Skiing in Oregon

Being in the Northwest means being very close to ample skiing opportunities. And I have been itching to ski all winter. While I have several ski resorts close to me here in Washington, Robb does not ski and I believe that skiing by yourself is really boring. So, this weekend I headed to Oregon for the first time to meet up with my friend Angela to hit the slopes. Angela and her husband, Will, are transplants from Florida. They moved to Oregon a few months before I got to Washington and have become pretty darn good snowboarders. They visit the slopes EVERY Saturday, so they invited me to join them.

On Friday I left directly from work to head to the Portland suburb they live in. (It's a 3-hour drive from Federal Way, and only a 2-hour drive from Lacey where I work.) We relaxed that evening with a little wine and conversation and got up early Saturday so we could get to Timberline Ski Resort on Mt. Hood to get a full-day of skiing in. It was raining when we started our drive towards the mountain, but as our elevation increased, the rain turned into lots and lots of snow. We were psyched that we were going to have good fresh powder. We got to Timberline and I bought my day pass (a little cheaper because it's already the 'spring season') and rented my ski's/ski boots/poles for a really incredible price.

We then zipped up our coats and sped down the mountain. It's been about 3 years since I last skied, and let me tell you, it is just like riding a bike for me. I just got right back into it and, at one point, even though I started with long skis, I exchanged them for even longer ski's to provide me a little bit of a challenge. I only wiped out once, but man, was it spectacular. Even though I haven't done any ballet for a couple of years, I can still do some mid-air splits apparently. We took a lunch break for pizza in the lodge, and then spent several more hours on the slopes. I'm still a little sore from my adventure two days ago, but it hurts so good! I just wish I could afford this expensive hobby more regularly. But I'm very glad to at least get one trip in before the season ended. And I had a really great time visiting with Angela.

An interesting tidbit: While I was gone Robb decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (this year officially moved by the Pope to Mar. 15 so as not to coincide with Holy Week) by visiting a casino for the first time. Apparently my husband is now hooked. He spent several hours there and, although he ended up loosing money, he had a blast. So, I need to keep an eye on him so he doesn't turn into one of these casino-crazed Washingtonians!