Well, I'm another example. Driving to Stowe & Sugarbush just for the days at Diva East, I was first very fearful that I wouldn't even find the group, without which I'd never find my way around (can't find my way out of a paperbag!). I ~did~ find the group as they'd moved to the smaller lodge and SD had let me know. But, they'd already been skiing together so there wasn't that "orientation" run. I knew from Diva East at Whiteface, that I'd not keep up with the speedier group. I'm a not so great racer, but while I outrun my entire class in North Carolina, the steeper the slope, the slower I go. I try to always start the day on a green run to warm up, check conditions and check my coordination of the day (which can vary greatly!), but going with the "slower" group still took me up the gondola to what was ultimately a push-piled run, which was somewhat punishing to my knee. I did not comprehend that the "slow" group was ~not~ going back down to the bottom. When we restarted midway down, two of us were on a collision course so I steered uphill and when I turned back down noone was in site! I went to the bottom expecting to find them there, but noone was. Eventually I went back up the gondola, but still didn't find anyone. Then next round I did catch the "fast" group at the lift, but they were planning to go to a different part of the mountain, which involved going up a hill. I didn't get a chance to ask questions and between them aiming for black runs and the uphill, which my reconstructed leg wouldn't do, I thought following them would only get me into trouble which, unfortunately, I've wayyyy too much bad experience with. So, I ended up skiing the same two runs all day by myself, afraid of getting into trouble with noone to guide me out or even call for help. I even got the location of lunch wrong as I concluded the meetup location changed the lunch location. I figured the next day would be better. I very much enjoyed meeting divas I've seen on the site and renewing acquaintance with ones I'd met before, but I felt left out of some of the conversations at dinner as I'd not been skiing with any of them yet. Then I discovered that folks were bailing on Sugarbush due to predictions of rain. These were THE two most expensive lift tickets I'd ever bought, so there was no consideration of me bailing. As it turned out, it rained while I drove to Sugarbush, but stopped before I picked up my lift ticket. With firm and fast conditions, it was much more fun skiing for me but, once again, I was by myself on an unfamiliar mountain, not something I'd ever choose. The only place I want to ski alone is on a mountain I'm ~very~ familiar with. And even then, except when I was recovering last year, I'd always prefer to ski with others.
As for skiing with groups, like I do with my "Women On Wednesday" class, sometimes I go first (not so steep and good conditions when I'll "fly") and sometimes I'll go last (steep, icy, push piles...can you say "PANIC"?!?). Yes, I can be quite the scaredy mouse and my otherwise decent skills "can go to h___ in a handbasket" I can revert to come pretty lousy positions.....
I truly enjoy blacks in good conditions, but I'm terrified of getting going too fast when there's ice around, etc.....