Training Log Archive: jima

Cold easy run from Gilford Elementary. Up lower Benjamin Weeks (purple trail), then upper Mt Rowe Trail (blue). Along the ridge N to the top of the steep, then reverse. Down upper Benjamin Weeks, then lower Mt Rowe trail.

Near the top of the Mt Rose trail, met 2 fat-bikers heading down. "Where does this come out?" "Gilford Elementary" "How far to the Gunstock Nordic center from there?" "Umm, wrong side of the mountain, you might want to head back up the way you came." "Oh, OK. Thanks" Should have asked if they had a trail map, or had even looked at one before they headed out...

Other than that, saw 2 people and one dog. Cold and breezy, especially up top. Was debating another layer, but was probably better with what I had, long sleeve poly over a tech t-shirt. Sweating a bit on my back, it was chilly on the front though.

Then back home, hot shower, nap.

Once the 800 HS and MS racers left, thought I'd go out and see what was left of the tracks. Still rock solid for almost all of the course - quite a bit of corn snow piled up coming down the Cobble S curve. The padding that had been put up on some of the trees to the side was probably alarming to some.

2 loops around Cobble in different directions, plus some on the N side race trails.

Not really needed for crowd control for the kids session - so adventuring on my own.

Evening ski - groomer had hit some of the S end, but had moved onto the Lanes and Brook Run while I was there. Rest of the race trails and Cobble has 1-4" of powder on top of hard underneath. Certainly skateable, and generally not too fast.
Went around to Birch, up to Maple - took that to the top of the S, then reversed (didn't want to chance that, as the groomer had already been through and unlikely anyone else would be there until sometime the next day to find me in the event of an epic crash and burn - the things you think about skiing alone in the cold dark of night...). Out and back on the Oak Fire Cut, then zooming down the curve back onto Birch. Some thin spots with hard ice underneath, on Maple, Oak, and the top of the curve. Wanted to see if I could take the curve at speed, stepping around with minimal plowing off speed - a bit dicey across the ice spot, then my feet got a bit far apart - heading into a split. Managed to get enough weight onto the outer ski to bring the inner one in closer, then step around. Another potential catastrophe averted - no road/grease slick left on the trail for the critters to munch on.
Did get to 30 kph a bit beyond the curve where it has a nice straight drop off.

Back and forth on the lanes with the kids group - HS race going on across the street.
It was all either icy, or icy and rocky.