Alan and Sylvia in Alaska: Learning to Ski!

This weekend we went out with a friend from work to learn the basics of nordic skiing. The idea is you ski along a trail on the flat, and learn how to propel yourself along using the poles and a gliding action from one foot to the other. In the falling down stakes, the score over 3 trips is:

Alan 6 Sylvia 0.

(I have the bruises to prove it.)

This is a photo of Judy, who took the time to give us some tips and hints on what to do. She can ski all day and was amazed when we said we couldn't go any further after only half an hour, as beginners waste so much energy, and we were really tired. I keep hoping it will be like riding a bike - after a while you don't need to think about staying upright. Must keep practising.

Judy also invited us round for Thanksgiving dinner and we were introduced to her friend and her 2 teenage sons. The boys are avid ice hockey players and after 2 matches earlier in the day, they soon demolished an excellent turkey dinner. We rounded it off with pumpkin pie, which we are adding to our favourites list. We had a nice evening and learnt a lot about Thanksgiving, which is almost a bigger deal than Christmas in the USA. It started when the Pilgrim Fathers celebrated their first year in the New World.

After recovering from skiing today, we went to Kincaid park, which is on the eastern point of Anchorage looking out over Turnagain Arm. We watched some children sledding and saw a ski lesson going on. There is a visitor centre there, so a chance for a quick warm before going back. The photo shows Sylvia against the Chugach mountains on one of the observation points. The wind was really chilly with no protection, so we were glad to get back to the car.