Go Granny, Go

In the afternoon, after the dogsledding, we took to a more contemporary mode of transportation -- snowmobiling! I'd never done this before and felt pretty sporty trying out a couple of the machines. A slick little red number caught my eye and I was in love! There are miles and miles of groomed trails around Grand View Lodge. We helmeted up and, after an exploratory loop on the lake, took off. We zoomed along beside the highway, into the woods and over lakes. We started out at a leisurely pace but the macho guys leading the pack soon picked up speed. I had to get brave or lose sight of the machine in front of me. We averaged about 30 mph but, once, across a lake, we got up to 50. I was feeling pretty cocky and figuring I was going to really rack up the granny points with my three grandsons. Alas, pride goeth.... I took a curve too quickly and slid up a snowbank where I sat like the cherry atop an ice cream sundae until one of the guys came up and got my snowmobile back on the trail. It's really tacky to feel better at someone else's misfortune, but I have to say I did experience that awful feeling when I rounded a corner to see three of the men pulling another snowmobile out of a ditch. The rider was unhurt, so maybe I don't feel so bad! We rode between 20 and 30 miles and my thumb was starting to ache from pushing the accelerator -- and I had to pee. Our leader asked if we'd like to make a potty stop or just head home. I girded my bladder and voted for home. It was only about 15 minutes more. When I finally got back to the room and started peeling off the layers, I discovered my thighs felt like ice. I now have another use for the hairdryer!