Cross Country Skiing

[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.

[Crankin]

Well, my back country skills are not as good, but I don’t have much experience with that. Conditions in New England are sketchy and changable even in the best grooming!

[Crankin]

Skied at Windblown today (again) and I admit the cold got to me. There was hardly anyone there, despite being school vacation and all trails being open. After an hour and 10 minutes, we were done! The conditions said powder, but I found there was a layer of ice under it,in some places, which was noticeable. Not horrible, by any means, but between my sunglasses fogging and my fleece gaiter getting soaked with sweat (I hardly ever have to wear this), I felt hot and cold at the same time. It was 10 degrees when we started and 5 when we finished. I told DH I would go back out if he wanted, but he said he was done, too, after we ate our soup. We mostly stayed on easy trails, which is not like us; did one good climb and one medium downhill, but nothing big. I guess I did more than 99% of the people around here, so it's enough.
Tomorrow we leave for 3 days in the Berkshires. It is going to be a bit warmer tomorrow (20), so we are going to drive to and try out a new place in southwestern Vermont, to ski, and then head south to Great Barrington. Sunday is supposed to be frigid. We found a ski place that also has a winery and is 10 miles from the inn, so we will either try to ski there, or snow shoe and then do some wine tasting before New Year's Eve. We plan to stop at another place on the way home, we go to fairly often, but we didn't get there last year. However, frigid temperatures may have us opt out and her and head straight home.
Ah, winter.

[Crankin]

Wow, I’m the only one skiing?
So, looking at the weather, we decided to leave the side trip to Vermont until another time. Drove directly to Hilltop Orchards, near our inn, in a small burst of snow, which led to a lowering of the speed limit on the MA Pike to 40 for part of the trip. The place is interesting. An orchard/winery/nordic center. The trails were not groomed, and North Woods, you’d be proud of me. We got on a black trail by accident, figured out we were going the opposite way that most do, so lots of climbing, with an easy descent. Some ice chunks and twigs, though. Didn’t see anyone until we were back in the fields, and they were snow shoeing.
Did the wine tasting afterwards. Quite nice! Most of the others were guests of the inn in Lenox which owns the orchard. So, that means they are from that city south of here, who overrun the Berkshires in all seasons. Grrr... saw lots of rudeness, including people walking into the center with snow shoes *on.* Also saw an unruly kid throw a ski pole at bis dad in a fit of anger, with the staff having to intervene. The dad had a serious gash in his face from it. Oy.
Heading out soon to another place. Wind chill is -15.