Last ski, best ski... now what?

We got decent snow in mid-Michigan this season but even so I'm not all
skied out. The Easter snow dump we got a week after everything else
melted was most welcome. My first day out on it was good fun---I went
to the hilliest local area (Stinchfield by Pinckney). Dozens of other
skiers were out, too. Sunny, wonderful. I skied up all the biggest,
longest hills repeatedly. I had one good climb and several semi-lame
ones.

On my good uphill my skis gripped at the steepest angle they ever
have---it was weird but I just went with it---it felt like crampons. I
just dropped the angle really low, hunched and flew up. On a couple
other sunny climbs I felt my grip going then I thought, Hmm, who needs
grip? I got a neat, flowing arm action going with a relaxed semi-
doubletime tempo, using legs only for backup. But on one 3-stage half-
mile long climb (from medium to steep 3 times as it winds up thru
hardwoods) I had to stop to catch my breath (after doing it 3 times).
I didn't know what was going wrong but just lived with it. It still
went OK. I was just blasting and trying to use it all up. I stopped
for bacon and cheese snacks a couple times and felt no fatigue in over
2 hours of max hammering. (I'm finding that gels and powerbars aren't
enough lately.)

On one of the last uphills, a guy was off to the side, lightly
attired, doing tele-turns on a fairly long slope thru the trees. I
think they call that hillside Tele West. (Is that it?) Lower Michigan
isn't so bad, is it.

On Easter I did a shorter, relaxed outing closer to home. But then the
day after---the very last day of our snow---I went back out to
Stinchfield and just clobbered those uphills. I finally figured out
the 3-stager perfectly once and almost-so a few other times---4 good
hammers up that hill. It was an old lesson I that finally came back to
me from other years there. I hadn't skied Stinch this year yet and had
forgotten it. You have to just relax and flow into that uphill. If you
do, you can get good glide up the whole thing and also not go under.
It's the best feeling to do that hill right. So I did. I finally think
I have just about my max good-feel for skiing right now this year.
Peaking! ...With nowhere to go. Ha!

(Maybe I can get up north for a good spring outing still...
Shinglemill Pathway! THAT'S THE TICKET!)

--jp
outyourbackdoor.com

hey jeff -

i'm with ya ... i'm in maine and our snow is almost gone but i'm not
done skiing yet! we have two more snows in the forecast but i don't
think enough to make any difference. we still have one place we can
ski and i got out on easter. what a day ... it was beautiful here,
clear skies and sunshine. it was great!

i'm dreading putting my skis away for the season ...

robin

rungirl4u wrote:
hey jeff -

i'm with ya ... i'm in maine and our snow is almost gone but i'm not
done skiing yet! we have two more snows in the forecast but i don't
think enough to make any difference. we still have one place we can
ski and i got out on easter. what a day ... it was beautiful here,
clear skies and sunshine. it was great!

i'm dreading putting my skis away for the season ...

I'm dreading more orienteering events like last evening's Night-O:

Very close to (and actually within) urban parts of Oslo, we still
averaged 25 cm of _new_ snow on the ground, and all the lighted trails
had fresh classic tracks in them.

Skiing is better:

The reports are of 185 cm of snow cover on the ground in Nordmarka, on
Oppkuven, and if you start from the end of the Holmenkollen tram line,
you can ski all day without finding any snow cover problems.

We've already planned to go back up to Rauland/Hardangervidda for the
next two weekends, but skiing conditions in/around Oslo seem likely to
last for quite a while yet.

Terje
--
-
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"

The reports are of 185 cm of snow cover on the ground in Nordmarka, on
Oppkuven, and if you start from the end of the Holmenkollen tram line,
you can ski all day without finding any snow cover problems.

We've already planned to go back up to Rauland/Hardangervidda for the
next two weekends, but skiing conditions in/around Oslo seem likely to
last for quite a while yet.

Terje

Maybe it's more common for folks in great-snow locales to be "done"
with skiing as spring approaches.

In mid-Michigan we get dribs'n'drabs from Dec Mar --- just enough to
finally get rolling by the time it's done with us.

If we ever get early-80's style snow again maybe I'd be more ready to
quit when it was ready to quit on me. We used to get decent coverage
rom Thanksgiving quite steadily to April. But even then I recall
wanting more.

As it is now, with all the "off days" we get, I'm still left with tons
of excess sky-joy that I want to express.

I do recall being "done" with skiing when I lived in Breck and skied
200+ days a year... : )

Another funny thing about our week-on/week-off snow-cover these days
is that when it comes I don't know how long it will last so I overdo
it. Then when it goes I actually appreciate the rest. But the net
result is NOT QUITE ENOUGH skiing...

