I skied Windblown today for 6 hours. Nice conditions though bits of grass showing through in a few places. Tomorrow I'll be skiing at Great Brook Farm for the afternoon.
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I skied Windblown today for 6 hours. Nice conditions though bits of grass showing through in a few places. Tomorrow I'll be skiing at Great Brook Farm for the afternoon.
Any of you Colorado folks (or anyone who'll be visiting CO) interested in a TE cross-country ski gathering/teach Jesse to CC ski day some weekend? :)
Sure thing!! I was able to get out of work early on Friday and skied for a few hours at Eldora's nordic center and yesterday I went with DH to do some touring up near Ward. Very fun. I am bummed the weekend is almost over. What type of skiing are you thinking?? Skate or Traditional? Or would you be more interested in backcountry touring? Hmmmm..so many options:D
Today's skiing adventure consisted of 2 hours of trails along the ice-jammed Hudson River in Mills-Norrie State Park.
I'm not sure. But I've known how to ice skate since I learned to walk - would skate skiing be easier then?
Anyone free at the end of the month - Jan 29 or 30?
I went to Windblown for the morning. I skied with a friend for a couple of hours, about 11K. The conditions were pretty good, although the downhills were a bit slick. Not the worst I've seen, though. I still feel a little slow/weak on the flats, but I know it's just what happens to me after I have been sick. It was a gorgeous sunny day, about 11 degrees when we started and 18 when we left. Of course, after 5 minutes, I am sweating like a pig. The neck gaiter came off quite quickly. Although it was crowded because of the holiday, I didn't feel like the trails were crowded. So, I had Brant drop me off at another friend's house, as we had plans to have coffee when I got back. When I went to get my stuff out of the car, and transfer it to my friend's car, as she would be driving me home later, I didn't have my boots! :mad:. I called Windblown and they had them. So, I guess I am going skiing on Wednesday, as it seems silly to drive up there and get them without skiing. It's supposed to snow a little tomorrow and then turn to rain here, but up there, it should stay as snow.
I guess I was tired when I left, because I never do stuff like that.
I am free at the end of the month as it stands now. I was supposed to go on a hut trip but can't for a few reasons. I have a season pass for Eldora which is a pretty cool place to ski, lots of trails. They do offer lessons up there too if you are interested. I would be more then happy to help you out too. Skate skiing is not my strong style...but I can still do it. You will be amazed at the people skiing there. Being so close to Boulder I am sure there are quite a few pros up there.
As for the trails...they are not flat by any means. I have heard that lots of people come down from Summit County to train at Eldora because of the hills. They have slightly more Traditional then Skate trails.
I am going to see if I can work a half day again soon to go up and play around. Let me know your thoughts. I think we live kind of near each other but can always meet up at Eldora.
I snuck out yesterday for a 8km of xc skiing. It was divine! Perfect snow conditions. Lovely groomed trails. A mile or so of breaking snow through the woods.
Keystone Nordic is offering a "Women's Workout" on Jan. 29th and Feb. 5th. Lessons are "Starting Skating", "Next Step Skating" or "Improving Classic Skiing". $25.00 with equipment rental, $20.00 if you have your own gear. Not sure if this price is for 2 lessons or 1. Pre-registration required. Keystone's web site has no information so call the no. 970-496-4275.
Although I want to learn to skate ski I'm working on improving my classic skiing first, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the "Improving Classic Skiing" lessons.
Keystone does offer beginner classic lessons on Fridays and Eldora has a Women's program during the week.
No matter which you chose I do recommend lessons to start off right, especially if you don't Alpine ski.
The beginner trail at Keystone Nordic is pretty flat with a couple of little hills. The intermediate trails are hilly with some flat. I haven't skied other Nordic areas here because I can ski at Keystone Nordic free with my Vail ski pass.
Jess, this sounds like it would be a great Idea for you and pretty cheap too. Eldora where I often go is known to be hilly which can be frustrating if you are new to the sport. I am still more then willing to give you some pointers if both you and I head up there at the end of Jan.
As for the Womens programs at Eldora the 1st session has already started and the second sessions start in the middle of Feb I think. Last year they had them on Tue and Wed (you pick which day works best for you) and it runs for 6 weeks. I did the womens telemark last year and it was pretty fun. I had to switch my days off to make it work.
Hope you find something that works for you. It is really fun and great exercise.
Thanks for the info! The Keystone program sounds perfect.
Have fun Jess!!!!
We tried XC late last winter and were immediately hooked! (I'd been wanting to go for a long time, but DBF wasn't totally on board with the idea at first.)
I am middle-aged, fairly active-but not a 'natural' athlete. Group lessons (where I'm typically one of the oldest students and not as quick to catch on as the others) aren't my best learning environment.
Less than a week after taking a group lesson, he asked, "So are we ordering ski packages - or what?!" Unfortunately there was a problem getting the right size boots for me and it only snowed once after we got them.
In the past few weeks I've been out 3 times and it's starting to feel more comfortable. We live next to conservation land and can make our own trails to some extent, but hopefully I can improve my skills with a private lesson somewhere nearby to kick things up a notch.
Had the day off from work yesterday so I headed up to the local nordic center for some skiing. It was a little on the cold side and windy..(my water bottle started to freeze) It was so nice out on the trails because I pretty much had them to myself. I only saw maybe 6 other people the whole time I was out. I manged to get in about 10 miles which felt great. Hope to get out over this weekend too. This time maybe hit the backcountry for some touring. Ahhhh to many choices;) I love Colorado!!
Kubla, I don't think there are any x country centers in SE MA. You could try the Weston Ski Track, which would be the closest for you, for a private lesson. It's not that pretty (a golf course overlooking the highway), but it's good for learning. It's right near the intersection of 128 and the Pike. Great Brook Farm in Carlisle would be prettier, but further away. They have lessons, too.
I think you will find that this is a sport that is done by many older people. You can ski at any speed you want and find terrain that suits your needs. I skied for about 12 years on beginner trails, until 1) I got better skis with metal edges and 2) I found friends that were willing to coax me up and down the hills. It didn't take me very long to "get" it. Of course, taking up cycling in the interim helped more than anything else.