The air is crisp. A serene scent of pine lingers faintly in the frosty air. The sun, poking its dim rays from the heavy clouds, barely exists in the wintry sky. The temperature is around a comfortable thirty degrees. It is a skier’s paradise in Stowe, Vermont today. The snow is extra fluffy, which resembles the texture of a pristine marshmallow. Whoosh! Only the echoes of skiers crunching into the soft frozen precipitation can be heard on the huge mountain. The young eleven-year old is about to commence his expedition down a double-black diamond ski trail. He knows that a double-black diamond is the most challenging trail on the whole mountain.  This truly marks his first risk or challenge at this point in his life. The boy can feel his heart pounding with fear throughout his lean chest. Adrenaline rushes through his veins like the Colorado River runs through the Grand Canyon.

As he looks down at the one hundred degree angle of sheer ice and treachery, the roots of his body formally known as legs are shaking rapidly as he takes his first step onto the slope. He descends down the path, gingerly whisking through the synthetic, powdery snow that the machine just laid down. It is only there to conceal the skiers and snowboarders’ mortal enemy: ice. As he glides over the ice, his razor-sharp edges of the skis carve into the ice, which is synonymous with ice skating. The youthful skier is making his way down the mountain in a rather methodical manner. Pole plant and turn, pole plant and turn. Other skiers watch in amazement as the boy rips through the mountain’s terrain! This shows his maturation, his ability to overcome adversity, and his fears.  The warm, tantalizing aroma of the Waffle Haus invades his nostrils as he reaches the base of the mountain. This marks the conclusion of the double-black diamond trail. Filled with absolute joy, he throws his hands into the air as if he just won the seventh game of the World Series!