Follow me around DeKalb County, Alabama! By Kayla Worthey

Cloudmont Ski Resort in Mentone atop Lookout Mountain

Ok, so I became eager to learn and tried to “hone” my skills at Cloudmont Ski Resort. You can go ahead and laugh now, I am laughing hysterically inside because my outside is too sore to laugh.
I step into the rustic mountain lodge and order my boots and skis from the lady behind the counter. Size 7 please. She is very polite and helps me get my boots and my skis picked out and hands me my poles. No way am I trying the snowboard very first thing. That will come after I have mastered the skis. She asks, “Is this your first time skiing?” I reply, “Yes maam, it is.” She proceeds to tell me about the FREE beginner lessons that are offered. Thanks, but no thanks. I can do this. I am a natural athlete, I will be fine. So I politely decline.
I am an athlete. I have played basketball, softball, volleyball, ran track, you name it and I have done it. I can ice skate, roller skate and roller blade. Surely I can ski, even though I have never tried. How hard can it be? I don’t need to waste my time taking lessons on the “bunny slope”. I AM AN ATHLETE!
So I grab my lift ticket and head over to the benches around the fire to sit down. I put on my boots and bundle myself up then I head out the door. I walk (looking somewhat like a robot, I am sure) through the snow toward the ski lift. I drop my skis, pop them on and glide over to hop on the pony lift.

So this looks easy enough. The cable comes around, you grab the T-bar, hold on tight and it takes you to the top. No problem. Here I go. The cable comes around, I grab the T-bar, hold on tight and there I go…face first into the snow. What just happened? Why am I lying on the ground? Then I hear someone say, “roll out!” Roll Out? What? Then I realize and begin to roll from under the lift cable. I look up to see a nice young gentleman standing there to help me up. Thank you kindly, young lad. So with my mildly bruised ego I head off to try it again. This time I am victorious and make it all the way to the top. This is going to be fun. So I glide over very gracefully to the top of the hill. Here goes nothing.

I push off with a gentle glide and my downhill decent begins. Three seconds later I am on my butt, but not stopping. I have managed to sit down on my skis just perfectly so that I can’t get back up, I can’t use my poles (which I promptly drop), I can’t steer, and my speed downhill is rapidly increasing. This is just great! So I hold on for dear life and scream like the girl that I am. Finally I land mangled in the orange netting at the foot of the hill. By the way, you are supposed to stop yourself way before you get to this point!
I gather my composure and bring myself to my feet only to hear that tiny part of my brain screaming, “How about those FREE lessons now?” Yes, I think so.
So, I take my free lessons on the bunny slope as first suggested, too bad I didn’t listen. The instructor was great. He showed me how to keep my knees bent, but not so far that I actually sit down, and keep my skis pointed slightly inward so that I can keep them in control (somewhat). He spends enough time with me so that I am now comfortable and am taking the bunny slope like a champ!
I spent the rest of the day perfecting my stride down the hill, not without a few tumbles, bruises and yells along the way. The fellow skiers were great and the staff was fantastic. I highly recommend you test your skills at Cloudmont. This was an adventure well worth the money. I do suggest the free beginner lessons if you have never been. They are a must, athlete or not!