out in the mountains enjoying Mother Nature.
2. Being outside with your friends and family.
3. Face shots.
4. Great exercise.
5. Going faster than most people drive!