Cross country skiing has a weather advantage
Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes
Pictured is the old pair of wooden skies that I bought at a second hand store for $20 after my first pair finally gave up after over 25 years of use.
Most folks that ski probably think it蘑菇视频 a bit early to start the season. The resorts need cold weather to make snow and usually rely on some help from Mother Nature around the end of November or early December. Last year, many of the resorts didn鈥檛 open until after the first of the year due to the mild weather and lack of cold and snow.
The winter stayed mild and all in all it was just not a good season. Cross country skiers are better served in this area and can take advantage of just a small amount of snow and cold weather.
Last Sunday, it snowed lightly in the mountains during the late afternoon and early evening leaving about an inch of snow on everything but the roads. Monday morning the sun was out and with temperatures in the mid twenties the snow stayed around for a few hours. I decided to give it a try and loaded my equipment and drove a few minutes to a favorite mountain spot that is high in elevation and ended up with about an inch and a half of snow. Since the accumulation of snow was on the light side the cold temperatures allowed the snow to bond with the ground surface and produce some really great cross country skiing conditions.
I have an old pair of wooden skies that I bought at a second hand store for $20 after my first pair finally gave up after over 25 years of use. New bindings added $50 and I am still using the old poles. The cost to participate is so inexpensive and the benefit of this exercise is priceless. A couple of layers of old clothing is all you need to stay warm as the old body warms up fast cross country skiing. The real joy of the sport is that you can ski almost anywhere. I often just go out the door through the back yard and over the hill. Of course, you need a bit more snow than we had available on Monday.
Not having skied since last December, I was a bit wobbly to start and fell within minutes. After getting back up, I was able to have an enjoyable morning and did not fall again. I often like to pause when I am out and just listen to the silence of the morning. The sun was dancing off the snow covered ground creating millions of diamond crystals. Looking up a few scudding fair weather clouds were racing over the top of the mountain. I could also see the brown landscape of the lower elevations as the snow did not accumulate just a few minutes away.
The other thing I liked about Monday was that I was the only person out. So many times when I get to my spot ski tracks are already present and I am not the first one out. This year was different. Some of you may understand what that is all about.
As I write this, the snow is gone and it looks like it will be awhile before conditions will present themselves for a little cross country skiing. I will keep watching the weather for the next chance to get out and enjoy the winter beauty of our area.