My mom came in for a visit last weekend. We had a wonderful time together and I was so happy that she came. Surprisingly, we got to ski for two full days while she was here! I knew the mountains were going to be open, but I had no idea that we would get two full days of great skiing. When she told me she was coming, I figured we go get a run or two in at Loveland or A-basin. Instead, we skied from open until close on Sunday and Monday.
Family ski trips are among my favorite memories from growing up. Nearly every year the Horn family made the trip up to Colorado. It was a great opportunity to get away from the business of Dallas, enjoy the beautiful mountains, and spend time together as a family. It was also this commitment to skiing every year that gave me the passion for the sport that I have today.
My mom is a great skier. She has beautiful form and she skis her ability. There is no pretention to her skiing – she just enjoys making left and right turns on simple slopes. She likes the athletic challenge, but is happy with a day on mellow slopes. She is the kind of skier that I like to ski with – someone with no expectation or competition in mind.
Priscilla also has a pretty amazing history in the sport, although she would never let you know. In grade school, Mom learned to ski in Lucerne, Switzerland. My grandfather was stationed in Germany in the late 1950s so she was able to learn in the birthplace of modern skiing. Mom also went skiing in Hokkaido, Japan with my uncle Lee in the early 1960s. They were on a Boy Scout trip, and Mom skied on a pair of “Haga Hickory” wooden skis. In those days, skiers used lace-up leather boots. There was no gore-tex, prima-loft, or vented goggles. Heat-molded, comfort-fit boots were not available. Skiers didn’t have shaped skis. The modern comforts that make it easy for us were totally absent. Skiing back then was about the skier and the mountain. It was simple. And that’s the way Mom skis.
I think it is pretty darn cool to hear about Mom’s early days of skiing. I also think that just about everyone in Summit County would find my mom’s adventures in the early days of commercial skiing pretty darn cool. But if you ask her about it, she will tell you that it was no big deal.
On any given day in Dallas, my mom is usually involved in about five different things. Priscilla Horn is not the type to sit around eating bon-bons and watching soap operas. If she’s not volunteering, attending a bible study, hosting a party, visiting her mom, or exercising – she’s visiting her granddaughter in Atlanta. She has a lot on her mind. So getting Mom on the ski slopes is a great thing. She has a chance to relax, take in the mountains, and forget about all of her commitments. We were also able to share something that I love.
Why do I love skiing so much? The answer is simple – peace and adventure.
Skiing is peaceful – no matter how busy life gets, when you can make turns down a snowy slope, what else is really important? The serenity the mountain gives is like nothing else!
Skiing is an adventure – No other sport offers the exhilaration of flying down the side of a mountain, with your feet fixed to two planks
Mom loves skiing for the same reasons. She may not need to ski fast, ski bumps or jump cliffs, but she feels the same things. Although Mom downplays her enjoyment in the sport, you can tell that she truly loves it! What’s my evidence? Last Monday we skied at A-Basin, which had only 3 trails open. The lift lines were long, the snow base was shallow, and the runs were repetitive. Yet even the mention of leaving the slopes before 3 PM brought a look of disappointment to her face. The bottom line - mom wanted to ski.
But who am I kidding really? The thing my Mom loves the most is her kids! She didn’t come out here to ski – she came out her to visit her son and daughter-in-law. Priscilla loves to spend time with her kids especially because we are so spread out. Suzanne and Richard live in Atalnta, Leslie just got a job in New York, and Nicole and I live in Colorado. It's challenging for mom to travel all over the countryside to visit her kids, so the chance to spend time with us was a big thrill for her. I think she was just happy being together. I can’t remember the last time I spent so much quality time with her.
Last weekend was a great experience and will be a great memory for many years to come. We never expected to have such a wonderful time on the slopes, but I’m glad we did. I look forward to many great ski trips with the family in the future.
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