Trail Blazer

We had been looking forward to the break in the confusion of having just moved to Germany.  We had been stationed in the south so long, the cold was a shock but our new friends had convinced us that a trip to the Alps would be fun.

We had planned on enrolling in the beginner skiing classes that were offered but our “friends” insisted that it was easy… so, the first day, off to the slopes we went.

As we stood at the top of the slope, the mountain visibly steepened.  What was I thinking?  My wife, never the adventuresome type, was muttering, her breath condensing in the frigid air.  A quick lesson in “snow plowing” had done little to assuage her concerns.

“How do I stop?” was her primary question.  “It’s easy,” said my friend.  “If you get going to fast, simply point uphill.  If all else fails, sit down!”

With that sage advice, we started downhill, the welcome visage of the hotel in distance beckoning us to survive and enjoy the warmth of mulled wine and a roaring fire.

Within sixty seconds, I heard my wife yell as ski tips crossed and she collapsed in a pile of brightly colored ski clothes with skis and poles jutting out at unnatural angles.

I quickly went to help her back to her feet.  “This is fun?” she asked.  “Oh come on,” I chided.  “Where’s your spirit of adventure?”  “Down by the fire,” was her response.

With that utterance, she once more oriented herself down the hill.  I watched as she blazed a trail of two crisp ski impressions, separated by the tell tale butterfly indentation of her cheeks, that led down the mountain to the waiting warmth.

It was her first and last ski experience.

Word Count: 295
Prompt: Write a story that involves a winter sport or activity (skating, sledding, skiing, etc)
An entry for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"