Skiing the second time

Here I am, back with a post on yet another pretty venturesome trip.

The gang.......


Skiing for the second time in the Shawnee valley nestled in the picturesque Pocono’s mountains in Pennsylvania, I realized that I got a handle on the winter sport. The beginners lessons in Snoqualmie was enough to get me flawlessly buckle up the ski boots, latch the boots onto the skis, pick the poles and smoothly set gliding over the powder. Well it really wasn’t one single smooth sequence as it might sound. Had a couple of baby falls and had to get up quickly before the 13-member gang could catch a glimpse of me lying supine over the snow.

In front of Shawnee Inn.......


Most members of the group, though beginners, dared to try their hand even before the instructor could begin the class. That was the beginning of our fun, with people demonstrating some rare skills like skiing on their butts or getting into non-stop reverse mode till they bumped into some unwitting skier or the orange fence. Like their feats on bunny slopes were not enough, the group migrated to “Green slopes” (the easiest ones) lead by the most experienced skier of us all, Vishal.

The Green slopes provided the turf for all the real action. Vivek, for a first-timer, was too good to believe. Without flinching for a second, he would set off the top, ski half way through, make an arc to stop, all well executed. After that control suddenly seemed elude him. Unwillingly turning backwards, he could be seen skiing on all fours in the reverse direction till the bottom. And all this, he managed to do each time faultlessly! KVR always managed the first 50 feet down the slope, artfully tumble, and then would be sitting and watching helplessly others ski by. Ask him what happened and spat comes “I am resting.” What say about Kapil’s merciless bull-dozing of fellow skiers on his way? The only photographic evidence we have is of Madhu. Gaurang looked like a pro….in photos.

Came to know, Shyam was beaten at the hustings by all the kids doing snow-tubing. Pity! They couldn’t find tubes small enough for Shruthi. Wish her “growth” in life!!



Hey! I forgot about the night on 24th Dec, when we stayed at Shawnee Inn. After we annealed ourselves playing in the pool and Jacuzzi alternately, it was time for smoke treatment. Yep! Bon fire…..sounds great, isn’t it? But, it isn’t easy to start a fire when there’s snow all over and the air around chills yours bones. Hmm…clever & experienced that we are, gasoline was bought to light the fire. Not to mention of the potentially explosive situation that was averted with good presence of mind. Powered by the music from car stereos, the crowd danced around the fire laced with some good cracks by Shyam. It was a memorable trip on the whole.