As the lift of Maryland's only ski resort, Wisp, shutters up the mountain, I choke back a lump of fear. The last time I went skiing, I lost control after hitting an icy patch on an intermediate slope near Axams, Austria and slid into an older gentleman, almost sending him and myself over the edge of the mountain. I haven't had the courage to try skiing since. Yet, 10 years later in the deepening twilight of an Appalachian winter evening, I'm ready to try again. I'm ready to reclaim the mountain.
A sharp wind cuts my face, numbing my lips and making it hard to talk to Jim, our instructor from the resort's Adult Ski and Ride School. As we sit three abreast on Chairlift #3, he counsels us on our next moves. I'm to ski to the right, he's to ski to the left, and my husband, perched in between us, is to ski straight ahead towards the easiest of the lift-accessible slopes that Wisp has to offer.
A sharp wind cuts my face, numbing my lips and making it hard to talk to Jim, our instructor from the resort's Adult Ski and Ride School. As we sit three abreast on Chairlift #3, he counsels us on our next moves. I'm to ski to the right, he's to ski to the left, and my husband, perched in between us, is to ski straight ahead towards the easiest of the lift-accessible slopes that Wisp has to offer.
Jim leads us down Possum, one of three green beginners’ slopes, which runs down the north and east faces of the mountain. I begin my run, taking care to execute wide, curving turns with utmost control. We are enveloped in darkness now; intermittent pools of light brighten the trail. The slope is nearly empty, and the only sounds are the wind whipping through the towering pines and the controlled whoosh of my skis on powdery snow. I go slowly, keeping my skis angled in a wedge and watching my husband race past me with abandon. His laughter reaches back to me, urging me to hurry up. Unclenching my jaw, I straighten my skis a little and face down the mountain. I am flying.
I slide to a halt at the base of the run, adrenaline and joy surging through my body. As we take the lift to our next set of trails, Bear Paw followed by Wisp, Jim informs us of the upcoming improvements and expansions planned for the resort.
At this moment, I can't imagine a better experience. We cut down the mountain, giggling as the biting wind chaps our cheeks and hustles us down the trails. As we approach the first steep hill on Wisp Trail, I stick to the left side, preferring a gentler grade to the drop on the right. When I pass my husband, I flash him a grin.
Jim takes his leave of us, wishing us good skiing and a happy anniversary, and we spend the next hour racing each other down the slopes. We decide to stick to the three runs with which we are familiar—while Wisp boasts 32 trails totaling something like 10 miles of skiable terrain, I am still a little too nervous to attempt the unknown without our trusted guide. B thankfully, I have plenty of time to give it another go this season.
I slide to a halt at the base of the run, adrenaline and joy surging through my body. As we take the lift to our next set of trails, Bear Paw followed by Wisp, Jim informs us of the upcoming improvements and expansions planned for the resort.
At this moment, I can't imagine a better experience. We cut down the mountain, giggling as the biting wind chaps our cheeks and hustles us down the trails. As we approach the first steep hill on Wisp Trail, I stick to the left side, preferring a gentler grade to the drop on the right. When I pass my husband, I flash him a grin.
Jim takes his leave of us, wishing us good skiing and a happy anniversary, and we spend the next hour racing each other down the slopes. We decide to stick to the three runs with which we are familiar—while Wisp boasts 32 trails totaling something like 10 miles of skiable terrain, I am still a little too nervous to attempt the unknown without our trusted guide. B thankfully, I have plenty of time to give it another go this season.
 | Lynn Daue is a freelance travel and lifestyle journalist based out of Maryland. She has lived in Germany, Russia, the UK, and the United States and has traveled extensively throughout the US, Europe, and South America. Discover more at www.lynndaue.com. |
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