Snow Tubing

Author's Note: My purpose is to describe a fun event during winter break, with an unfortunate but funny moment.


I was at Sunburst Ski Hill, waiting for my turn to plunge down a 10-story drop slope on my tube
Two of my friends with me, both just as anxious to get to the bottom after an exhilarating ride

I lean over the railing of the escalator, staring at families and friends whooshing down the slope
Screaming and laughing,  shutting their eyes tightly and waiting for the sudden drop

Finally it is our turn. We set our tubes down at the edge of the slope, attach them to each other
I remove my hat, wanting to feel the frigid wind when I fly down the slope

I take a deep breath, then slide to get to the very edge. With my hat in my lap, I propel us forward
We start going down, ever so slowly, while the other tubers stare at us

Now we are zooming down, screaming at the top of our lungs, me with my eyes shut
Without me noticing, my hat flies off my lap and falls in the opposite direction

We suddenly plunge down the slope screaming even harder, and laughing just as loudly.
It was not until we stopped at the bottom that I noticed my hat was gone

I wanted to go get it, but without having to walk all the way up the slope
But the escalator line was too long, so up the slope we trudged

I prompted a yellow-vested guy if he had seen my hat, and he pointed to a pile of misplaced clothing
My hat lay on the top of the pile, covered in snow, with a footprint as if it had been stepped on

But no matter. I vowed from that moment on that I would never be so careless.

We zoomed down the slope again, with my hat on my head.