Each winter, many of your neighbors flock to North Carolina’s slopes for a week or weekend of skiing, snowboarding, tubing or just to play in the snow. (Be sure to check out our November issue of Cobb Life to hear their stories and recommendations.)

Recently I was invited to tour several of North Carolina’s slopes in the High Country area in the northwest region of the state. I’ve never set foot down in more than a couple inches of snow, still haven’t quite gotten the hang of ice skating and certainly never donned a pair of skis. I am not a friend of cold weather, but this sounded like an adventure I could not pass up.

The kind folks at Appalachian Ski Mountain were willing to loan out one of their brave instructors to spend a couple of hours teaching me the proper stance and movement. Their philosophy is that anyone can learn to ski after three lessons.

I surprised myself in managing to avoid crashing into other skiers, and I only fell about a half dozen times. I braved the big, looming bunny slope, zooming down it at what felt like 100 mph. Unfortunately I didn’t make it on the lift to a “real” slope before we were off to lunch and our second destination, but I left with a sense of accomplishment and was pumped to test out my new skills the next day.

Without a ski instructor by my side, the task of trudging through the snow uphill in skis was quite daunting. After sliding around a bit I took a deep breath and grabbed the pole lift to hitch a ride to the top of Beech Mountain’s bunny slope. As I whizzed down, fresh cold air pumping through my lungs, my heart beating fast from the thrill of speed and fear of crashing, I began to fall in love with the sport and felt a real sense of admiration for those who careen down from peaks of 5,500 feet. Trying something new is always exciting, and the rush of flying down a hill on a pair of skis is exhilarating. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend making the easy drive to North Carolina before the season ends in March. The thrill is literally like a breath of fresh air.

If you are an avid skier, share your story of your first time on the slopes. Where are your favorite places to ski? What lessons have you learned on the slopes?