Cross Country Skiing

[Crankin]

I guess everyone else is riding???

We went to Windblown, in NH today. The place is amazing. There is absolutely no snow on the ground here and not much up by them, either, but almost all of there trails are open. We got there at 10:30 and the parking lot was already filling up. My new skis are awesome! So light. I can climb in the tracks much easier and also climb without having to herringbone as much. They feel different on the downhill and for a bit I had to get used to the shorter skis=less edges, but by the afternoon, I was set.
The temperature got up to about 35 degrees. That's just about at the edge of being too warm. We skied about 11k. DH is very happy with his new stuff, too, and he definitely could go faster. It's supposed to snow a little on Tuesday, so I am hoping to go to the local touring center Wednesday. We'll see...

[DebW]

Glad to hear you had good skiing, Crankin. I'll be skiing at Notchview in the Berkshires tomorrow.

[Crankin]

We were going to go to Notchview yesterday, but didn't want to drive that far. I'd be interested to hear how it was.
Here's a picture from yesterday. This is a "view" spot at Windblown, where you can see Mt. Monadanock in the background. It's right next to the owner of the touring area's home. The wind was gusting up to 35 when we were up there. Good excuse for a good downhill, to get out of that wind!

[obie]

Sigh...I'm a New Englander too and bemoaning the lack of snow. Unfortunately, have had too many commitments recently (family in town, weekend meetings, etc) to make it up to Windblown in recent weekends. I am feeling like a lame ski-lover. Oh well - it was nice being out on the road bike yesterday

We are taking a long weekend starting on Thursday to Lake Placid and hopefully will ski AND skate enough to feel sufficiently winter-happy!

[Zen]

Here's a picture from yesterday.

What is around your waist and where are your poles?

[Crankin]

Those are waist packs/bottle holders. I hate skiing with a Camelbak and despite the fact I have the "winter" cover on the hose, it still freezes. The waist pack allows me to have plenty of liquid and room for different gloves, hats, etc., especially at this time of year when I often start layering down after 10 minutes!
Poles were stuck in the snow off to the side. It was a rare moment when someone else up there spontaneously offered to take our picture.

[DebW]

We were going to go to Notchview yesterday, but didn't want to drive that far. I'd be interested to hear how it was.

Notchview had wonderful skiing yesterday. It was powder snow, at least an inch of fresh powder on a 7" base. The fields were windblown and crusty but in the woods there was nothing but POWDER! And the area is 98% in the woods. There is lots of groomed terrain of easy and intermediate level. Also skied some narrow backcountry trails which were tracked by skis but ungroomed. I started on my new waxless skis but found them slow, so switched to waxables and had great skiing. Temperatures were 25-30F, I used extra blue with special red kicker and it couldn't have been better.

[Zen]

Poles were stuck in the snow off to the side.

I thought maybe you were so good you didn't need them

[Cataboo]

R wouldn't give me my poles a couple weeks ago when we got a couple inches of snow and I was going around a high school track trying to figure out how to use my cross country skis.... His rational was without ski poles to push off with, I'd actually learn the correct leg motions and glide...

I spent a lot of time demanding my ski poles and cussing at him. But it was possible to go around without them.

[Bron]

That´s exactly what we were made to do when we took some coaching. It really helps so we try to do a bit without poles in each training session.

[Crankin]

Yea, that wouldn't be me, Zen...
I could probably go on the flats without the poles, at least for awhile. But I use those suckers climbing a lot and once in awhile to slow me down on a descent. I seem to be able to not freak out when descending on skis as opposed to a bike!
Deb, I am amazed there was powder at Notchview. Perhaps I will get there this weekend. I plan to be at Great Brook tomorrow at 9 AM! (Just had a very slow drive home from Lowell in the storm and I am definitely not going to class tonight). I seem to be obsessed with skiing the way I was with cycling at one point. I think it's because I hardly get to do it. It's definitely not that I am so good at it.

[DebW]

Crankin, how was Great Brook yesterday morning? I skied this morning near my house, on the bike path and the Reformatory Branch. Snow kind of thin and crusty. After today's heat it will probably not be skiable at all. I hope to go to Windblown Saturday.

[Crankin]

It sucked!
I think it was a combination of a few things.
1. The grooming there is not that great. The tracks still had bare spots ( a lot), though there was at least 6-8 inches of snow.
2. The skating lane, i.e. where mortals like me go down hill was full of loose powder. Great for climbing, but I got stopped in my tracks going downhill (see next).
3. I don't think my new skis are made for skiing in higher, unpacked powder. I literally was glued to the snow and stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't fall, but it was awful.
4. The temperature was rising and I didn't use the glide stuff for waxless skis. Stupid.
5. School vacation. Need I say more? Thankfully, I went on the other side of North Rd. immediately and there were hardly any people. I did go up Woodchuck, but went back an alternate, as I was afraid given the stickiness of my skis, I would fall down the hill, whioch has tons of dirt and rock patches in the best of conditions.
I was really frustrated. I hope to get up to Windblown this weekend, or to Northview, but not sure how the snow will be there.

[Skierchickie]

Man, am I pooped! I did the longest ski of my life yesterday. It was awesome, but it also kicked my butt. Which is still pretty well kicked today.... I did take my doggie out skiing with me today, and ended up getting 11.5k in really easy.

Now, to all those chores that I neglected yesterday.....

[Crankin]

Went back to Windblown today. All the trails were open, but the conditions were not quite as good as advertised. My friend came with us, as her DH was leaving on a business trip. It was pretty slick and icy, especially as we went down a very long downhill. I had done this trail before, but the conditions were much better. Plus, the temperatures were going up; seriously, I think most of my issues with my new skis (which I still love) have been temperature/conditions related. But, I got down without falling, although, not so gracefully. There were a couple of steep icy climbs, too. Finally, we found a few descents that were in good condition, and I felt more confident. By that time, things were getting a bit mushy, so we headed to the lodge and ate lunch. We skied for about 2.5 hours and I have no idea how far, but I'd say 10-12k.
It's supposed to snow/rain on Tuesday and Wednesday and then a bigger storm on Friday. I'm hoping for one more good ski weekend before bringing the road bike outside.