When the temperature climbed to nearly 15 degrees F yesterday afternoon I decided to go for it and get out on my cross country skis. Just a mile or two from my house is a park that has a one mile circuit that is used by the local school's cross country team. I can remember running the course in competition many years ago and I have to say I much prefer skiing along the loop rather than hoofing it.
Occasionally another skier will cut tracks but I guess this year nobody has been crazy enough to do it so I took it upon myself. Lately we've had sub zero temps into the double digits and relentless winds here in Ohio so it has not been much fun going outside for any length of time.
The fierce winds have carved and eroded the surface of the snow into strange patterns and textures much like what happens with desert sand. In in lower depressions where the snow has drifted a crusty shell developed and this slowed me down considerably on my first lap as I broke through and sunk into the deeper snow. On my second and third lap travel was much easier skiing in my tracks.
I've done a few winter hikes so far this year which is an activity I really enjoy but the extreme cold has kept me inside for much of the time. I've been keeping fit by sporadically working out in my basement gym but I admit that gets old quick. It was wonderful to finally get out and do some skiing and enjoy a sunset.
