Cool Bunny

Two weeks in Colorado with tons of snow and the best ski conditions in years.....punctuated by a final day that was perhaps one of the best and among the worst days I've ever had skiing.   We started out early, on a beautiful day with only a few clouds in the sky.  By lunchtime we'd already done more skiing than we usually get in on the best of days.   No lift lines, not very crowded, conditions excellent.

 Then on the last run down the mountain with my wife, who wanted to head home, things came to a crashing halt.....literally.    As I slowed to pull up next to Marilyn, who had stopped immediately behind a "go slow" sign, a guy came out of nowhere from above me and sure enough, we collided head on.   I never saw him until he was right there in front of me.

 The good news is that nothing was broken, no blood spilled (though it took every ounce of control I had remaining to keep me from trying to smash his head in with my now detached ski), and in theory no harm done.   Yet nearly a week later I still ache in numerous places, my shoulder continues to provide intense pain, and I keep thinking of how close I came to serious injury.

 The guy who hit me was clearly in the wrong.....skiing too fast, not quite in control, and completely oblivious to the people skiing downhill from him.   Adding to his stupidity is a trait that I've noticed among others who hail from the part of the world he came from (no, I'm not going to say where).  They seem to want to ski in packs, right on top of one another and constantly experiencing near-miss collisions.   For these folks, they seem to assume that everyone skis that way and everyone should watch out for them.   This guy spoke no English (or acted like he didn't) and didn't understand the meaning of the big yellow sign next to me that said "Go Slow."   It isn't unreasonable to assume that he also did not comprehend the warnings and explanations of ski ettiquette, one of the most important of which is that the downhill skier ALWAYS has right of way.