The great snow pack melted during the last week but, fortunately, it snowed again yesterday! Took advantage of the conditions, even though there was about 2 inches (with ice) at Eastman. Started at around 1100 and got about 75 minutes of skiing on the easy courses near the X-C Center. There weren’t many other people out, so I had a chance to wear some tracks into the runs. Practiced climbs and larger, curved downhills and worked up a little sweat. I’m still very much a beginner but I think I made some progress with balance and control. More snow is definitely coming & will try to keep learning as the season progresses. Glad I got the season pass! When I was finished, I decided that the skiing wasn’t enough “outside” for one day. Looking for more, I took the advice of the Eastman staff and took a short drive from the X-C Center to Bogie Place. There, I found a huge complex of snowshoe & microspike trails in a place called the Heath Forest. I had a choice of either set of footwear because there was so much ice it really was going to be the same - I opted for the snowshoes. Temps were still in the high 20s when I started (1315) but there wasn’t any wind. For about 90 minutes, I walked in the snowy woods, following colorful blazes up and down frozen hills. The southern segments walked very close to I-89 (very loud) but other places passed along the edge of a quiet stream. I didn’t see many people but it was clear this place was pretty popular (well worn, icy track). Part of the reason was because there was a “Snowshoe Challenge” taking place. If completed, the little punch card would give me an entry in a drawing for new snowshoes. Fortunately, I brought one of the cards with me! It was sort of like a treasure hunt - there were clues to the locations for different stamps but no mileage markers. In the end, I found all five of the different hole-punches and submitted my entry. Since I can fill out as many cards as I want, I expect to return! After I finished hiking (around 1500), I got back on I-89 and headed towards home (I talked with Brenna on the way).
