Tag Archives: Cross-Country Skiing

The Light Show

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Ask anyone in Duluth – or anywhere in Minnesota for that matter – and they will tell you how dismal the weather has been for the past umpteen weeks.  Clouds, dark and heavy have obscured the sun for all but one day in the last 18.  It hasn’t helped that these clouds have produced only rain, not any negligible snow for those of us who love winter sports.

Rich with Christmas lightsThe lack of sunlight has been depressing to say the least.  So like all good northern Minnesotans, we look for the bright side (literally in this case) wherever we can.  Christmas lights certainly quality.  If daylight disappoints, evenings bring on a bright glow.  Driving anywhere in town delivers a showcase of pleasing light displays.  We were a bit on the late side getting our lights up, but Rich headed out one gloomy night to add our own colorful strings to the night time drama.

In the midst of this light drought, we passed the Winter Solstice – the day with the least amount of sunlight.  So even though we couldn’t see it, the sun made its shortest appearance of all.  Bonfire at Solstice SkiOur ski club has an annual Solstice Bonfire Ski, and the thought of a bright bonfire to light up the night enticed me out there.  I skied over the trails at Spirit Mountain to find not one but nine bonfires illuminating the way.  My particular favorite was the elevated bonfire, flaming away in one of the barbecue grills. The snow far exceeded my minimal expectations, Winter-Solstice-Ski-1and it was pleasant skiing in the mild temperatures.  But it was even better just hanging around the main bonfire.  Roasting a hot dog over the fire, singeing my face as well as the dog sure felt good.  Wrapped in a tortilla, char-broiled never tasted so good.  Spirits were high as we all basked in the light of the fire.

This morning I woke to an unusual sight – a break in the clouds!  I can’t say it was sunny exactly, but just seeing some blue sky and a touch of pink from the rising sun was uplifting.  The lake reappeared and there were the waves crashing onto the shore as I ran along the Lakewalk.  It was as if life in the the great outdoors had been reactivated.  I couldn’t help but smile, passing others and hearing them remark, “Look, the sun!”

Not too surprisingly, by mid-morning the clouds resumed their cover and the world returned to its gray hues.  But that short glimpse was enough to get us through and feed our belief that one day the sun will shine again.  The ultimate light show.

Hello Boots

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I have been reacquainted with the new boots I bought last winter.  If today’s weather is any indication, we will see a lot of each other for the next six months.  Good thing I really like them.

It’s only November 10.  Barely out of the single digits.  Not long past Halloween and the earliest snowfall in my memory, back in 1991.  This one is nothing compared to that blizzard, but it still looks plenty white out there.

IMG_1474I was content to stay inside as the flakes fell throughout the day.  Working on my latest writing assignment seemed the perfect excuse to hole up and avoid the slippy slidy world out there.

But by late afternoon I just had to venture out in it all.  Groceries for dinner were as good an excuse as IMG_1477any, and I opted to walk to the store.  The world was hushed by the new layer of snow, and few vehicles were moving on our out-of-the-way road.  It was easy to make believe it was mid-winter.

With temperatures promising to stay well below freezing for the remainder of the week, it doesn’t look like this snow is going to disappear any time soon.  Rich is already chomping at the bit to strap on his rock skis and start the XC ski season.  Honestly, I was hoping for a few more weeks of good running weather.  But I may just have to ski a few loops around the golf course tomorrow instead.  Today snow boots.  Tomorrow ski boots.  Why not?

Mid-Winter Perfection

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The latest snowfall resulted in a rapid accumulation of 6″ or more. It easily wiped out all signs of the melting that had been going on the last few days, as well as the resulting ice. Before 5:00am we could hear the thrum of a diesel engine idling just up the road. That meant that the groomer was out on the ski trails.

Never mind that this was the third day of spring. Nor the fact that I’d already declared I was hanging up my skis for the season. The opportunity was too good to miss. What I didn’t bargain for was the fact that the temperature had plummeted overnight. Two degrees registered on the thermometer. Really? All the layers I’d banished to the bottom of the drawer came back out again. I even popped toe warmers into my ski boots. And with a fierce wind blowing, I didn’t regret a single item.

Perhaps it’s not too surprising that there was not a car in the parking lot, nor a single ski track on the virgin groomed trails. Who else would be out on this cold spring day before the sun was fully up? Shivering ever so slightly I set off, confident that the relentless uphill climb at Lester would help warm me up.

DSCN0169The woods were blanketed in snow, and the trail was firm and fresh. The crusty snow and ice that I knew lay beneath the new powder were deeply buried, as if the dicey spring skiing conditions of a few days earlier had never existed. The sun spread long shadows across the snow from its low angle, too weak yet to shed any warmth. But it was pretty.

