It’s not spring yet, but it’s getting closer. You can feel it in the air. Tuesday’s white stuff was only late season, temporary snow. In a few warm days, most of it will melt away.
Amidst all the beautiful and bountiful snow last week, I was stuck inside, sick with COVID. I barely had the energy to do snow removal, let alone ski. Sunday, I finally got out to experience the silky smoothness of fresh snow under my skis — nothing like it. That short ski made me feel happy…
The sound of cowbells greeted two young racers coming out of the woods on their final lap of a 1K biathlon. They were tired but they gave it their all. Battling each other to reach the finish line first, they both collapsed like Jessie Diggins's memorable Olympic medal-winning performance at…
Sometimes, you have to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. In the last two years, as I heard more people talking about uphill skiing at the local alpine areas, I thought about trying it. In my basement, there was all the gear to do it, even though it was vintage.
Sunshine on my face,
Children “learn to ski by playing on skis,” according to Steve Hindman, author of “Cross-Country Skiing for Fun and Fitness.” Playing games is a great way to get kids moving on skis. Whether your goals for young skiers are to build balance, movement, coordination or confidence, make sure you…
Do you often go skiing or snowshoeing alone? I do. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the company of others, it’s just sometimes easier to just grab skis or shoes and head into the woods whenever I feel like it. I don’t have to plan and coordinate schedules with someone else. That’s the freedom of …
When I first moved to Mount Washington Valley in the 1990s, Steve Swenson told me about North Conway’s Whitaker Woods's great cross-country ski trails. They were right in his backyard. He skied there often with his wife Sally and two sons, Carl and Peter. All of them were good skiers who hon…
Last October, Great Glen Trails’ Sue Wemyss asked me to help out with GGT’s Women’s Winter Escape ski clinics on MLK weekend. The event sounded like an interesting experience, so I said, “Yes.”
Life sometimes gets in the way. On Jan. 6, I was all set to drive up to Jackson to take some pictures and get information for my next article. After, I planned to ski with the Friday Gliders. I loaded up my car with ski equipment, started it up and backed right out — into my garage door. A d…
It started as an errant thought. While skiing my local backwoods trails, I mused, “I could have more fun if I had a lighter pair of skis.” Although my Fischer OTX Outback Sixty Eight Crown skis, with a wider width and steel edges, handled the terrain well, sometimes it felt like they were ov…
Last weekend’s weather put a damper on cross-country skiing, but I’m still optimistic that we’ll have good skiing this winter. Local Nordic areas have been working tirelessly to repair the damage done by windblown debris and rain. With not much snow cover to work with, somehow they’ve create…
Before last weekend’s snowstorm, conditions looked bleak for cross-country skiing. I didn’t get discouraged. For many years, that’s how it goes — no New England White Christmas.
With new snow on the ground and hope of more to come this week, our six Mount Washington Valley Nordic areas are looking forward to opening soon. Cross-country skiers who haven’t waxed their skis are getting to it now. Everyone wants to be ready to go when there’s enough snow cover to be ski-able.
Nordic skiers living in Mount Washington Valley or visiting on vacation are lucky. With six Nordic centers in the area, there are all kinds of skiing options. Each center has its own vibe and offerings. It all depends on what type of skiing experience you want, how far you want to go and who…
December is a month of anticipation. While children eagerly count down the days to Christmas, adults scurry around decorating, baking and shopping for presents. Snow sports enthusiasts, young and old, eagerly await the first decent snowfall. Manmade snow is OK for some. The rest of us are lo…
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