I don't know if you call it cabin fever or just plain old work stress, but by mid-afternoon today I needed to get outside and exercise! I convinced the Skimeister to join me for an end-of-the-afternoon classic ski at Bolton Valley Nordic Center.
We arrived and saw that we would not be alone in our late-day ski. Ski team members from the University of Vermont and Colchester High School were on the trails, too. We set out for a nice loop out on Maple Loop and only passed a handful of kids.
An inch or two of fresh snow last night made for a soft blanket of snow on the trails. The tracks were a very nice packed powder. In some places where the track was pristine and the snow conditions optimal, I felt like a rock star on my skinny skis. This is unusual for me, the longtime alpine skier; I must be getting the hang of this nordic thing!
On lower Maple Loop, below the intersection with Spruce Run, the trail was not groomed. They probably couldn't groom it because some streams and wet spots had opened up last week during our warm spell. We had to stop and step over a couple of stream depressions that crossed the trail.
With the days getting longer (thank goodness!), we are now able to ski up until 5 p.m. or so without resorting to a headlamp. During our long, gradual uphill on Broadway to return to the nordic center, I was hoping for a colorful sunset. I wasn't disappointed. The sun dropped into a slot in the cloud cover to produce a radiant orange and pink sunset.
When you are in the woods, on the snow, and enjoying a colorful sunset, your day seems to get a whole lot better!