DSCN0166Even my tiny camera protested the cold by shutting down soon after I extricated the cold metal object from my pocket. Baring my fingers to the brutal cold, I learned to snap quickly to get one picture before it realized its battery was too cold to function.

I had conveniently forgotten how slow the snow is when it’s that cold, and there was little glide to my skis. But I pressed on regardless. I even continued for a second lap around the trail system. This wasn’t about setting speed records. And I was no longer training for races. I could just ski for the sake of enjoyment.

If I ignored the calendar, I could relish the perfection of the conditions, fooled into thinking what perfect winter skiing it was. Sometimes it’s best to live in the moment, oblivious to the seasons.

Of Summits and Snowflakes

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With my stay at Snow Mountain Ranch drawing to a close, I wanted to make the most of the time I had left. My final day of work I was scheduled for an afternoon shift, which left me plenty of time to get in a decent ski earlier in the day. There was only one major trail that I had not yet skied, so imagine my delight to find that it had been groomed that very morning. Others had broken trail with back country skis, but that didn’t appeal to me, and this was the first time it had been groomed in two months. I set my heart on completing the trail.

My first hurdle was the advice I received from more experienced skiers in the Nordic Center. They warned me of the steep terrain and difficulty of the climb. I hadn’t fully grasped the fact that this trail rose 2,000 feet in elevation! Learning that I didn’t plan to bring any food and drink, they pressed a granola bar on me and I left with some doubts.

When I reached the turnoff for the Blue Ridge Trail, it did indeed climb. But I decided that I’d pursue each leg of the switchbacks and go as far as I could. As it turns out, the trail did climb relentlessly, but the climbs were not steep. And as long as I stopped periodically (okay, frequently) to catch my breath, I was able to continue. To further spur me along, the higher I got, the better the views. Feasting my eyes on at least 180 degrees of mountain ranges was inspiring, and further excuse to pause along the way. The grooming was impeccable with a firm surface despite the warming sun, and I relished the fact that my ski tracks were the first ones there. Reaching the summit was almost an anticlimax, as there was no sign to commemorate my accomplishment, nor a clear peak to the mountain at 10,670 ft. Even the selfie photo I took to show me at the summit really doesn’t prove much of anything – but I knew I’d made it.

The return trip was a glorious ride down. I was tired but thrilled I’d completed the whole trail and happy that I reached the summit. And that granola bar did taste good at the top.

On my final day, I set off with two friends for a women’s snowshoe hike. Fran has been coming to Snow Mountain Ranch as a volunteer for years, and offered to lead the hike. Patti was new to snowshoeing, so we were a motley crew of experience but eager for a day out. Undeterred by the steady snowfall, we donned our layers of clothes, snowshoes and packs with food, water, extra clothing and emergency supplies.

From Grand Lake we took the East Inlet Trail, which immediately led us into Rocky Mountain National Park. Lacking trail markers, we were glad that we could see vague indentations from previous snowshoers. New snow was piling up quickly, and our view was curtailed to our immediate surroundings. But the beauty of the heavy woods draped in snow made up for the mountains we were missing in the distance. The trail was fairly flat, following a branch of the Colorado River for a while, and meandering through the woods. Progress was slow but satisfying, allowing us to drink in the quiet of the woods.

With an out-and-back trail, the inevitable question is when to turn around? It always feels good to reach a specific destination, and Fran had one in mind. As soon as we saw the large rock formation, we knew we’d reached it. The trail narrowed along a ledge and seemed to whither away with the rock looming overhead. We all agreed it was the perfect stopping point, not wanting to test our skills scampering around the end of the rock. Taking a short time out for a snack and drink of water, we began to retraced our steps. With temperatures hovering right about freezing, the falling snow was saturating our clothing and gloves. Keeping moving was the only way to fend off the resulting chill.

Although Fran had frequently seen moose and other wildlife on that trail, we saw not a single critter. Even animal tracks were in short supply. We were the sole inhabitants of the woods, or so it felt. But that was okay. It was the camaraderie that was best about the hike, spending time with new friends and sharing an adventure.

Yes, I think I did well. Both outings were satisfying in different ways, and brought closure to my stay. And I have left plenty more to explore, hoping we’ll be back next year.

A Grand Day Out

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Weather reports are fickle. I held off on my planned outing to Grand Lake until today based on the forecast for “mostly sunny” skies. So when I woke up to a world socked in with clouds, I was dismayed. Still hoping for the promised clearing, I dawdled in a cosy coffee cafe in Grandby with my latte and muffin – a decidedly leisurely way to start the day.

