Turns out the size of a ski boot DOES matter!

Last Thursday, Bill and I went to rent our ski equipment for our Friday ski trip with the boys.  The time we went skiing just a couple weeks ago, we used the same place.  When the employee came out to help us, I asked him if perhaps I might need a little bit bigger boot, seeing as the last time we rented I felt like my foot was crammed into the toe of the boot.  He said, 'well, let's remeasure you just in case'.  Bummer, I wore my stinky shoes....anyhow, he gets my foot all lined up and then looks at the piece of paper we handed him from our previous rental with them.  He asks me 'is this the size boot you were given?' as he pointed to the paper.  I tell him that I assume so!  Turns out that my foot was measured wrong the first time.  Yep, they rented me a ski boot that was too big.  Too big?  Shouldn't my foot feel better in a bigger boot?  Turns out ski boots are actually opposite of regular shoes.  If the boot you wear is too big, the back part of the boot doesn't grip the ankle well enough, therefore allowing the foot to move too much and cram into the toe, making it feel 2 sizes too small evidently.  And this time, the employee took time to show us how to properly tighten the boots, as well as what to do with the Velcro strap that I just tied up willy-nilly the last time.

Can I say, that the smaller boot felt SO much better and I didn't, for one second, feel like my boots were torture devices!  Nor did it feel like I was lugging around 50lb lead weights on my feet either.  How bout' that?  So my skiing experience on Friday was way, way better and I wasn't nearly the complainer I was the first time!  It was a much better day all around for everyone, despite having to turn back around to get our free lift tickets that Bill had left sitting on the printer (thankfully we were only 10 minutes down the road, not 2 hours) and the calamity that took place on the first lift we took.

It was even warmer this weekend also-here the boys sport the numbers 1,2, and 3.  They claimed it to stand for idiot #1, #2, and #3 for attempting skiing again.  I guess they felt safe calling themselves that while standing in the parking lot looking at the ski mountain, because idiot is not a word they are allowed to call others.......only themselves, technically!

Gregory begrudgingly agreed to try skis for the day rather than snowboard.  Best decision he's let us talk him into....he enjoyed the day and only fell a handful of times.  Another 'see, I told you' moment that I chose to keep to myself!  After everyone was all geared up and Gregory was able to remain standing on the skis, we headed to a lift on the 'beginner's mountain'. 

First joke of the day......don't believe the sign when it says beginner.......it's not always true!  Second joke of the day?  Getting us all up the mountain using the Poma lift.  Basically, you hold onto a pole between your legs and you get pulled up the mountain.

First thing Jacob did after the lift operator got the pole where it needed to be?  He sat down.  And fell.  Yeah, you don't sit on a Poma lift, that's a no no.  So Bill got Gregory, himself and Eric on the lift without issue.  I was behind Jacob and on the second attempt he successfully got on the lift, but it didn't last long.  He leaned to the side when we were about half way up and fell off the lift.  I had to let go of my pole too...darn it!  I get Jacob off the well beaten path, tried to help him get his skis situated and out of the corner of my eye I see this orange blur streak past me and I realize it's Eric and he is headed off the side of the ski run.  He misses a pole and a group of people standing near the bottom but managed to nearly end up in the river.  Sheesh!   What a way to start, right?  Bill had been up at the top of the run encouraging Gregory and since Eric was comfortable and ready to go, he went!  Bill told Gregory to just walk down the run since he needed to come down to help with Eric.  After finding Eric was fine and still smiling, I asked Bill where Gregory was.  'I told him to walk down'.  Well, he was still sitting at the top!  Needless to say, we got him down the run, on skis, and then he and I went to the bunny slope...the very little bunny slope!  This is the Poma lift once Jacob mastered it-

And this is Gregory having to walk up the run after falling off the lift-

By the end of the day we all made it to the top of the mountain on a regular chair lift and back down several times with no injuries but lots of smiles and feelings of accomplishment!  Aaron, Eric and Jacob-

Gregory did the full run one time through and did so well! 

 Jacob in foreground with Bill and Eric waaaaaay in the background.  Speed demon Eric, I'm surprised he actually stopped!

Gregory opted to stay on the beginner slope with Aaron ( who was still nursing sore toes after toe surgery) while we went up one last time.  We decided to take a Poma lift that was up near the top of the mountain to a different area and wouldn't you know,  that after getting on and being pulled about 30 seconds, the dang thing stopped working.  Umm, hiking while in snow boots should be illegal.  It makes people very grumpy and tired. And sweaty. I should know.  It certainly did add to the memories of the day, that's for sure!  We thought this sign was pretty funny, given our direct experience with 'mastering' Poma lift #2

5 minute walk-are you kidding?  It was a hike and even if it had been 15 degrees I probably STILL would have been sweating!  The next day we felt much better than we did the day after our first ski experience.  I sure hope the brain remembers snow skiing as well as it does water skiing.  I prefer not to have to go through the learning curve again when we try this next year!