XC Ski

Swish, swoosh, swish, swoosh.

All my concentration was on the rhythmic slide of my skis.

Swish, swoosh, swish. "Whaaa! Keep it in line." Occasionally for reasons my lack of experience doesn't understand, one of my skis glides out to the side.

Swish, swoosh, keep the knees bent, weight centered and slide. The farther and more efficiently you slide the less work you're doing overall.

With all my concentration on my technique, I nearly missed the turn off.

Now it's time to climb, but how? The trail is narrow and steep. No room to position your skis in a V and clamber up.

Expecting to see Chris taking off his skis, instead I see him marching up the trail.

Swish, swoosh is now stomp, stomp, stomp.

Literally he's doing a little march so that the center of skis (the area with the most traction) is firmly planted, then lifted and moved forward ever so slightly. It's tedious and strenuous, but it works. In quick successive stomps, the skis grab and you climb.

Lacking his endurance and getting sloppy (i.e. falling), I had to stop and rest. Relieved, it's back to stomp, stomp, stomp until the trail levels off and I can glide again.

XC skiing at Marsh at night was definitely fun. Learning from someone who knows a total bonus. Too bad it's something we can only do around here every few years.

- b