I was 14 the first time I went skiing. It was at a well-known (to me) ski resort in southeast Indiana. The hills were small and the snow was man made. I fumbled my way through the day, falling more than once, the day ending in a failed dismount from the ski lift that left my junior high bestie in stitches while more skilled skiers swerved around me.
Nearly three decades later, I found myself in Colorado for a 2-night getaway to celebrate my daughter Pearl’s 8th birthday. She has been asking to go skiing since forever and so I reached out to the Gaylord Rockies to see if they could recommend a ski resort near Denver, Colorado, that was beginner friendly. They recommended the Loveland Ski Area and since Pearl had never skied, they booked us a private lesson.
Having skied only once in my life—almost 30 years ago, and rather clumsily—in the Midwest, skiing in Colorado felt like a big step up, and I was intimidated. However, decades after that first ski experience, I am a stronger, more capable, and more confident person. And also, this time I was not skiing with a judgemental teenager, I was skiing with my daughter who is my biggest cheerleader. We would do this together.
Checking In at Loveland Ski Area
We arrived at Loveland Ski Area at 8:30 a.m. to get checked in. The drive from Denver had taken longer than anticipated because it began to snow about halfway in. We picked the most colorful ski coats and one of the resort’s awesomest instructors, John David Palmer (JDP), helped us get set up with ski boots, skis, and helmets. (And by helped, I mean he got Pearl snapped into her boots—me too—and showed us both how to snap in and out of our skis.)…