Whiter than Snow

The week went by fast, and Bonnie was anxious for her first cross-country ski lesson on Saturday afternoon, not to mention seeing Brad again. Saturday morning, April and Bonnie cleaned the apartment they shared, ran a few errands and ate a quick lunch. Then Bonnie was off to Brad’s ski shop.

Arriving a little early, Bonnie was able to look around the shop while Brad was taking care of a customer. She was amazed at all the different types of snow gear; goggles, skis, snow boards, snowshoes and many other items that were in his shop. It can get expensive to enjoy the snow, she thought. She wasn’t sure how far her teaching salary would allow her to enjoy the recreation this area offered. But soon Brad came over, took her by the hand, and led her to the back of the shop.
“I keep my used skis and boots back here and use them for my rentals. We’ll start you out on one of these to see how you like it. I put aside some skis that I thought would work for you. Let’s try them out and see how they fit. I guessed at your height and weight, as I know it’s not polite to ask a woman those things. But it’s important to know when fitting you for a pair of skis. Is five-three and about a hundred and twenty pounds pretty close?”
“Yes, that’s very close,” Bonnie answered with a shy grin.
“Okay. What size shoe do you wear?”
“Size 7.”
“All right. Have a seat right here, and I’ll get you a pair of boots.” As Brad went to get the ski boots, Bonnie took off her snow boots and was wondering if she should have put on an extra pair of socks to keep her feet warm. But Brad soon came back with the ski boots and a pair of socks as well.
“Here, put these on first. They’re smart wool socks, not bulky, but really warm. Your feet will be warm as toast.” Bonnie put them on and Brad helped her with the ski boots.
“Okay, now stand up and see how they feel. We don’t want them too loose and floppy, but not too tight either.” Brad took Bonnie's hand and helped her stand up. It felt different at first, but they seemed to be a perfect fit.
“All right, now let me lay the skis down and I’ll show you how we hook the boots into them. Lift up your right foot and slip the toe of the boot into the bindings, then rest your boot down and you'll hear them click into place.” Bonnie did as he directed, heard the click and was pleased that it was going so well.
“Good. Now we’ll do the left one. Why don’t you hang on to my shoulder, lift up your left boot and slip it into the left ski.” Bonnie did as he directed and was grateful that she was hanging onto Brad’s shoulder, or she may have lost her balance. Maybe this wasn’t as easy as it looked.
“You’re doing fine,” Brad assured. “Now just stand for a while and get your balance.” Soon Bonnie felt steady on her own, so he moved away and got her ski poles. “Here, hang onto these poles and they will help you balance.” Bonnie did so, and felt more secure.
“Okay, I think everything fits you well. Sit back down again, and we’ll take the skis off and load them into my SUV. You might as well leave the boots on as we’ll be going directly to the trail from here.”
After Brad loaded the skis and poles into his SUV, they headed out for Bonnie’s first ski lesson. Bonnie was excited and scared at the same time. Many questions went through her mind. Will I make a fool of myself? Will I be able to get the hang of it? Will I be wasting Brad’s time?

Brad seemed to sense her uncertainty. He placed his hand on hers and said, “Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine! This is supposed to be fun you know, not a test.” Bonnie smiled and tried to relax. When they got to their destination, they got out and unloaded the skis. Brad helped Bonnie with hers and then put his own on.
“Alright, we’re ready. This trail is pretty level and doesn’t have a lot of sharp turns. It’s also wider so we can ski side by side. It’s like walking, only you don’t pick up your feet as much, so it’s more of a gliding motion. Use your poles to push off and let’s go.” It was actually easier than Bonnie had expected. After she got the hang of it, she was able to enjoy the scenery around them. Brad talked about the area and mentioned other trails that he thought Bonnie would enjoy. And it was definitely good exercise. Bonnie knew she was using muscles she didn’t normally use every day.
“We don’t want to overdo it for your first time, but you seem to be catching on very quickly. We’ll turn you into a “Yooper” yet,” Brad exclaimed.
“What’s a ‘Yooper’?” Bonnie asked.
“A ‘Yooper’ is a person who lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the UP. Someone who is used to the snow and cold, says ‘yah’ a lot instead of yes, and calls this place home.
“Well, I don’t know if I qualify yet, but I hope to become a ‘Yooper’ one day,” Bonnie affirmed.
“Let’s go up to that next curve and then head back. That will be about one mile. That’s good enough for your first time.”

Bonnie was thankful for his understanding and glad when she saw his SUV waiting for them. She was getting pretty short of breath by the time they reached it and gratefully accepted the bottle of water Brad offered.