Last day of Skiing

Today was my last day of snow skiing with the program. I really enjoyed it and was determined to make it the entire day without peeking. Yeah I made it!! Went on a few blue runs and practiced turns on command, etc. I did so much better today and felt very confident under direction. A few tricks my guide played on me included handing me the ski poles upside down to see if I'd notice. I was trying to push in the snow and said "This isn't looking right!" I was trying to hold the bottom of the poles and the top was sliding in the snow. No grip. LOL!! He got a laugh out of that one. Apparently he was able to successfully ski me around a few downed skiers, a class of kids, and some wild snowboarders. He still was very safe but felt confident in my response times. Had to laugh b/c at one point he said "now we will have to make a very hard right." I literally turned an entire sharp turn 180 degrees and he was like "Go figures." I turn way more than students he's used to and it didn't surprise him how sharp it was. Of course it made me go uphill and I had to keep from sliding backwards.

At one point today we were standing on the side of the hill waiting for a safe clearance for me to go and some lady went careening out of control and went right towards us shouting "Look out!" After she came to a skidding stop by him he was like "Lookout doesn't work with the blind!" I didn't even know she was coming until she whizzed right next to me. He said about 1 foot distance between her and I. Guess I came close to getting taken out. She was kinda expecting me to move out of the way for her and didn't see the blind skier vest I had. Oops!! Poor thing felt bad especially after the comment my guide made. Glad my hearing isn't so good. At least I had no idea what was coming towards me and never freaked out.

I noticed a change in some of my directional issues. When I was starting to slide backwards I started to notice and actually correct by moving my skis in the downhill direction so that I was perpendicular to the slope. This is something I have had trouble with identifying. I would be going backwards and not realize it or know what to do about it. Perhaps there is some hope for this directionally challenged blind woman :-). Maybe I will eventually be able to tell what my orientation is while traveling or skiing.
I really thoroughly enjoyed my day out...the air was warm and sunny (of course I couldn't see it) but I felt it. :-)