By the time I continued on my way the sun was starting to peak out, although the surrounding mountaintops were all still shrouded in clouds. Ever hopeful, I drove on to the Grand Lake Nordic Center. With 5″ of fresh new snow on the ground, the world was a clean soft undulating surface blanketed in white. The fact that Grand Lake touts their “pristine grooming” was comforting, and I was further cheered upon my arrival to learn that all trails had just been groomed that morning.

Heading out through the woods

The Nordic Center is a comfortable building that converts nicely from its summer personality as the golf clubhouse. Expecting wide open trails on the golf course, I was mystified but thrilled to ski straight into a vast wooded area dominated by tall pole pines. With a firm new skate deck yet a soft snowy surface, the skiing was delightful – especially since there were only a handful of other skiers out on the whole system. I was the first skate skier down nearly every trail I skied – kilometers of fresh corduroy!

Tall pole pines grace the trails

True to the forecast, the day remained mostly sunny. The sun was out all day, although the clouds remained firmly entrenched around the edges. I decided that the woods were scenery enough for me, and that I would relish the sunshine. Mountaintops could wait for another day.

As usual with a new trail system I found myself confounded by too many trail intersections, and was constantly checking my map. Sometimes I decided to just go where the spirit moved me – what difference did it make if I backtracked and covered the same loop twice? I was just out there for the fun, the outdoors and the sunshine. One portion of the trail crossed the Colorado River and paralleled it for a while. I deliberately skied that one twice. By the time I was done I think I covered nearly major piece of trail at least once.

Crossing over the Colorado River

In the end, I did find the golf course. That's where the dog trails are – designated trails where dogs are allowed, and joyfully romp alongside their skiing masters. Since no dogs had gone ahead of me, those trails were as fresh as the rest. The wind did take its toll, however, blowing snow over the tracks even on a nice day like today. All the more reason to stick to the beautiful wooded trails.

Mountaintops finally clear in the distance

By the time I finished skiing, I managed to glimpse the snowy tops of one mountain range. Settling down to eat my lunch beside the wood fire in the Nordic Center, I had the same view out the window. Glorious.

A few days off work, good weather and a trip to new territory has done wonders for my psyche. As nice as it is at Snow Mountain Ranch, it's good to break the routine and do something new. Yes, it was a grand day out. (with apologies to Wallace and Gromit!)

 

Campus Life

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It's been a long time since I lived on a college campus, sharing a small room, eating in the dining hall and meandering all over the sprawling grounds to the various buildings I frequented. But it all came flooding back as I settled into life at Snow Mountain Ranch as a volunteer.

SMR, as we call it, covers over 5,000 acres in a valley in the Colorado Rockies. As a family and conference center, it has a wide variety of facilities, as well as the usual lodging and dining halls. Being run by the YMCA of the Rockies, there is a big focus on outdoor, athletic and family activities, spawning a pool building, gym, yoga center, riding stables and craft shop as well as the Nordic Center for cross-country skiing, tubing, sledding and ice skating venues. And I'm sure I haven't discovered many of the offerings.

My own world revolves around a few select sites. Home is in Pinewood. It's the residence hall for us “seniors” and is the usual long hall lined with doors and small motel-like rooms. Doors slam, footsteps echo down the hall, but late night parties are not an issue. And this time I got to pick my roommate! After almost 31 years together, I knew Rich and I would be compatible.

Moving into Pinewood

Two connected rooms have been converted to a lounge for us, and is frequently filled in the evenings by those interested in watching TV and playing games. My first week here, I made it a nightly habit to wander down to watch the Olympics with those gathered there. It also happens to house the notebook entitled “Senior Trips.” There we can sign up for various planned activities or post suggestions for group outings. It's worth keeping up with the list, as the Y often provides free and convenient transportation for the events.

Pinewood is connected to the main lobby for SMR, with a two-sided gas fireplace, comfy chairs and a good internet connection. It's a very pleasant place to sit and read or visit. In the evenings it is frequently overrun by us seniors.

The Craft Shop, where I work, is on the far end of the campus from Pinewood. Lacking plowed sidewalks, and with roads that are narrow and slippery, walking is not as easy an option as I'd like. Unlike college days when I walked everywhere, I frequently end up having to drive for safety sake. For someone as committed to a healthy life style as I am, it goes against my grain. I'm sure it would be different in the other seasons. But for winter, a car is fairly essential.

