This past weekend we drove four hours north to meet another couple at the Aventurier Ski Club in Charlo, New Brunswick. Normally we would ski in our hometown, but we have not yet received much snow this winter. We jumped at the invitation to share a cabin and meals for the weekend. Charlo was a winter wonderland – lots of snow on the trails and in the trees.
We both skate ski, which is the type of skiing you see biathlon athletes doing. Unlike classic cross-country skiing where you ski in set tracks, skate skiing is done on a wide groomed trail and is – as the name implies – a bit like skating on skis. It’s very fast and involves a lot of balance. It’s becoming one of my favorite sports.
The conditions were perfect on Saturday – temperatures between -10 and -15 Celsius ( 14 to 5 F) and snow that felt like icing on a cake. I stayed on the flatter moderate trails and ended the day having skied 25 kilometers. Sunday was another story, with temperatures as low as -20 Celsius (-4 F) and icy snow. I skied 10 kilometers and decided it was much nicer sitting in the lodge by the fireplace playing cards. All in all a great road trip vacation.
If you have not tried cross-country skiing before, I recommend trying it out if you live in or near an area with snow. Many ski clubs offer introductory day clinics. I took a weekend long clinic last winter in Charlo and it was very helpful.
Do you cross-country ski? Is there enough snow where you live to go skiing yet?
marcelledanielle 