Snow Races
Donald Mallow and his family enjoyed their weekend stay at Vega Dam State Park near Colbran, Colorado. Donald, his sister Corina, and his eight-year-old brother Lawrence had all enjoyed racing their sleds down several of the slopes nearby that were set aside for sledding.
As the three were trying to see how much speed they could get out of their Flexible Flyers, Donald heard his mother's voice calling from the doorway of their cabin.
"Donald, Corina, Lawrence...time to go."
"Okay, Mom. Just one more run," Donald called from the top of the hill where he, his brother, and his sister were ready for another fun filled ride. The eleven year old was using wax on the bottom of his steel sled runners to reduce the friction and increase his speed. Soon he was ready.
Donald's sister, Corina, simply sat on top of her short sled and held on to the rope, steering as she descended the slope. But Donald and his brother Lawrence both took a running start while carrying their sleds, they then leaned over and landed on top of the wooden slats, ready for a good ride. As the two boys each careened down the hill, they soon passed up their sister and made their way to the bottom of the hill. Because Donald was three years older than his brother, he outweighed him by about 45 pounds and made it down the hill first.
"I win! I win again. I am the undefeated champion of the slope!" he proclaimed. "And here comes a close second everybody. It's Lawrence Mallow. Let's give a hand to Lawrence everybody." Donald began clapping. And coming in last is...coming in last is...well...she's still coming. Yes, there she is. It's Miss Corina Mallow!"
Corina sent a disgusted look in her older brother's direction. "If I weighed as much as you, I'd have been down the slope hours ago," she commented as she began pulling her sled towards their cabin.
"Oh, that was good," smiled Donald.
"Hey, I've got a great idea for a race," announced Mr. Mallow from the driveway of the cabin. "That is, if you're not afraid you'd lose, Donald."
"Now wait a minute Dad, I don't think you should sit on any of these sleds," cautioned Donald. "They do have weight limits you know."
"No, I don't mean sledding," assured Mr. Mallow. "I mean a running race."
Because Donald could out race his father since the time he was 8-years old, he felt this would be an easy race.
"Sure thing, Dad. Where do you want to race?"
"Okay, do you see that post at the bend in our driveway?"
"Yes, I see it," Donald cupped his hand from the sun's glare on the snow."
"Well, Corina and I are going to run down through the meadow and we're going to be at that post before you and your brother. But you two have to run around the driveway," stated Donald's dad.
Donald looked at the snow his father would be going through. It appeared to be about a foot thick, so Donald was sure it would slow his father down, especially if he was slowed down even more by Donald's tag-along-sister. On the other hand, the curvy drive through the woods had been plowed and would make for quite an easy run. Donald smiled knowing he couldn't lose.
"Okay, Dad, just let us put our sleds away and we'll be ready," Donald agreed.
Mrs. Mallow had gone ahead with the car and was going to wait at the post by the bend in the drive to see who would be first.
"Okay, Donald are you and Lawrence ready?" questioned their dad.
"Yes," we're ready.
"Okay, on your mark...get set...GO!" shouted Mr. Mallow.
Instantly, Mr. Mallow picked up Corina and had her ride piggy back atop his shoulders. Corina looked back from her perch to watch the two boys running up the hill of their driveway. Donald took a quick glace back and saw her astride his father's shoulders.
"Hey, no fair!" he called as he continued to race. "But we'll beat you anyway."
He and his brother were neck and neck for a little ways and then he was able to speed ahead through the woods. Finally, from the top of the hill he was able to look back at his brother and ahead towards the car. As he did so, he also glanced out into the field to see his father's progress. But his father was nowhere to be seen. "Had he already made it to the car?" he wondered.
Finally, Donald reached the car huffing and puffing the cold mountain air. As he looked inside the family's car he couldn't see his father nor his sister.
"Where's Dad?" he mouthed while he huffed and puffed.
"I don't know," Donald's mother sounded concerned as she rocked Donald's baby sister Suzanne. "They disappeared over one of those knolls and I haven't seen them since! Why don't you go looking for them. They may be having trouble."
Donald was out of breath but he was concerned about his dad and his sister, so he began hiking out across the field. It really worried him that he couldn't at least see his sister's head over one of the two knolls as she was high up on her father's shoulders.
Before long Donald could see some of the trouble his father was having. The snow out in the field was hard and crusty on top, but would break each time you put pressure on it. And before long, Donald was standing in snow that was two foot deep and seemed to be getting deeper with every step he took. That was when he became quite worried about his father and his sister.
"Dear Father in Heaven, please be with Dad and Corina. Keep them safe," he prayed as he continued to walk faster and faster in the direction of their cabin across the snowy field.
Shortly afterward he could see his sister's red snow cap rise above the knoll directly in front of him. As he did so he could hear his father groaning.
"Ohh, ohh!" he moaned.
"Dad, are you all right?" he called.
"Oh, yes. But take your sister."
"What happened?" Donald asked as he came near the two.
"Ohh...ohh...I'm so out of breath," Donald's dad panted. "The snow was hard to travel in at first, but then when we got down in between those two knolls, we ran into a quite a bit of snow that had drifted. Most of it was four foot deep in between the two knolls and in places it must have been five-foot-deep." Corina looked quite frightened as Donald's dad continued to breathe heavily, "For a while there, I didn't know if we were going to make it out alive."
"Well, for a while I didn't know what had happened to you." Donald returned. "I was sort of worried and so I had a prayer."
At that, Mr. Mallow patted his son on the shoulder and smiled. They then transferred Corina over to Donald's shoulders and began their journey back towards the warm car. As they reached the car Corina reached out her hand and patted the side of their automobile.
"I win! I win!" she shouted.
"Wha...?" Donald began. He then called out, "Yes, ladies and gentlemen. You saw it with your own two eyeballs. Miss Corina Mallow has taken first place in this year's cross country snow races!" He then winked at his brother who nodded and smiled in return.