There appeared to be *barely* enough daylight left this afternoon when I finished work (1535) that I thought I might be able to squeeze in some skiing. Racing over to the parking lot next to the Dartmouth rugby fields, I started my workout (1550). Late last season, I'd checked out these trails on the eastern edge of their cross country ski trail system and assumed they were still part of Dartmouth. This time, however, I found out that the management had changed to something called the "Oak Hill Outdoor Center". I presume this is some kind of non-profit but hadn't heard of them before. Hopefully, they might make the trails better in the long run... Unfortunately, today I found that the course was the worst I’ve seen anywhere this season: serious ice, grassy patches and water running across the trails. Generally, it was cold (20s) and icy. Despite the conditions, the little kids (I presume they were the ski team for our local schools) who passed me were racing all over the place. So maybe the grooming conditions were intentional? Oh well - I did the best I could and logged three miles in 90 minutes. Somehow, I never fell down but there were some close calls... It was nearly completely dark when I finished (1720). There was a lot of traffic during my drive back to the condo (not sure why) but I made it home by 1745. I’m glad I got out of the house while I had a chance. This year, I’ve also almost skied as many times in January as I did all last season. Hope the snow stays!