At the Nordic Center

When I'm not working, the Nordic Center is my favorite haunt. There I get my free ski passes, rent any equipment I like, gratis, and check the latest grooming reports. It happens to be the most sought after place for volunteers to work, helping skiers, selling ski clothing and equipment and handling rentals. Perhaps one day I can work my way up the ladder to a position there! For the meantime, it's the hub of the 60k of ski trails on SMR property and starting point for any day's ski.

And finally, the Commons where we eat. It is the central cafeteria that feeds all the lodge guests at SMR as well as its staff members and volunteers. It definitely brings back memories of the old cafeteria lines in college. This is no newfangled, upscale food station style cafeteria which some of my kids enjoyed in college. It's the old food line with trays, steam tables and mass produced food. In its defense, some of the dishes are pretty good. And I regularly hunt down the healthy offerings – an abundance of fresh fruit at breakfast, seedy bread for sandwiches and the fruit bowl at lunch, and build your own salad ingredients at dinner. Fortunately, their desserts aren't at all tempting, but I still wish for some ice cream now and again.

The Commons - our dining hall
A table of Senior Volunteers

The main attraction of the Commons, though, is social. The senior volunteers always sit in about the same spot, gathering around the tables in random order as we arrive. It's the best place to meet others and get to know everyone better, or find out what's going on. It's a retreat between work hours, or a leisurely visit on our time off. It's easy to spot our group – we're the gray haired folks with SMR fleece vests and badges hanging on colorful lanyards around our necks.

I wouldn't want to do it year-round, but for a brieft winter stint when we can enjoy the mountain views and endless opportunities to ski the trails, it's a good life. I'm quite enjoying being back on campus.

 

This is more like it!

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Today was the best skiing yet.  This is what I came for!  With 4″ new snow overnight, and the groomers out setting new track on all the trails, the conditions were glorious.  Add to that mostly sunny skies and temperatures that ultimately reached 41 degrees – it just doesn’t get any better than that.  Even the wind had lessened in the morning when I first went out.

My favorite trail of the morning was one we skied on our first day here.  But the new snow not only softened the formerly crusty trail but draped the trees in snow and muffled all sound.  It was a long but beautiful climb up the mountainside, and a wonderful ride all the way back down.  It was the kind of day that made me want to stay out all day.  But lunch was calling to me.  As I headed back to the Nordic Center, the winds had picked up significantly (of course!), and they blew me all the way down the valley.  I never knew I could ski so fast!

DSCN0126DSCN0131 straightenedFor my afternoon ski, I decided to try out a pair of Atomic Skintec waxless classic skis.  I’ve been lusting after them for two years, wanting a pair but unwilling to swallow the high price tag.  Since volunteers can rent equipment for free, it was the perfect opportunity to take them out for a test run to see if I really liked them.

DSCN0134By that time, the wind had done quite a number of the trails.  Where I had pristine grooming in the morning, the classic tracks were often filled with new snow or drifted over entirely.  But when I could hide from the wind, I found fast firm tracks.  It was a great opportunity to give the skis a full workout.  Where the warm afternoon sun beat down on the snow, it was beginning to soften but we did notice one big difference out here.  The air is so dry that even warm soft snow is not as sticky as back home, instead holding that powdery feel at a much higher temperature.

And the verdict on the skis?  I loved them!  I don’t know if that is good news or bad.  I’m now left still wishing for a pair of my own, looking for a good sale and justification for the purchase…

When I envisioned our stay at Snow Mountain Ranch, this is the kind of day I expected.  Plenty of fresh snow, beautiful trails and multiple excursions out skiing in a day.  Yes, this is more like it.

XC Skiing Mountain Style

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The bulk of my cross-country skiing experience has been in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s UP.  I have to say, I think we have some great trails and beautiful settings in our neck of the woods.  So I was very curious to see just how different it would be to ski out in the Rocky Mountains.

Snow Mountain Ranch is nestled in an expansive valley up in the mountains above Denver.  They boast 100 kilometers of ski trails right on campus, and a world-class Nordic Center.  It didn’t take me long to begin exploring.   I think what surprised me most was that many of the trails are out in the open in the base of the valley.  Used to skiing on heavily wooded trails, it’s a different feeling being so exposed.  Unfortunately, the openness is largely due to the advances of the Mountain Pine Beetle, which has decimated the trees in this area of the Rockies, leaving wide open patches everywhere.  Sadly, it is a native bug normally held in check by cold winters, but milder weather over the last decade has allowed it to flourish and kill most of the pine trees.

