Saturday morning, my Dad and I were
off to compete in the first of three Winter Wild uphilling events. Uphilling is
an event where the individuals ascend and descend a mountain via ski slopes under
their own power. There are several categories in which you can choose to
compete: open - snowshoes, traction, or running shoes; track skis - cross
country skis or skate skis; telemark; and, heavy metal – alpine skis or boards.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each. On this day, a runner was the
first person to cross the finish line, edging out a telemark skier by a mere 2
seconds.
With less than ideal driving
conditions, we pulled into the parking lot 10 minutes before the start. We
rushed to pick up our bibs and bundle up before stepping out into the freezing
cold. It was in the single digits and very windy. Within minutes of starting, I
could feel my fingers beginning to freeze in my light running gloves.
In case, you're wondering just how much fun we had, the entire experience goes something like this: After huffing and puffing, and sweating profusely on the way
up, you then have the downhill to look forward to… wind stinging your exposed
skin, eyes watering, and the sensation of running down a ski slope with limited
depth perception.
Upon finishing. I headed back inside
the lodge and camped out by a large window overlooking the slopes to watch the
rest of the finishers, keeping a lookout for my Dad. Luckily, I spotted him trotting downhill in his snowshoes. I hobbled outside to the finish and thankfully, there was a huge smile plastered (or perhaps frozen) on his
face.
Later that morning, during the
post-race age group awards, my Dad and I both got called up for our respective
age categories. My Dad now has a blue pint glass to prove his BAMF status! I
think he might be hooked...
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