Cross Country Skiing

[Crankin]

So, we did not ski Sunday. It was predicted to be warm, with rain. We thought we might get out in the AM, but the sketchy rain forecast nixed that. So, we shopped in Stowe, drank beer and ate lunch, did a little walking and got back to the b and b at 3:30. It never rained, but was about 58 F . Went out to another brew pub at about 7:30, when it did actually start raining. We managed to eat, but no one could have more than a 3 oz. pour! Went to sleep praying it didn't totally mess up the trails. When we got up, it was not raining, but flurrying, with the sun out and 30 degrees. Everything by the inn was mud. We ate, packed up and drove to Von Trapp ski touring. It's a huge resort, with a brewery now, restaurant, etc, and the most expensive nordic skiing around. But, they have awesome grooming and we knew it would be a sketchy day. The trail we went out on was slicker than hell, loose granular, although it had just been groomed. After a long descent, it got better. But, looks like I saw my last powder last weekend. We skied for 2 hours, ending with a very steep and somewhat icy climb; just as I was nearing the top, my edge on my left ski skid out and I went down on my knees. I had to really use a lot of upper body strength to get up, but it was just a knee down thing and not a fall on my azz, splayed out on the trail thing.
Got back to the lodge and it was 35 degrees. We were all tired, so we ate our sandwiches and decided to head out back home. Got home at around 4:15.
So, next weekend, we booked an inn near our favorite local-ish ski place for Saturday night. We had hoped to go up Saturday, ski, get to the inn around 3, have our dinner there in the restaurant, and then ski Sunday and be home by 2-3. Now, it's going to be 50-60 on Saturday and rain in the PM, after 2 days of being in the 60s. Sunday is supposed to be in the high 30s, so we will probably just ride or go to the gym Saturday, drive up and enjoy some wine at the bar, eat dinner, sleep and head to the touring center Sunday. We've already planned to snow shoe to the top of the mountain (I could never ski it, it used to be a dowhill run) if it's too crappy for skiing.

[Crankin]

I went skiing with my bike club at the local nordic center this morning. There were 7 of us and also a group of snow shoe-ers who went off on trails on the other side of the road.
I have learned that it's important to get out there early at this place, and it is really only good when there's powder. The grooming at this place is not like the other places I go to; it's great to have it in the next town, but there's a few woodland trails with twisty, not steep downhills, where it's narrow, there's piles of snow on the side, moguls and basically not a lot of room to maneuver. The snow was not icy, but crunchy, as it went above freezing at the end of the storm. The leader is a slow cyclist, a good hiker, and apparently a faster than me skier! Two other guys were also pretty speedy, two women who were a bit faster than me on the flats, but coud not climb or descend as well, and a guy who was really struggling. He went back before the rest of us. It was beautiful out, but I fell more today than all of the other times I've skied this year. Almost every time i ski here, I feel like a terrible skier, which is weird, since it is where I learned to ski.
So, in the end, about 8K, I worked hard and I got outside. I did go to lunch with the group, where the 2 women who are similar to me were annoying me, making fun of others who are scared of steep hiking ascents and calling someone who had trouble getting up from ski falls a beached whale . I am not sure what is going on with this... one I have never liked. Her bike skills have become horrible and she always tries to drop me, until of course, I drop her on climbs. The other one I like more, mostly because I feel badly for her, since her DH got killed in a bike accident, when he left a group ride early for an appointment. Generally, I hang out with the guys in this group, who even if they are fast, are more forgiving in nature.
I wish I could go to NH tomorrow, but work is calling. Will be doing that on Saturday.