Cross Country Skiing

[north woods gal]

Where abouts? I grew up in Door Co. and my sister and mom still live in Sturgeon Bay.

We're a bit north yet. Up the road from Rhinelander.

[Crankin]

Skied for 3 hours at Windblown today. Very weird conditions. First, it was so sticky, we had to stop and put Glide on our skis a second time. Then, it improved, albeit a bit mushy in spots and slick in others. The weirdest thing was there seemed to be huge post holes in the middle of the trails at times. This place has fabulous grooming and separate snow shoe trails. Where snow shoers do have to use a ski trail, they stay way out of the way. It's like some renegades got out and walked on the trails. But, a gorgeous, bluebird day, close to 40 degrees. Skied with no head cover and unzipped. Wish I had brought my vest.
At our inn and resting. DH does not want to ski tomorrow, but I do, despite developing a disturbing back issue last night. Skiing did not make it worse, so lots of stretching and heat.

[Crankin]

We did ski this morning. Got out about 9:30 and the conditions were much better today. It was about the same temperature (between 28 and 35), but cloudy, so the no effects of the sun on the snow. Did all of the trails we missed yesterday, including one loop I haven't done in years. It's the one where I taught my kids to nordic ski, and I have bad memories of my younger son complaining like crazy. Of course, he turned out to be really athletic, but he was a lazy younger kid! We decided to ski until noon. DH wanted to go back and ski the Open Slope (difficult downhill), but something was telling me no. You know how you hear those stories how people get hurt at the end of their day? So, we went to ski the next biggest downhill, which we did yesterday, too. DH went a little ahead of me, while I stopped at the top to set up my descent, he went whizzing down. Next thing I see, is him crashing out at the bottom. It was slick, but not all chopped up like yesterday. So, I skied down and he says, "My nose is bleeding." We thought it was a nosebleed, but it was actaully just a tiny cut on his nose, which occured when he did a face plant. First, I get out the tissue, but it wasn't stopping. So them, I take my pack off, get out the first aid kit I usually use when I lead rides and had him clean the thing with a wipe, then put a band aid on it. We ski back to the car, hoping no one sees him... we put the skis up, he takes off the band aid, cleans it again, and we ran to the lodge to get our shoes. By the time we left, it had stopped bleeding. Oy.
I felt sad, saying goodbye to my skis for the season, but it was a better season than I thought it would be. I am very concerned about my back. I was fine skiing, but as soon as I sit, it hurts. Sure it is disc related, but I will treat it with heat and stretching until Thursday, when I have a PT appt. The PT was for my SI joint on the other side, which is doing much better. This does not bode well for sitting on a bike, but next Saturday is going to be 57...

[ny biker]

It's too bad your skiing season ended with blood, but at least it was a minor injury. Good luck with your back!

[Skierchickie2]

We're getting into that in-between season when the skiing would be fantastic if a person didn't have to go to work in the morning. By the time I could ski yesterday, it was pretty soft & painfully slow. The trails are still covered, but starting to get a bit dirty, and they've stopped grooming part of one or two loops. The sun is just too high in the sky now. So I guess it's back to running until the weekend. And dreaming about next season. I did a great 3-hour crust ski with friends on Saturday.

[Crankin]

Bump!
Did my first x country ski today. Our wonderful semi-local center, which has owners who are geniuses at grooming, opened last weekend. They had a few "rock ski" days, and then some overnight snow on Tuesday, which we did not have. So, there's 8-10 inches of packed powder, with 75%tracked and/or groomed. They discounted this weekend, not for conditions, but because they knew most people are out shopping! It was a bluebird day, temperature around 25 up there, which is just perfect. Hardly anyone there, too. The conditions were pretty good, not exactly powder, only a little slick, and not icy. We did all the easy and one harder downhills, with some climbing, too. The intermediate trails here would be expert in other places. The most difficult trail i do here would qualify as a downhill ski run; I can do it from about 2/3 up the mountain. But, the trails that access this were closed and you could only get there in a round a bout way. Probably not a good idea to do it on the first ski of the year anyway. We skied for about 1.5 hrs., went back to the lodge, had some soup, and then went back out for another 45 minutes, to do the hard downhill.
No crashes, good fresh air, and all is right in the world.

[north woods gal]

Good for you, Crankin. My skiing is all right out my back door and, uh, shall we say, "back country" or even "expedition". Be nice to try a lodge with groomed trails and maybe a nice meal, afterwards. I think I'd enjoy that. Must be something in the area. I'll have to check it out.

Like I said, my trails are what I make them. I have to break them after a deep snow, then work them down until most, but not all, of the loose snow is gone. When the trails are good, they really are good and I have them to myself, but most of the time I have to take what the weather gives me. When they get too icy to be safe, I have to wait for a weather change or new snow. I have no way to groom them.

This week was my first week of skiing, though, what with a nice 6" snowfall. Temps have been steady in the teens all week, but we'll be up around the freezing point, today, so I may get icing, overnight. I usually get more miles in by skiing out on the lake when it's iced over, enough, but that may be awhile, this year. A fresh cover of snow on ice that is forming makes for iffy ice. Usually when I see my neighbors pull their ice fishing huts out on the lake, I'm good to go.