End of Season

Last week was the official last day of the season at Park City Mountain Resort.  Everybody gets a little dressed up for the occasion and it can be a bit crazy on the mountain.  The theme for the National Ability Center was Tight and Bright.  I found a one piece snow suit.  I was plenty bright and it was a fun day on the mountain.

I had a total of 96 days on the snow this season.  I skied 5 different resorts and I can't wait to keep getting better.  In 96 days, my skills with new equipment and repetition of skiing helped so much.  It also helped that I lived 3 minutes from the resort and there was always someone better than me to critique my skills and help me get better.  It was an amazing season with both my mom and brother able to come out and ski as well as a college buddy from out east.  Good times for sure.

Mom Week

My mom was able to come out during her spring break last week.  We had a great time together and it was great showing her around Park City.  She was able to be out here for six days and she was able to ski five of those days.

Last Sunday we were expecting snow so we went out pretty early and enjoyed some fresh powder on the mountain.  It was a great day.  Monday turned out to be even better with more fresh snow.  It was pretty windy but we had a great first two days on the snow.  Tuesday was a day I had to do some stuff in the office so she checked out some of the cool stuff to do in Park City.  She spent most of the day downtown.  That evening I was able to show her a cool restaurant downtown.

Wednesday she was able to ski with me as I taught some lessons.  Here is one of my favorite students along with Laura.  We both got to work with this student this session.  It was pretty cool showing my mom what we do during lessons and how we work with different people.

 

I was able to take Thursday off and we went skiing once again!  The morning was a bit icy and she was able to witness a hefty fall.  She even got it on camera.  It is definitely not a highlight but you can watch me take a good spill.  My shoulder was hating me for the next few days for sure.

Friday was even better.  She got to ski in the morning and then she went back to get her stuff ready to head home that evening.  It was an awesome week.  She spoiled me by cooking some good food and just hanging out.  Thanks mom for coming out and spending the week with me.  I had a blast and just for the record I ordered all the awesome weather we both enjoyed!  It was an amazing week!

This was in the Park Record last week

Students at the Oakley School witness a different way to ski

Douglas Greenwood, of the Record Staff

Posted: 03/29/2011 04:11:08 PM MDT

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"I developed this course that is all about fun and skiing," said Oakley School Experiential Teacher Bethany Elson. Each time the students head up to the slopes, they ski with someone in the community who has been highly impacted by skiing, she said. 

About 10 of Elson's students spent Saturday, March 19, on the slopes at Canyons with Ben Hulin of the National Ability Center (NAC) and Andy Campbell, the winner of the Canyons Ultimate Mountain Challenge. Both men ride sit-skis, which consist of a single ski attached to a chair in which they sit because of accidents that left their legs paralyzed.

Hulin, who rides in a sit-ski as a result of a 2006 motorcycle accident, teaches ski lessons in conjunction with the National Ability Center. He is also in charge of community outreach at the NAC. 

Campbell found himself in a wheelchair after a 60-foot fall when a rock-climbing anchor broke in 2004. Both men began sit-skiing shortly after their accidents. They met this season and have skied together many times, according to Campbell.  "For me being in a wheelchair the mountains just take on a whole new level of significance," Campbell said.

Elson's students took to Hulin and Campbell quickly as they both offered to answer any questions regarding their injuries, how they were introduced to the sport or how their lives have been impacted, Hulin said.  "Since I work at the ability center, I could shed some light on people volunteering their time, working with our program and how people of all different types of abilities take part in our program," Hulin said. He began working with the NAC in September through a one-year contract with Americorps, which he described as "the domestic Peace Corps." 

A number of students responded to the messages Hulin and Campbell shared with them about overcoming difficulties, according to Elson. One message is printed right on Campbell's chair: "Die Living," which Campbell said draws a lot of attention from those who see him.

"There is very little that can actually stop you and get in the way of what you hope to achieve," Campbell said.

Elson said her students gained an appreciation for the diverse ways people can rise above their limitations to find what they love to do. The college-preparatory boarding school is located in Oakley and offers a unique curriculum to a wide variety of high-school age students.

Drive to Work

There are those of you out there that probably love your drive to work.  I however, have the best drive and possibly the shortest drive to a job that never gets old.  Here is my drive from the front of my condo to the parking garage at Park City Mountain Resort.  Another sweet thing about this is that this is my drive to get to the mountain on my days off!

Here is a student I get to work with on Wednesdays.  Laura helps out as well.  This little guy is from the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind.  They bring about 10 students with them on Wednesdays.  He is quite the kiddo.  He is four years old and loves to talk to himself down the hill.  His skiing is getting better even after two lessons.

Every day I come to ski there is the bench in front of The National Ability Center.  It is amazing the equipment that gets left behind on a beautiful day on the mountain.  Each day I roll up and the faces of the people I know and ski with come into mind as I see the stuff they really don't need on the mountain.  To all of you who said YOU CAN and NEVER said give up or no you can't do this or that, this picture is for you.  This shot was taken when I was in my ski and strapping in.  You can see my chair next to me.  A chair can define a person but I have chosen to let what I do inside my chairs define who I am.  It was sitting there waiting for me as I enjoyed my time on the mountain and I am sure many people walked by and knew it was me out of that chair and inside another on the mountain.  The chair has given me many great experiences so far and skiing this season has only been one of them.  Let the good times keep rolling!

First Race

We had a race on Saturday.  I was in charge of putting individuals who take lessons from The National Ability Center on teams that paid to be a part of Saturdays activities.  It is a big fundraiser for us and in the end I was even able to race with a team.  It was my first race through gates and I made it all the way down on my first run.  There is room for so much improvement but it was a really cool experience for sure.

Here is Arly and Tom.  Both are on the race team and I have been able to ski and work out with them.  They have both given me some great advice and technique when I watch their skiing and make improvements to my own skiing. 

Here is Rip and Sue and Teague.  Rip and Sue are the adaptive ski team coaches and Teague is on the team. 

Here I am on the lift and then on the course.

Here is our team.  Me, Arly, Sue and Rip.  It was a good day.  Hopefully more improvements and more races are in the future.

Toby and the Laser Pointer

This is how smart my dog is.  He chases a laser pointer with a vengeance.  It is pretty funny to watch.  In all reality I could just exercise him this way.  I am not that mean though but it has been done.  I just sit at my back door and flash the laser pointer up and down the back side walk until he is tired.  It is a good time.

GoPro Camera

This past week I picked up a camera.  It is a wide angle camera that you can strap on your helmet and you can video yourself and your friends skiing down the runs.  It is pretty cool.  I have not edited any videos from the ski hill but you can see some pictures I have taken below.  It has been a good last week or so.  I have not been as busy with the blog as some of you followers have noticed.  Not much new has been going on other than the normal skiing and outreach opportunities.  Session three has started and I am teaching students every Wed / Fri / and Sat.  It should be a good time teaching others as I continue to improve my own skiing.

This is a shot from the GoPro Camera.  You can see The National Ability Center on the left.  This is where I store all my gear and get ready right by this bench.  You can see some of the runs on the mountain straight ahead.

 Here is the bench where all the wheelers get ready and get into their rigs.  It is pretty cool out here because you are never the only one out on a sit rig.  Most people have seen one of us before and it is not uncommon to see five or six wheelchairs with nobody in them around this bench.

 This is the First Time Lift.  I usually ride from The National Ability Center to this lift and then ride it up and it is easier than hiking up to the lifts that go higher on the mountain.  It is a pretty good set up.  You can see the GoPro Camera attached to my helmet in the shadow.  It is a pretty cool piece of equipment.