My Snowboarding Adventure #BuffaloStyle — Just a Blonde in Buffalo

One thing I've wanted to do was learn to snowboard so over the weekend my friend Annette {a veteran snowboarder} and I went to Holiday Valley. I have never had any experience in any winter sports, the most I've ever done was gone tubing, so I was all sorts of emotions, anxious, nervous, scared, excited - you get the point. We started off making a pit stop at EBC {Ellicottville Brewing Company} to "warm" up - meaning have a drink or so in me, so I wasn't so tense.

{ The Blueberry beer is my favorite their }

Then it was onto the slopes. We arrived at Holiday Valley around 4pm and purchased the night time pass for $33. Then a friendly gentleman {employee} showed us to where we could get our rental equipment. We both got boots and boards for $26.

Next it was on to the lesson...

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After that short five minute lesson we stopped to take some photos {its all about the documentation} and then it was on to the bunny hill.

{All ready to go}

Once we got on the ski lift, {I don't know how Annette didn't push me off} I must have panted and rambled and almost cried the whole way up the slope, I was so scared { I don't like heights as it is so this was a huge step for me}. Once we got to the top I fell {LOL} off. The first time down it took about 45 minutes and then the second time it took around 30 minutes. I fell, but got back up and I did have some moments where I had the hang of it, it was just when I felt like I was going to fast or thought I would hit a tree that I plopped back down.

{ We took a photo break on our second time down the bunny hill }

{ Its a little blurry, but believe it or not that's me! }

{ Go Bills }

{ We took a drinking and eating break inside the lodge }

{ Live music from Jay Mcdonell }

After our little break I was ready to sit by the fire and relax, but Annette convinced me to try the big hill, so here we went out into the much lower temperatures and up the big slope. Once to the top - I chickened out {LOL} I was tired, it was a much longer way down and it was a lot colder, I took the ski lift back down where Annette {who snowboarded down} was waiting for me. While I went back into the lodge to warm up, the friendly gentleman who showed us to the rental equipment earlier in the day came up and asked how my first time riding was and also asked if I lost my friend.

The staff was very friendly and the fact that, that employee came up and asked how my first experience was, made it even better. Its because of that extra effort he made that will make me want to come back again. While I am no pro I was happy that I faced a fear and accomplished something on my bucket list, all while doing it with one of my closest friends by my side. It's definitely a memory I will always remember and I can't wait to get back on the slopes {after my butt heals from all the falling}. Oh and the other nice thing- I got multiple compliments on my Buffalo Bills hat! ;)