Training Log Archive: ernst

An easy loop around Clyde's trails. w. N &J. Cold and windy in the open,(20F) but pleasant in the woods. Did the far side to the Gazebo and back. Skis: Atomic rec. w. Green Extra wax. Worked well.

Then over to Spruce Hole. Looping around including down and up the Sandpit, then started to make tracks on all the remaining logging cuts. This is now becoming a maze. Still thinking some day I'll organize a classic-ski ski-O, but first will need to make a map. But there is always not enough time in the winter to do this, and in the summer the motivation for it is lacking.

C • map 3

The 3 inches of fluffy snow added the "sugaring to the cake". I did the shoveling honors in the morning, and put off skiing till the afternoon. Temps were dropping to about 20 but the midday wind guests were also diminishing. Pleasant and easy loop with N and J on Clyde's trail. Effortless redefining of tracks with my BC telemark skis.

Then across the street to Spruce Hole. Looks like a bunch of good skiers beat me to it. I concluded they came from UNH and are good skiers. They followed the faintly visible tracks of mine, nicely on one side of the trails. Perhaps they read my sign. One of the skiers must have had fun making little loops into the trees and back. I re-tracked all trails incl hill to field and back, and ventured out to the sandpit, not that it was almost calm - sandpit is very wind exposed. The 2 inches of snow on the steep inclines were quite inviting so I drew a couple of nice DNA strands with my teleskis. Boots were not quite tight enough, so I was a bit shaky, but fun it was. (Hope I am not stressing the recently replanted vegetation...). Also chatted with the fellow w.t. G.R. He lives near faculty drive and loves to walk the trails daily.

Another pleasant weekend day spent making classic ski tracks on both the Clyde's trails (45 min) and Spruce Hole/Wood (1 hr 15). Yesterday's storm brought us 2 - 3 inches all in a matter of about 2.5 hours - a mini Nor'Easter after two hours of drizzle and rain. I had already given up on local seacoast skiing, but no. BTW: AccuWeather predicted rain, NOAA correctly predicted snow.
I took my BC telemark skis, that had leftover klister wax, probably some mixture. It worked, and as a bonus after 2 hours of gently skiing, the base was almost clean. Saw the fellow w. Golden Retr. again. He seemed happy about the snow, and so was the GR. Sunny, and 27 - 30 F.

The usual chores to keep the place manageable, shoveling the walkways, cleaning the cars off, moving them, shoveling the driveway, shoveling the porch, and later hacking ice on the porch and on the driveway. I am logging it as 1/2 hour equivalent say of wood-chopping or double poling or... . All shoveling was done with the snow scoop (sled) so some leg/core involved as well.

Then took my racers out, just to see how it feels to ski at tempo, and also for the purpose of getting last year/'s silver/grey klister cleaned off in the abrasive snow. The latter did not work so well - I guess the base wax is working. Also tracks not so abrasive as during the first run through this morning.
All in all I was flying up and down Electric Avenue and to/fr Spruce Wood/Eden Dale access road. Nobody around. Must be some game on.
I am guestimating the distance. I may try to do this early morning for a warm-up tomorrow, and try to remember to bring my Garmin.

Mid-day outing on waxless skis (Atomics) at 30F. First 20 min. with Jean around Spr Hole, then more aggressive skiing by myself on Clyde's trails. Snow nice and soft. Some good poling work required. Snow pack is thin, and there is some frequent touching of sticks and ground vegetation. But still nice skiing overall. Some other neighbor folks have been out and have reinforced the tracks or have made new ones.

Outing with Nancy and Jena on Cl. Trails (25 minutes, then by myself looping around Spruce Hole. Nice soft cold snow (~ 25 F) . Used waxed Atomics (Cross Cap) with Green Extra from the day before.

Decided to clear the driveway after Mike did not show up by 8:30. Easy piece of cake: 3.5 inches. Last night was snowball snow (wet) but this morning seem to be mostly fluff after a cold and windy night. Then the walkways around. Did some more solar panel clearing with roof rake in the afternoon. I log it as 1/2 hour easy upper body training. Glad we have snow again.

Out on the trails with J for 20 min, then by myself. Atomics cross cuts with Green Extra wax. Worked great!. Just easy kick and glide to get some tracks established. Unfortunately the snow was not dense enough and in some places I sank right trough close to the bottom, which was either ice (bumpy) or vegetation (smooth), but no rocks, gravel or sand. Overall nice cruising especially around Spruce Hole. It is so serene and relaxing when you are the first person gliding through the snow. Quite a bit of wind howling and snow drifting along the edge of the sandpit.