I arrived at Winter Park at about 7:30 am, picked up my rental skis, and headed to the "beginner" area for my first lesson. Because I was part of a college trip, there were quite a few adult "beginners," so I didn't feel too awkward as we practiced snowplowing and turning through the kid's area, a "gentle green" located about halfway up the mountain. This was actually fun! I only fell a few times, and I seemed to really understand the techniques. But then, the instructor informed us we were going to ride the big quad lift up to the "real greens." That's when "real" learning began.