A Ski trip without the Skiing!

“Maybe it will clear up by the time we finish coffee,” I suggested to Scott. It wasn’t looking good— from the lodge we could barely see the outline of the nearest lift.

We’d skied in the fog for an hour and a half, but it had gotten to the point where we were really only doing it by the feel of the slope under our skis. It started to get thicker, and vertigo was starting to kick in. White ground, white air, fog and slush on my goggles; coffee and a snack seemed like the best option.

After an hour the coffee was long gone, so we moved to the pub and ordered a beer. It was our first day skiing from a different cabin so I tried to figure out the easiest way to get back. The fog hadn’t dissipated, and now it was snowing hard. The lifts hadn’t closed, but most chairs were going up empty.

“I can ski tomorrow when it’s clearer,” I told Scott, as he headed out to try a few more runs. He’s not just a better skier than me (he raced for 30 years) but he’s more passionate about it. I headed back to our cabin in the Old Village, along the paths where motorized vehicles weren’t permitted. I only had to climb one hill, able to ski most of the way.

The next day we woke to blue skies— and 36 cm of new, heavy snow. The plan was to pack up and go ski for the day, but first we needed to get out of the cabin. We dug out the path so we could get to the groomed trails, and then we had to dig out two cars.

By the time we’d done that it was after noon, and I didn’t feel like skiing. Scott headed to the hill and I went looking for an EV charger and another coffee.

So, sounds like a bust of a ski trip, right? Wrong! It was fabulous.

My daughter and her dog joined us for the two nights at Mount Washington. Thor loves the snow, loves having three people willing to walk him in it, loves being able to plant himself in the middle of the kitchen or the living room, loves all the attention (and perhaps the occasional piece of cheese!)

There was a television but we never turned it on. I took a break from news and social media. We read books, played cards, and just talked, in that quiet, companionable way that comes when you have time and no agenda. We cooked and ate together.

I even enjoyed shovelling snow. It was so pretty! While we worked together to dig out the cars, my daughter practiced her Finnish.

“Olen sisuainen nainen!” I’m a strong woman/ woman with sisu!

She truly is, and it’s a joy to spend time with her.

Working together to accomplish a job is satisfying, and I like physical labour that does something much more than a gym workout.

Charging the car was not a chore, either. I chatted with quite a few people while waiting for a free port. While the car charged I had an excellent cortado and a decadent cinnamon bun at the Nordic lodge, and I appreciated the quiet and mountain view as I read my book.

At the end of the day I met my tired but grinning husband and we headed home. I may have only spent a couple of hours on the slopes, but I was really pleased with how I had skied. I feel like I’ve improved.

I’ve been in beautiful places around the world, and heard people complain: about the lack of dry cleaning services on an Arctic expedition; about the quality of the wine in the Galapagos; about how there was only Mexican food available in a small Mexican town. I’ve also seen gratitude and enjoyment in harsh and difficult circumstances.

What you bring inside your heart is more important than where you go.