“What’s corn snow?” my 12-year-old grandson Iver wanted to know. I had been talking to him about the wonders of spring skiing and mentioned “corn snow.” I tried to explain it, but he wanted a picture.
A beautiful, sunny, but brisk morning greeted four skiers as they put on their skis in the Rocky Branch parking lot last Friday, Feb. 27. What to wear and what wax to use were the questions.
The 2026 Winter Olympics may be over, but there’s still excitement in the air. This weekend, on Feb. 28 and March 1, young cross-country skiers from all over New England will converge on Jackson Ski Touring’s fields and trails for the annual Bill Koch League Festival.
Three elements make for a great Nordic ski tour — good friends, fantastic ski conditions and refreshing nourishment. Our ski group tour, planned by Bear Notch Ski instructor Sue Tuttle, had all these and more.
I searched through my picture files, but didn’t find a single picture of my Mount Washington Nordic Club experiences. I’m grateful others saved their pictures and newsletters, documenting their existence before the internet took over our recollections.
Ninety hungry Nordic ski enthusiasts crowded into Jackson Ski Touring Lodge for a Jan. 18 potluck. There was no shortage of good food and excitement as Nordics gathered to meet friends, share home-cooked fare and talk about forming a valley-wide Nordic Club.
The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl.
A frigid cold weekend was approaching. Could our group ski at Bretton Woods last Friday, Jan. 23, before temperatures plummeted? Four of us decided to take a chance.
Looking over my last week’s ski log, I noticed a pattern. Each of the ski trips I took last week had some element of the three witches of skiing — wind, wax and weather — affecting my experience. Those elements can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on their impact on skiing and your ab…
“Ski’ is both a noun and a verb. You put a long thing on each of your feet called a “ski” and then you “ski.” It’s both the object and the activity. When I wrote the title of this article, I didn’t think about that until after I saw it in print.
Happy New Year, Nordic skiers! With 2026’s arrival and months of winter ahead, many of us are making New Year’s resolutions to get out and ski more. Some will sign up for ski lessons or clinics. Others hone their skills by racing every week. Many are signing up for group skis, knowing skiing…
Looking back over past Christmas articles I wrote for The Mountain Ear and later The Conway Daily Sun, I noticed a pattern. At least three of the articles focused on the need for snow, usually under the title, “All I want for Christmas is snow or more snow.” They were the typical end-of-Dece…
It was my friend’s question that started my quest. She asked, “Where can I take my cross-country skis to get them waxed?” I gave her some suggestions, but realized I didn’t really know the answer.
Skiable snow before Christmas is a gift we Nordics are happy to see delivered early. From old skiers like me to youngsters of all ages, we’re delighted to already be feeling the snow beneath our skis.
Two phrases I heard recently amused me. In a cartoon, I saw “touch grass.” On a T-shirt, I saw “I was born in the 1900s.” Since the latter saying described me, I didn’t feel embarrassed to not be familiar with that first modern statement.
What is a Trail Angel? Trail Angels are those people, now departed, who worked in the background, getting support and funding for trail projects. This year, we lost two trail visionaries — Steve Swenson and Joe Berry. Because of their efforts and abilities to galvanize the Mount Washington V…