Early Season Mono-Ski Adventure at Mammoth Mountain

It was early in the week and Rosanna and I decided to enjoy the early season opened at Mammoth Mountain for skiing and snowboarding. We called ahead to Disabled Sports of the Eastern Sierra (DSES) to arrange for a mono-ski lesson with one of their instructors. We left late on Tuesday and drove through the night to be there at 1:00 pm. We arrived early around 3:00 am and checked into a disabled friendly room at the Motel 6 and got some sleep before our appointment. Through the night I encountered a fever of 102 and rendered my body helpless. I was going everywhere in my mind, “Will I have to cancel my lesson? “After all the hard work that DSES did to make this come to life, would I chalk this up as a disappointment? My limbs froze as the fever pulsed through my body. Rosanna covered my chest, neck and head with ice and cool rags to inhibit the fever. I fought to move my legs as the fever diminished. With the help of Tylenol and ice, step by step I arose from the bed. 

    We then loaded up for our adventure on the slopes. We met Rick, who remembered us from a previous trip, Alan and Brent from DSES which was doing a volunteer training. We ran into Kimberley who was there at the Life Rolls On event a couple years back. Our arrival had the feeling of a reunion as we saw Maggie and Zachary, who did the training for me when we skied with Life Rolls On’s “They will Ski Again” in 2009. 
                                     We focused on getting some skiing done with the mono-ski as we finished all of our greetings with friends from the past. Rick, Brent and Alan assisted me into the mono-ski and the lesson began.  I learned that I was being taught to try to be as independent as possible so that meant I was too hold myself up with the help of my out riggers. We went through a battery of exercises in order to challenge my balance with the mono-ski on dry ground. We then moved out to a small flat area where we practiced going down the bunny slope without falling over. I had previously skied with a bi-ski where you turned by shifting your hips. Mono-skiing was the exact opposite. When you shift your hips on a mono-ski, you simply fall over. Rick then, after the lesson ended, gave me an accurate and honest appraisal of my abilities. He said that I am a long way off from becoming fully independent on the mono-ski and after work on my upper body strength that it would be possible. I appreciated his appraisal and he left me with a glimmer of hope. Rosanna and I took in his words and developed a routine to work with my nurse aides to develop my strength.
    Day 2 started with some Starbucks coffee provided by the Westin Resort. We changed our accommodations to the Westin Resort after we finished my lesson the previous day. Rosanna did some snowboarding while I waited at the Westin.
    1:00 clock began to draw near and Rosanna met me at the hotel to bring me to DSES for my lesson. Rick quickly got me started doing drills balancing on the mono-ski.
We then headed to the lifts and began learning more basics of doing independent mono-skiing. I learned how to load and depart the lift which required significant triceps strength. The first run when we unloaded from the chair lift. It went perfect as I skied down the hill with Rick and Brent.
    I fully recommend and support DSES for your winter adventure needs. Their staff was helpful and welcoming. If this is your first-time mono or bi-skiing let The Threus Foundation cover the cost of a half day of skiing in order to give the prospective skier a taste of what we are doing.