Cross Country Skiing

[SadieKate]

We are sooooooo close to being able to ski from the driveway again. Of course, this is just in time for us to be leaving for SLC.

[mudmucker]

Aaahhh. (Comfortable sigh). First xc ski of the season. Feels darn good again. It has been snowing non-stop since Friday noon. By Saturday morning I had a foot, then slow flurries all day Saturday for about another 4 inches, then picked up again like gangbusters today Sunday and still going. Today I decided to have fun first, and then spend the time to snowblow myself out. The conditions were perfect! Perfect snow, 20 d perfect temps to keep snow dry, and perfect wax = nice effortless FUN glide. I don't have to drive - I just go up the road 800 feet to where there is 2000 acres of 'never to be developed' watershed area and use wood roads. Today I skied right from the cellar door. I didn't go far into the woods. I just didn't feel like breaking trail as I didn't have my floaters but my narrower skiis. I actually skied the roads - which are not heavily traveled in the vicinity of my house - it was great - just a thin veneer of about 2-3" over packed plowed road. My own personal groomed trail and I was able to get some skating in. I only had to move over for 4 cars in an hour and a half. Kind of stormy - people weren't out.

[Eden]

We went "cross city" skiing today... it so rarely really snows around here that there are no real snow clearing provisions. The side streets are like beautiful groomed ski tracks. We probably put in 10-12 miles down to Lake Washington and back.

[Crankin]

I went skiing yesterday for the first time this season. The conditions were superb. However, I had limited time, so after I had completed all of the trails on the easier side of the touring center, I knew it would take me too long to go back the way I came. I got to the road that divides the 2 areas and I gingerly skied down the street, where there actually was enough snow snow to do this, until I got to another trail that would take me back to my car more directly. It was strange to be skiing down a road that I usually am riding on!
However, I was very slow, but it felt good. I took a stupid fall on a downhill; the kind where I didn't fall all the way down and lay there splayed in the snow, but my bum sort of touched the ground, I recovered and got up, and continued down the tiny little hill. Right now I can't conceive that last winter I actually skied down a black diamond run.
What I noticed is that my skill level is just like my cycling; I am not fast like the real fast skiers/racers, but I am faster than someone who is just plodding along. I had to help one woman who had fallen and couldn't get up.
It's raining today , so there go the good conditions.

[yellow]

Here are some fun pictures from a XC ski today here in SLC. SadieKate and Bubba are visiting Bubba's mom and we've been traipsing about.

I can't tell you how many pictures I have from over the years of SK sticking her tongue out. Today was no exception:




And then we ran into this really neato snowman. He had boots on! (I'm on the left and SK is behind Frosty)



It was a great day and the snow was wonderful. So nice to have SK in town to play with!!

[SadieKate]

Honey, I'm ho-ome! (As snap would say.) But it rained and our lovely snow is nearly gone. Pooh.

And Sunnyside Sports is having a huge sale on everything including skate boots . . . . Bubba picked up some of those Toko pants for 30% off and no tax.

Sunnyside was very nice in the midst of sale havoc and heated up my Rossi BC 7s and gave me a lead on someone who may be able to help with my right boot problem so I can then spend more money.

Me had fun in SLC. Mercy buckets.

[Aint Doody]

Here we are skiing at Pendleton Country Club on Dec. 20th before the snow melted. I'm in the blue about to cross the creek (crick if you're in Eastern Oregon!)