The Long Trip Home

The last day was rough. Getting out of bed was an absolute chore. So much so that someone, ahem, overslept and didn't get herself packed and changed until 9 a.m.

The others were ready to go at 8.

Once we got out butts in gear and checked out of the hotel, we finally hit the slopes around 10. The guys headed off to do Great Eastern, one of the longest trails on the mountain. It starts at the tippy top of Killington peak (4,000+ feet up) and winds its way down the mountain. The trail is a beginner slope but boy is the thought of skiing the whole thing daunting! We, the girls that is, stayed around the bunny slopes to get our courage up, as we had been told we were doing Great Eastern that afternoon.

No excuses were accepted.

By the time the guys made it back and we ate lunch we (seven of us) didn't get moving until 2 p.m. A quad chairlift and gondola ride later I was staring down the tallest peak at Killington. Guh. Can you say butterflies in the stomach? The trail wasn't really all that bad. Until I started getting a major pain in my left foot. I'm talking pain so bad I had to stop at one point because I was crying. Sigh. We were about 1/2 of the way down when it hit and I couldn't stand it anymore. So one of the nice ski patrol guys brought me down the rest of the way on a snowmobile.

Not a very graceful way to exit the slopes. I was more than slightly humiliated by the fact that I didn't finish the trail. Ability wise, I could do it. No really. It wasn't that bad of a trail. If it wouldn't have been for my damn foot...well, you know the rest.

I spent the rest of the time waiting for the others and dozing in the lodge.

We finally got everyone rounded up and headed for home by about 6. An eight hour ride and several bathroom breaks later, we were home, at 2 a.m. I fell right into bed until my alarm went off at 5:30. Then 5:39. Then 5:48. Then 5:57.

Finally I rolled out of bed at 6 a.m. Back to the grind. Not willingly I might add.