After the devastatingly cold winter in Duluth this year and record-breaking string of sub-zero weather, it feels like spring out here with temperatures reaching the 40s during the day.  I have piles of warm ski clothes I don’t need – not that I’m complaining!  But with the temperature swings come high winds, and they blow without mercy down the empty valley.  Skiing on the flats feels akin to skiing uphill against the resistance of the wind.  The wind does a number on the trails, scraping any new snow off the top and creating drifts in unexpected areas.  Fortunately, they do groom frequently, and given the chance, I follow the most recently groomed trails.

DSCN0111But the openness does have its compensation in the form of amazing scenery.  Everywhere I look I see mountains, many of them snow covered beauties off in the distance.  The views are spectacular,   particularly when the sun shines and radiates off the snowy mountain tops.  That’s definitely a scene we don’t see out in Minnesota.DSCN0113DSCN0115

 

 

 

Personally, my favorite trails are still those in the woods.  By definition, leaving the valley means a long ascent up the mountainside, but even by a Minnesotan’s standards the grade is reasonably gradual.  Normally I would expect to fly up those hills, skating at a good clip, but at 8,705 feet above sea level the altitude puts a definitive check on my aerobic capacity.  Once at the top, I enjoy winding through both pine and deciduous forests and ultimately making my way back down again.

DSCN0118DSCN0108

Perhaps I’m biased, but I have to say that I don’t think Colorado has that much over Minnesota in its XC ski trails.  But to be fair, I’ve only sampled one trail system so far.  And there is a lot to be said for the sunny mild days and towering mountain scenery.  Maybe I should call it a draw.  And ski for another three weeks, just to verify my first impressions of mountain skiing.

Our new home away from home

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We had a short drive to get to Snow Mountain Ranch today, coming from Loveland, Colorado.  With no snow in sight, and the car thermometer recording 60 degrees as we traveled through Denver, I admit to having qualms about all this.  Could it really be all that different up there in the mountains?  It didn’t look like it as we began our ascent into the hills.

photo 2Fortunately, the higher we went the more the temperature dropped and the snow mounted. We saw snowboarders and back-country skiers on the roadside.  I began to breathe more easily again.  Although it was a balmy 40 degrees when we reached Snow Mountain Ranch, the high snowbanks were reassuring.

We were given a quick tour of the extensive grounds and facilities at the center, leaving us  eager to explore it all.  It didn’t take long to settle into our room.  While small and bare bones, it has a marvelous view of the mountains and is conveniently connected to the main lodge.

DSCN0094 DSCN0095With a free afternoon, we did the only sensible thing – head for the ski trails!  We started at the Nordic Center to get our ski passes and met the first of many friendly fellow volunteers.  They went out of their way to make us feel welcome. This was starting to feel really good.

We planned a short reconnaissance ski, checking out the trails, snow conditions and terrain for the first time.  Rich and I skied together, not pushing ourselves and just enjoying the newness of it all.  We have three full weeks to explore all 100k of trails after all.  We did find that the altitude took its toll – I was quickly winded on the uphill climbs and confess to having to stop to rest along the way.  Hopefully our bodies will acclimate before long.

It’s all still so new to us, but we’re already convinced we’re going to like it here.  Good thing as this is our home away from home for the next three weeks.

The Latest Adventure

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Just four and a half months since we cycled to the end of our Grand Gaspé Cycling Tour, we are on our way to another new vacation experience. This time we have loaded up our cross-country skis and are headed for the Rockies. Although we won't be self-propelled between destinations this trip, we will be “self-supported” during our stay.

Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center

With retirement comes plenty of free time, and an incentive to conserve funds. So when we heard about the volunteer opportunitites at Snow Mountain Ranch, a Nordic Ski Center run by the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado, we didn't hesitate a moment before filling out the application. When the call came to say we were “hired” we were thrilled. We've never skied in the Rockies before, and are unlikely to spend the big bucks to go there, so it was the perfect solution.

It's a sweet gig indeed. For three weeks we will work as volunteers for 28 hours a week, in exchange for room and board, and access to 100 kilometers of mountain ski trails. They are putting Rich to work in IT, doing a PC upgrade on all their computers. I chose a more leisurely pursuit – working in the craft shop, helping others with their projects. The remainder of the time we are free to enjoy the amenities of the center, most notably the ski trails. For a couple of XC skiing enthusiasts, what could be better?

We have it on good authority that they treat their volunteers well, as they are the life blood of the operation. And in fact most of them return year after year. Some stay the entire winter, but newcomers like us are encouraged to try it out on a shorter term basis. I'm sure they will be checking us out as much as we are them. The staff accomodations are reported to be 60's style motel rooms – right up our alley having spent night after night in budget motels on our cycling trip. And someone else will be doing the cooking – sounds good to me.

We check in tomorrow afternoon. Let the adventure begin!