I have new boots - Lange Delights. The liners were definitely shot. This is a bootfitter I've seen at least once a season (buying, checking in, etc.) who knows what kind of ski I ride and how I ride it, and - among other things - he thinks the new boot is more consistent with my current level of ability, being a step-up from the old boot. Maybe if I had been skiing at a consistent level the last five years or so his advice might have been different, but the guy is aware that I've been on a major improvement trajectory.
I learned something the Hard Way yesterday, though. New boots fit
properly. Meaning "snug", right?
I had a holiday dinner on Wednesday night and made my very favorite maple-brined turkey breast. Dinner was supposed to be
Tuesday but we had a snowstorm, and the guests couldn't make it, so the turkey brined an extra day. Making it just this side of salty, and making me thirsty as all get-out, and causing me to drink a ton of water. On Thursday, Mr. Serafina cropped up at 11:30 am and said "Hey! Let's go skiing!" so we drove up to get on the slopes by 1pm.
Only. It being the afternoon, and my having drunk gallons of water, and me being middle-aged and all, my feet and ankles were puffed up. My feet had massive pins-and-needles before I reached the summit, and by the time I was halfway down the mountain, one of my feet was
completely numb. I mean, try to get the skis on edge when you can't feel anything below the crew-sock line. Doesn't happen. And flat light, on top of it. I tried sitting down and unlatching the boots for a while, but no joy - my feet were a size larger than usual, and ain't nothing other than time and mother nature going to take care of that problem.
Was the first time I've been forced off the mountain by Gear Problems, and all that freaking fresh packed powder. I was...
Note To Self: either stay the heck away from salty food, or ski in the morning. Oh, wait, I already
knew to ski in the morning!