Well, if gas wasn't so pricey I might just spring for the $75 RT cost
for a solo trip north. Actually, it's not THAT pricey...

Another side effect of lots less snow is fewer people are into skiing
so the snowdog spirit is weaker---none of my pals wants to go up north
for a superfun one-final dayski at the niftiest wildwoods around---
Shinglemill Pathway by Onaway, near Gaylord---gorgeous! But folks are
probably already more into steelhead fishing than skiing by now (I've
heard they're "on"). Hmmmm....there has to be a way...

--JP

"jeff potter" wrote in message
...
The reports are of 185 cm of snow cover on the ground in Nordmarka, on
Oppkuven, and if you start from the end of the Holmenkollen tram line,
you can ski all day without finding any snow cover problems.

We've already planned to go back up to Rauland/Hardangervidda for the
next two weekends, but skiing conditions in/around Oslo seem likely to
last for quite a while yet.

Terje

Maybe it's more common for folks in great-snow locales to be "done"
with skiing as spring approaches.

No way. I've waited all season to be able to ski without freezing my
ya-ya's off. The best skiing conditions are right now: warm, sunny days,
and incredibly fast and silky-smooth tracks.

In mid-Michigan we get dribs'n'drabs from Dec Mar --- just enough to
finally get rolling by the time it's done with us.

Hmmmm... Been thinking I would eventually retire somewhere back in the
Midwest, but if the snow isn't there...

I do recall being "done" with skiing when I lived in Breck and skied
200+ days a year... : )

This has been a phenomal snow year in Colorado. Living and working in
Denver, I don't get the chance to do 200 days, but I've still spent a pretty
good amount of time sliding around on skis.

Another funny thing about our week-on/week-off snow-cover these days
is that when it comes I don't know how long it will last so I overdo
it. Then when it goes I actually appreciate the rest. But the net
result is NOT QUITE ENOUGH skiing...

Well, if gas wasn't so pricey I might just spring for the $75 RT cost
for a solo trip north. Actually, it's not THAT pricey...

Another side effect of lots less snow is fewer people are into skiing
so the snowdog spirit is weaker---none of my pals wants to go up north
for a superfun one-final dayski at the niftiest wildwoods around---
Shinglemill Pathway by Onaway, near Gaylord---gorgeous! But folks are
probably already more into steelhead fishing than skiing by now (I've
heard they're "on"). Hmmmm....there has to be a way...

--JP

I've often wondered what it would be like, to live someplace where you could
ski every day of the winter; after work during the week, and all weekend. I
don't think I'd ever get tired of it. And like you mentioned, the price of
gasoline is starting to factor into those 160-mile RT's (closest Nordic
areas to Denver require that much driving).

-JJ

DONE here.
I"ve got at least 18 inches in my yard, groomed trails about 100 yards away,
but i can't do it.
Its like halloween with too much candy.
Running shoes on now ....
BUT i might have to try an April 10th ski to beat my latest ever ski out my
door.

JKal.
OFF TO FLORIDA in 48 hours.

"Wily Coyote" wrote in message
...

"jeff potter" wrote in message
...
The reports are of 185 cm of snow cover on the ground in Nordmarka, on
Oppkuven, and if you start from the end of the Holmenkollen tram line,
you can ski all day without finding any snow cover problems.

We've already planned to go back up to Rauland/Hardangervidda for the
next two weekends, but skiing conditions in/around Oslo seem likely to
last for quite a while yet.

Terje

Maybe it's more common for folks in great-snow locales to be "done"
with skiing as spring approaches.

No way. I've waited all season to be able to ski without freezing my
ya-ya's off. The best skiing conditions are right now: warm, sunny days,
and incredibly fast and silky-smooth tracks.

In mid-Michigan we get dribs'n'drabs from Dec Mar --- just enough to
finally get rolling by the time it's done with us.

Hmmmm... Been thinking I would eventually retire somewhere back in the
Midwest, but if the snow isn't there...

I do recall being "done" with skiing when I lived in Breck and skied
200+ days a year... : )

This has been a phenomal snow year in Colorado. Living and working in
Denver, I don't get the chance to do 200 days, but I've still spent a
pretty good amount of time sliding around on skis.

Another funny thing about our week-on/week-off snow-cover these days
is that when it comes I don't know how long it will last so I overdo
it. Then when it goes I actually appreciate the rest. But the net
result is NOT QUITE ENOUGH skiing...

