First time skiing at Lookout offers challenges, rewards

In my efforts to dive into the

community and culture of North Idaho’s pristine Silver Valley, I

ventured forth to try my hand at the area’s predominate outdoors

activity when Old Man Winter comes to town — hitting the slopes

with either a pair of skis or a snowboard.

Since the first hint of winter blew

through the valley, I’ve been asked left and right if I know how to

ski or snowboard. I’ve come to the realization that I may be the

only person over the age of 21 in the area who has never glided

down the snow-covered sides of a mountain, which further solidified

my determination to learn, and to learn quickly.

First stop — Lookout Ski n’ Sports in

Kellogg to rent some ski equipment. Forrest Frank and Dean Sink

were amazing, outfitting me with the right equipment and making

sure it all fit comfortably and snug.

This Sunday morning I locked into a

pair of skis facing the daunting slope of the bunny hill. Steve

Matz, my ski instructor through the Lookout Pass Ski School, gave

me a rundown of the basics before I pushed off for the first time

on two narrow boards.

First thing first, turning in place. I

learned quickly that maneuvering around with elongated extensions

on your feet is no easy task and that it is key to get comfortable

with turning, going and stopping. Only then did I get to hitch a

ride on the rope pull part of the way up the hill, gliding down the

gentle slope as I worked on moving forward with the “french fries”

and stopping with the “pizza.”

I discovered that an old soccer injury

to my left ankle that had been recently agitated forced me to

compensate a bit as I had a difficult time at first. However, I

quickly caught on and was having the time of my life on the bunny

hill, no longer worried about the little children showing me up by

whizzing expertly by on their little skis.

I learned at a decent pace, absorbing

as much of what Steve was telling me as I could, as I knew that I

wouldn’t be successful out on the slopes without a solid grasp of

the basics. I was feeling good and even shed a layer as I worked on

parallel turning and making my way down the bunny hill from the top

without falling and snowballing down the hill, taking down everyone

in my way.

It was exhilarating! The feeling of the

cool wind in your face as you glide down the hill ... the rush of

the speed you collect ... and the urgency of the turns to be made

to avoid fellow learners making their way down the hill.

My time with Steve came to a close

after an hour of intense instruction and I still am unable to fully

express my gratitude for his patience and amazing teaching

abilities. Thanks to Steve, I was able to ride the chair lift up

the mountain to ski some real slopes after a morning of

instruction.

The ride up the chair lift was amazing.

The helpful people at the base assisted me in catching the chair

for my first time, although my second time around wasn’t all that

graceful. In the rush from the waiting line to the mark where you

catch the chair, I fumbled my skis and poles and ended up awkwardly

on the ground. They stopped the lift and helped me to untangle

myself, which with a chair lift and waiting line filled with people

waiting to hit the slopes is quite embarrassing. Admittedly I’ve

never been a graceful person, which I blame my glasses for, but of

all times to be a klutz...

Once on the chair moving up the

mountain my fear of heights was outweighed by the view of the

surrounding mountainside. Covered in untouched fresh powder, skiers

and snowboarders dotted the landscape. Carving their own unique

path down the slopes, it was fascinating to see the various levels

of ability. I even saw a telemarker making his way gracefully down

through the powder. I’ve heard of that variety of ski, but to watch

this skier as he sliced through the snow, heels free — it was like

watching an artist in action, painting gentle arcs into the

snow.

Unfamiliar with how to exit a chair

lift, and with the exit point approaching, I grew nervous but made

it out incident free. It would have been overwhelmingly

embarrassing if the lift had to stop twice for me in one run. I

made my way over to the cat trails with my boss Dan Drewry and his

wife Chris and hit the slopes for the first time in my life,

following a one-hour, one-on-one lesson and a few solo trips down

the bunny hill.

I was nervous and exhilarated at the

same time. Once I pushed off, there was no going back and

everything I learned had to be applied and I was quite literally

thinking on my feet. Believe it or not, my first two runs down the

cat trails I did not fall once. It was one of the most amazing

experiences, just flying down the slope and making the turns on

just two thin boards.

It was a bit scary at times, as I cut

it close on a couple of turns and struggled to slow myself down at

the bottom of steeper slopes, but I got a thrill from it that kept

me returning to the mountain top for more.

On my last run down before taking a

break we ventured down the gold trail, which branches off from the

cat trail. It is a steeper decline, but has a very wide trail. It

was quite challenging as it made me really work on my turns.

Admittedly, I ended up sprawled on the snow a few times on this

hill, but reveled in the challenge it presented me.

I will return to Lookout Pass Ski and

Recreation very soon, as I’ve become addicted to this amazing

sport. The rush, the sounds, the feeling ... it’s a thrill ride I

could ride over, and over, and over again if I could.

Many thanks go out to my ski instructor

Steve Matz. Without his wisdom and teaching abilities, I wouldn’t

have caught on so quick to this amazing sport. Thanks also go out

to Ric Clarke, the Lookout ski school director and head trail

marshal, who invited me to Lookout Pass for this unforgettable

lesson and to ski the picturesque mountains gracing the border of

Idaho and Montana.

It was, without a doubt, one of my most

amazing adventures to date here in the Silver Valley. Now if I can

just get specially-made skis for my boy Guinness to join me ...

Nicole Nolan is the news editor of the

Shoshone News-Press who recently became an expert on the bone

structure of a canine’s front leg. E-mail her at

nnolan@shoshonenewspress.com.