The joys of skiing

Mel and Dave spent the last two days learning to ski at Mont Cascades ski resort, about 45 minutes drive from Ottawa. We are both rank beginners, never having strapped on a ski before.
So even putting on the ridiculous amount of gear necessary to slide down hills on snow was a challenge.

Mel travelling up the 'magic carpet', an escalator-type contraption which delivers one to the top of the bunny hill.

We had a terrific instructor for two hours a day, Danny. He brought us from total ineptitude, to being able to somewhat control our speed and direction and fluke our way down the hills.

Mel doing her thang, with our instructor Danny at her 6.

There were many funny moments: the first time Dave slid backwards and resignedly waved goodbye as he slid into the rough; Mel hurtling down the steepest part of the beginner hill right after learning to get downhill by herself; desperately trying to get into the chalet on day 2 so that our frozen fingers could thaw (it was -25*C with wind chill); Dave's ski snapping off at the bottom of the chair lift and then him having to ski one-legged down the small slope at the top of the lift.



The chair lift - 4 minutes to the top!





We ended the two days a little sore, but with the rudiments of a new skill, a great appreciation of skiers and ski gear and some sweaty thermal underwear!! It was a lot of fun.