Snowboarding through the slopes of Lake Tahoe

The icy cold snow covered my gear and snowboard as I slid off the ski lift. Walking with one boot tightly bound to the board, I headed toward the top of the slope with the board dragging behind me. 

Sitting down on the side of the hill, I felt the ice-cold snow through the gloves as I strapped on my left boot. Carefully standing up, I looked forward, my hands outstretched and my knees slightly bent. 

With the tip of my board pointed diagonally away from the slope, I rode the heel edge and created semi-half circles. A rush of exhilaration rushed through me as I snowboarded down the slope, picking up speed. 

Advancing towards the other side, I spun out of control and crashed into the snow. This was one of the many tries where I crashed out.

However, I wanted that rush of exhilaration and was determined to try again. Closer to the bottom of the slope, I decided to go for it and ride to the bottom even though I hadn’t attempted snowboarding such a long distance downhill. 

Riding the same way as before, I smoothly glided down, gaining speed. As I approached the flat areas, I turned my board to the right to slow down, stopping perfectly before the ski lift line so I could go up again.

Before this experience, I never really found interest in snow sports, let alone snowboarding. It wasn’t until I went to Lake Tahoe with some friends where they taught me how to snowboard that I realized that this was extremely fun. 

I was introduced to this new world of terminology and technique that I’d never heard of before. With an amazing instructor, I quickly picked up the fundamentals and went for it, loving the experience of riding the ski lifts and gliding down the slope. 

When I have the opportunity again to travel to Lake Tahoe, I hope to rent some snow gear and ride down the slopes once again to experience the challenges and fun.