The XC Skiing thread

[ides1056]

I managed to get seven days in before the rain last night put paid to the snowpack. Might be time to put studded tires on my MTB...

[j44ke]

12/19 (game camera caught us)



today

[Bobonli]

I'm guessing the snow is gone from the Hudson Valley, yes?

I haven't cross country skied in years. Looking at the schedules and restrictions at the local (Catskills and ADKs) downhill operations, I doubt I'll get much skiing in this year unless I get back on some X-country skis and find some snow. It never really accumulated on LI or Fahnestock, which has a XC area. I'm to blame, BTW. All this climate change, no snow stuff started the year I bought a fat bike for riding in the snow!

[ides1056]

Snow is gone here in the Berkshires, gone in Woodford, VT. Went out on my SS today. What are you going to do...

[caleb]

Just enough fresh on top of the grooming to make it about perfect.



Yesterday morning was awfully busy, with even the overflow lot pretty much full. Lota New England college skiers home for break (mostly Colby, Bowdoin, and Middlebury), and a few oldster Olympians out.

[caleb]

I wish today could be every day.

[ides1056]

Where are you skiing?

It hasn't been cold enough here to chance riding a sled out onto water.

[caleb]

Where are you skiing?

It hasn't been cold enough here to chance riding a sled out onto water.

These are from Minneapolis, and I'm not sure how thick the ice is. We haven't had any real sub-zero temps yet.

Yesterday was the first day I saw ice fishermen with pickups out on the ice. The park board is grooming ski trails across the lakes in town.

I was out there skiing that same loop on Saturday morning - but in the tracks. This has been a depressing early winter for MPLS skiers. I'm tired of my roller skis.

I hope you're making it out to enjoy this snow. Carver was fully groomed yesterday, and I used good skis without any issues.

[fmbp]

I hope you're making it out to enjoy this snow. Carver was fully groomed yesterday, and I used good skis without any issues.

Yes, I've been getting out a bunch. I had 11 days off of work over the holidays, and am back at work today. I went for runs twice, and skied 8 days. I had one day off in there to rest and get my first COVID shot. Locally, I skied at Theo and Hyland. My family and I were able to quarantine for nearly two weeks, so we went up and spent 4 days with my parents in NW Wisconsin. My parents live in a rural area, and my dad grooms classic ski trails from his back door. He probably has 5 or 6 K groomed with classic tracks, and then many acres to explore without tracks. We also spent one morning at the Blue Hills Trails, which is about a 25 minute drive from their house. Lots of fun skiing this weekend with my parents, my wife, and my two kiddos (ages 7 and 4).

[lumpy]

Yes, I've been getting out a bunch. I had 11 days off of work over the holidays, and am back at work today. I went for runs twice, and skied 8 days. I had one day off in there to rest and get my first COVID shot. Locally, I skied at Theo and Hyland. My family and I were able to quarantine for nearly two weeks, so we went up and spent 4 days with my parents in NW Wisconsin. My parents live in a rural area, and my dad grooms classic ski trails from his back door. He probably has 5 or 6 K groomed with classic tracks, and then many acres to explore without tracks. We also spent one morning at the Blue Hills Trails, which is about a 25 minute drive from their house. Lots of fun skiing this weekend with my parents, my wife, and my two kiddos (ages 7 and 4).

I'm so jealous. Where I live in Western Massachusetts is wiped out. A couple of inches of snow with grass poking through.

[caleb]

Frosty.

[ides1056]

What we have here- Western MA- in the way of ski trails is better for riding, but once in the woods on snowmobile trails which are unused because of a lack of snow an intrepid skater can find glide and entertainment where there are only animal tracks.

[guido]

I've been trout fishing, but alas the next to last local pond skimmed over with ice this morning...

[ant_tip]

Quick evening ski on frozen bog, with light pollution as the only light source. It was actually darker, but iPhone night mode does miracles.

[Mark Kelly]

That is an astonishing pic. Chapeau.

[caleb]

Wow @ant_tip , nice shot!

[Tom]

Wow, that is gorgeous.

Jessie Diggins apparently did pretty well this past week, too!

[ides1056]

I've been skiing on four inches of snow and ice along carriage tracks that are maintained by local snowmobile clubs. There have been no sleds on them so conditions have been perfect, almost spring-like, but never the same from day to day. Yesterday we had freezing fog, which made for excellent glide atop a compliant base: go fast with control. This is my favorite skiing, essentially breaking trail instead of following groomed tracks over hill and dale, alone in the woods. In two hours I encounter no one, even as I return through Notchview Reservation's trail system. An off-day, sort of, after several I have both skied and ridden, I could ride the undulations of trail like sets of waves, relaxed, at ease and peace. It's the best.

[j44ke]

Snow until an hour or two before sunrise and then drenching rain so everything is mash potato soup. Snow shoes would be like wearing two potato mashers. Drove past Catamount and saw kids with plastic bags sticking out of their boots. Happy but totally soaked. Tonight it will all freeze. Chip seal seems pretty brilliant in weather like this. Always some place you can get a little grip. Tomorrow more slush.

[caleb]

Holed up in the woods cultivating my work-ski-sauna habit.







Heading out in a few for some golden hour Ks.