THE SLOPES OF SERENITY AND TERROR — Skiing can be a fickle friend. For most of you, the slopes are an escape of serenity and peace. A place where you can either soak in the majesty of the cascading mountains or steal a moment to feel what it's like to be a missile breaking the sound barrier along a white and icy sky. But for others, it's a moment of panic that stretches on for the length of the run. When we get to the bottom we've had fun — despite what our screaming may have suggested — but we're also grateful to be alive and that we didn't seriously harm someone else or cause thousands of dollars worth of damage.