This surf blog pre-empted by a ski blog

WTF is going on? I come back from Colorado and it's still flat?

What is this, some kind of curse?

My informants tell me there were a couple of days of waves right before I left or during the trip, but that's it---the epic flatness continues. The surf reports since I've been back look the same as before I left: "More flatness". "Flat again".

Well, it wasn't flat in Colorado! And there was snow. The only problem with this trip was that apparently the entire population of the red states was on something called "Spring Break" last week, and they all decided to take their yearly family ski trip at the same place I did, all unbeknownst to me. If I had known, I wouldn't have booked the damn trip that week. I am going to be having nightmares for quite a while about hordes and hordes of Georgians descending down the slopes in an unending procession, in groups of nine with at least five blond children named "Conway" and "Callen" etc. etc...nightmares where I hear the clomps of their ski boots...

I ran into one of the little Mississippi munchkins and it wasn't entirely accidental...awww, the little thing wasn't hurt and it was probably her fault anyway.

Learning surfing has been one step forward, two steps back. It's a given that after a good day I'll have a bad one, no matter what. It sure hasn't been a simple progession. I've come to accept that. Learning to ski has been much more linear, which is why it's been much less frustrating.

That said, it's not always progress. I have achieved Level 7, the next to highest level in skiing, but I haven't been there very long and I don't always reach it consistently. Things like crowds, poor visibility, tiredness or injury can set me back a level. All of these things applied at times during this trip and sometimes all at once.

The first day I was doing great. I was so confident I decided to try a double black diamond trail (my first) without even looking at it. Stupid, stupid move kids, don't try it! Suffice it to say I got down the trail on my ass.

The second day I had a fall that was a little scary, because I couldn't get out of it by myself. I wasn't hurt, but somehow the strap of my backback got twisted around my ski. I couldn't see it and couldn't understand why I couldn't get that foot back under me. Somebody had to help me up (OK, Texans are good for something). After that, a fall where I hurt my ankle. You can't break your ankle in ski boots, but it was a little banged up.

I took the rest of that day off to soak in the hot springs.

The other days turned out good, though. I stopped caring what color trail I was on. I found one that was relatively deserted, a chair lift where I could get a ride by myself and without standing in a line, and I just flew. Again and again.