INCREDIBLE, that is how I would describe the conditions. Without question, tonight was my personal favorite skiing outing this season excluding a trip to Maplelag. Let me backup though...
This time was highly anticipated. The temperatures were favorable and we'd had enough new snow to freshen up the trails. As Greg and I neared the entrance to Snowflake, however, we both began to get a little nervous. If you have ever been to Snowflake at 6PM on a weeknight, you know that it rarely takes more than one hand to count the cars in the parking lot. Tonight, however, Rice Lake Road was overflowing with cars on both sides well beyond the entrance to Snowflake. What was going on?
It didn't take long to deduce that a local ski meet was being hosted right in the midst of our little gathering. Once we were certain that we'd rounded all attenders, we made the decision to stay, but follow the 10K unlit route. This was my first time skate skiing by headlamp solely, much less on a section I'd never been on previously. I was so grateful we'd all remembered to bring headlamps!
By the time we'd wrapped up the 10K loop, the ski meet was all done and the yellow tape was coming down. After vascilating a bit, we all agreed to finish off with one last run on the now open 5k lit loop. Conditions made the skiing fast, but still very controlled. It was a great way to wrap up the night.
One last note - it is always fun to watch someone who really has their technique down. Bill S joined us this time. Skiing behind Bill was similar to watching an good artist create a masterpiece. He effortlessly transitioned poling from one side to the other, always maximizing glide, and making skate skiing far more natural than I believe I may ever feel. He provided some great feedback to me.
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