Full story
04-26-2009
- Ice Sucks. Snow rocks.
- Last week, ratio of bad to good was about 80/20. This week it was 40/60. That’s a pretty healthy swing in the right direction, in my humble opinion.
- That being said, I think I’m going to have some bruising from this time.
- Everything was more this week: more fun, more speed, more length, more pain. This is except for the falling. I fell less, but they were harder falls.
- I drove a little further than last time, and actually found the Salmon Ridge Snow Park. The Nooksack Nordic Ski Club website says the parking area is just past milepost 46. Yeah, it’s like a half-mile past milepost 46, and among about six different parking lots, pull-offs or trail heads. I’m sorry, NNSC, I appreciate the trails and stuff. But please improve your website. I’ll help. Unless of course, you want to purposefully be nebulous to minimize the number of people who discover and use the trails. If that’s the case I understand.
- The XC Skiing Paradox: My feet didn’t get any heavier, yet they just got six-feet longer. Awkward.
- I have a long history of ice skating and rollerblading. In those motions, you do a lot of foot cross over to turn and gather speed and such. That motion doesn’t translate at all to XC skiing, and I am having a hard time adjusting to that.
- You don’t get this kind of view just anywhere. I have to stop and remember that.
- XC Ski poles are rather unsubstantial. In one of my leg cross over foibles, a pole got stuck between my legs. When I pulled it out, there was a nice 30-degree bend in what had been a stick straight pole. I bent it back near straight, but now I feel like it’s a ticking time bomb. Granted I paid $14 for the poles. An extra pair is in order.
- I borrowed some skis and shoes from Greg. They didn’t fit, so I bought a clearance set of gear from REI. I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket.
- I need to learn to wear fewer clothes. Man, I was hot. But taking the gloves off was a bad, bad idea. Blisters on the inside, and scraps from falling on the ice on the outside. From now on, I wear gloves at all times. The North Face shell might stay in the car.
- I have a strong suspicion that my left leg is longer than my right. I always fall to my right side. Given the choice, if one of my skis is going to be in a lower rut, I put my left leg there. When gaining speed going down hill, it is my right leg that catches weird edges and topples me over.
- Another hour and a half, hitting it harder and more consistently than last time.
- Four more trips before race day. And since today is the last day the Baker Ski area is open, I’ll head all the way up and hopefully experience less frickin’ ice.
