I Was Ready To Give Up Skiing, Until A Lesson At Angel Fire Ski Resort
After my last ski lesson, I left feeling more frustrated than accomplished. I was told: “Lean forward like you are keeping your allowance between your shins.” Allowance? Wishing I had one, I took the advice. Only to then have my instructor swap out the tip and tell me that instead of leaning forward I should think about a neutral stance. As I wondered if I should be neutral or leaning forwarding, he then started to draw several diagrams in the snow with his ski pole about right and wrong ways to turn. Information overload. I just wanted ski.
Then I was told, “Cut your edge but keep your skis on the ground. Always.” This made no sense to me. How can you cut an edge and keep the bottoms of your skis on the ground? I could feel frustration building. I check the clock- one-hour done, four more to go. I need a hot chocolate. With Baileys. At the end of the day, I was contemplating if I should keep on the skiing track.
After a lesson at Angel Fire Ski Resort in the Southern Rockies of New Mexico, I decided I would stay with the sport. A lesson with Ritchie broke skiing back down to the basics. I told him that I am comfortable on greens and ready to ski with more confidence down the blues. I am glad that he has his teaching down to a science and knew to take it one step at time.
We started out riding the resorts shortest lift, Dream Catcher, for an even quicker ride down. It couldn’t have been more than 200 yards. I thought to myself, “Oh come on! Lets get to the blues!” I made it down in one piece, assuming that meant we could scurry on to the better terrain.
Instead, we rode back up for ride 2 of 4 to practice technique. Ritchie told me one thing to focus on each time. We started with thinking about transferring body weight on turns at the start of the carve. Bam. Right away, I could feel a difference. On run 3, he taught me a drill to help with body awareness. And by run 4, I was able to think about putting it all together. And also forget that we were on the most beginner slope on the mountain, better known as a bunny slope.
Finally, we were on to a run just twice the size, on a lift called Chair Two. We kept our focus on edging and smoothing out turns. The two hours were up in no time. We never did advance to the blues and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I couldn’t wait to take my newfound skills on the mountain and practice. This was a world of difference from my last lesson where I left the mountain immediately wondering if I would ever ski again.
Where to Stay: The Lodge at Angel Fire is walking distance to the mountain. Either grab a room with a view of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Book a king size bed with a balcony, the premier type of lodging, at rates between $205-$250 depending on time of year
The Skiing: Angel Fire Ski Resort has 79 runs, 3 ski and ride terrain parks and offers nighttime skiing on weekends and select nights. Insider Tip: Head to the backside of the mountain where it’s less crowded. The mountain attracts a lot of beginners, which means several people who don’t have control on their skis. Standing in a lift line, someone grabbed onto me as they lost their balance and we both were soon on the icy ground. At the top of a lift, a runaway snowboard slammed into me, ejecting me from my skis. A few runs later, a novice skier snowplowed right over my getaway sticks. Check out the video overview of Angel Fire Here.
Where to Dine: For the finest dining, head to Elements. Find the biggest wine selection in town, steaks and seafood. A live pianist plays every Friday and Saturday from 6-9 p.m. A shuttle is available to take guests from the resort.
For breakfast, Annie’s is your best bet for coffee, yogurt and breakfast burritos (don’t forget the green Chile). For anyone looking for healthier options, packing food is a good idea or heading to the town’s grocery store where there is a limited selection of organic and healthier foods. For après ski, check out Mountain Haus for a warm drink and live music.