Well, if gas wasn't so pricey I might just spring for the $75 RT cost
for a solo trip north. Actually, it's not THAT pricey...

Another side effect of lots less snow is fewer people are into skiing
so the snowdog spirit is weaker---none of my pals wants to go up north
for a superfun one-final dayski at the niftiest wildwoods around---
Shinglemill Pathway by Onaway, near Gaylord---gorgeous! But folks are
probably already more into steelhead fishing than skiing by now (I've
heard they're "on"). Hmmmm....there has to be a way...

--JP

I've often wondered what it would be like, to live someplace where you
could ski every day of the winter; after work during the week, and all
weekend. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. And like you mentioned,
the price of gasoline is starting to factor into those 160-mile RT's
(closest Nordic areas to Denver require that much driving).

-JJ

Wily Coyote wrote:
I've often wondered what it would be like, to live someplace where you could
ski every day of the winter; after work during the week, and all weekend. I
don't think I'd ever get tired of it. And like you mentioned, the price of
gasoline is starting to factor into those 160-mile RT's (closest Nordic
areas to Denver require that much driving).

I've wondered about living on the ski trails, too. The 450 round trip to
Tahoe isn't cheap. Not to mention the restaurant and bar tab ;-)

-Bob

"Bob" wrote in message
...
Wily Coyote wrote:
I've often wondered what it would be like, to live someplace where you
could ski every day of the winter; after work during the week, and all
weekend. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. And like you
mentioned, the price of gasoline is starting to factor into those
160-mile RT's (closest Nordic areas to Denver require that much driving).

I've wondered about living on the ski trails, too. The 450 round trip to
Tahoe isn't cheap. Not to mention the restaurant and bar tab ;-)

-Bob

There was a great thread on here a few years ago, about the best XC ski
towns. After reading all the posts, I recall thinking that the Hayward, WI
area might be Nordic nirvana. Duluth got high marks, also, I believe. Out
here, a home in Frisco, CO, or somewhere along US40 between Winter Park and
Grand Lake would be good, if you were born a trust funder (or won your state
lottery). Steamboat Springs would be nice, too, if it were still
affordable.

Man, that's a long commute for skiing, Bob! With the price of gas going up,
you may have to make a decision (give up skiing or drinking). ; )

-JJ

Hayward is good but its tough to top Marquette Michigan. AMAZING snow - 150
+ inches per year - , great trails - I bet 200k within a 40 minute drive, UP
saunas, NMU team so see out skiing, and UP ambience... of course i'm very
biased too.

I can ski out my door here in Gaylord, Mich at least 120 days per year.

JKal.

"Wily Coyote" wrote in message
...

"Bob" wrote in message
...
Wily Coyote wrote:
I've often wondered what it would be like, to live someplace where you
could ski every day of the winter; after work during the week, and all
weekend. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. And like you
mentioned, the price of gasoline is starting to factor into those
160-mile RT's (closest Nordic areas to Denver require that much
driving).

I've wondered about living on the ski trails, too. The 450 round trip to
Tahoe isn't cheap. Not to mention the restaurant and bar tab ;-)

-Bob

There was a great thread on here a few years ago, about the best XC ski
towns. After reading all the posts, I recall thinking that the Hayward,
WI area might be Nordic nirvana. Duluth got high marks, also, I believe.
Out here, a home in Frisco, CO, or somewhere along US40 between Winter
Park and Grand Lake would be good, if you were born a trust funder (or won
your state lottery). Steamboat Springs would be nice, too, if it were
still affordable.

Man, that's a long commute for skiing, Bob! With the price of gas going
up, you may have to make a decision (give up skiing or drinking). ; )

-JJ

Wily Coyote wrote:
"Bob" wrote in message
...
Wily Coyote wrote:
I've often wondered what it would be like, to live someplace where you
could ski every day of the winter; after work during the week, and all
weekend. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. And like you
mentioned, the price of gasoline is starting to factor into those
160-mile RT's (closest Nordic areas to Denver require that much driving).
I've wondered about living on the ski trails, too. The 450 round trip to
Tahoe isn't cheap. Not to mention the restaurant and bar tab ;-)

-Bob

There was a great thread on here a few years ago, about the best XC ski
towns. After reading all the posts, I recall thinking that the Hayward, WI
area might be Nordic nirvana. Duluth got high marks, also, I believe. Out

Hmmm, a case of selective memory?

I definitely remember Oslo coming out pretty high up on that list. :-)

Oh, you meant "Continental US only"? :-)

Terje
--
-
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"