Curlique

 
Today's theme is curlique, curly-Q, or however you want to spell it. There are two entries in the competition:

First, dried grass leaves.



Next is the shadows of those twisty sumacs I love to picture.



It was up to 15 degrees today, but with no wind at all it wasn't even chilly on skis. My tracks from yesterday persisted, so I was actually able to do more gliding, instead of just walking on skis. Did all four hills, and three of them could be skied down instead of pushed.



There wasn't the blue sky of yesterday. The best that could be said of the sky is that it was occasionally dramatic.



In other news: I have the contract work just about finished- just a bit more to do tomorrow and Thursday afternoons. I wrote one chapter in The Hitchhiker and did some odds and ends. Hope to write a little more yet tonight.

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Skiing Under the Snow

 
The jinx is broken! I finally got to use my new skis. We've had about eight inches of soft fluffy flakes. It's been almost a month since I bought them, and there hasn't been a ski day since then!



There was no way to stay on top, but it's cold and the snow is dry, so I could glide right along. It IS cold and the wind was blowing. I didn't stay out too long, but I did go out.

The trees are beautiful draped in white.

F

It was still coming down as dusk began to settle in.



In other news: It was a great day. I slept until I woke up, and didn't have to go anywhere. I wrote three chapters in The Hitchhiker and did a little housecleaning.

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A Beau-ski-ful Day

 
Today was a day I've been saving my pennies for. I went to the Roscommon Cross Country Ski Headquarters (2 hours plus drive for me).



A trail friend of mine named John met me there. He skis a lot and teaches basic skills. He said he'd help me pick out equipment that suited my needs. I promised him we'd take a better picture of him, but we forgot! They have a little cafe and a lovely warming room.



Most of my skiing is done off groomed trails- just out back, as you know. That had a huge impact on what kind of equipment to buy.

One of the best things about going there is you are allowed to try out everything before you buy it. I tried skis without metal edges (like I've been using), and skis with metal edges which are supposed to give you better control. I liked the metal edges. They had a pair my size that were marked down because someone had changed their mind after bindings had been mounted. They are Alpina 160 cm length and 60 mm wide. Mine are on the left- John is on the right.



The BIG question was the boots, and they were the crisis that precipitated when this big purchase was going to happen. My old boots were very used when I got them. I'd repaired them with Shoe Goo three times, but the leather was just giving out and coming apart. And they were for 3 pin bindings, so I couldn't just replace the boots. Nobody makes those any more. (And the skis were never particularly fitted for me- they were just a free pair)

I tried on, and skied in, three different kinds of boots. There was no question at all as to which one to buy. Of course they were the most expensive, but I've learned that my feet will let me play at all kinds of things if I make them happy. These are Rossignol backcountry boots. Notice the square toe, the height and the hinged fitting that goes around the back of the ankle. My heels don't slip! My feet should actually stay IN these boots. They have a lacing system with a button loc, and a zipper over that- no lace to tie.



So, I paid a bit more than I had set aside for this project, but this will be my one lifetime purchase of skis, so it's OK. Mariah was really nice about getting me fitted, and of course, taking my credit card!



They have a trail system right there. I'm not sure if it was a special or always, but over 60 could ski free.



John and I went out and did their longest loop, and he gave me a whole lot of instruction that I really, really needed. I KNEW I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing to control those slippery sticks. Now I have a better idea. I'll try to remember all the tips John gave me and put them into practice.



I had to say "hi" to his wife Lois just through him. She was busy and couldn't come. But many, many thanks again, John! What an awesome day.

And here's how it ended.

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Color and Shadows

 
I'm telling you, there is nothing better than color and shadows after days on end of flat white-gray light.



On the way home from work, I passed this Christmas tree farm where every tiny evergreen is a little hump with its own shadow.



Yes, the sun- the actual sun- was shining today! This was taken late afternoon as I went out for a ski trek (snowshoe bindings not shortened yet). There was a little wind, but I was plenty warm and the sun was SO nice.



The skiing was really good on the parts of trail that I had previously snowshoed. The going was tougher where I was breaking new track. Nevertheless, I did my four hills.



More color? Sure. Sunrise and sunset were similarly toned. That seems a tiny bit unusual.





In other news: Worked in the morning. Wrote chapter 17- THE ACCIDENT in The Secret Cellar. Skied. Worked on the sock. Unpacked and set up something that has been backordered for 11 months! Stay tuned- I like it.

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Things Look Good on Skis

 
It's the just-like-all-the-others picture of the first skiing of the season.



We have about 5 fluffy inches. Not much, but more likely to be provide opportunity to ski than snowshoe. And it wasn't sticky, which it often is on the first day. Did my loop out back and my 4 little hills.

You can see the trail on one of the hills just below the pines, going up one side and down the other.



Here's my best hill. Not today, though. Needs a little more snow to get smooth.



It's hard to beat snow sticking to evergreens (this is Scot's pine) for winter beauty.



I was out about 30 minutes, my typical first time. The sun was going down, and looky, looky.... we got a bit of a sun pillar. It showed more clearly to the naked eye than the camera, but it's there.



In other news: laundry, some misc stuff, forgot to tell you that I mailed 5 books yesterday! I hope to write a little bit yet tonight, but I have to hang up the wet clothes and do some paperwork. We shall see.

	See First Skiing Winter 2016 See Sun Pillar in Pink
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The Heel is Turned

 
Back to the socks. A nice calm day to knit and be quiet.



I reinforced the heel with a clear nylon filament the yarn store recommended that was just plain awful. I was afraid it was going to be... and I was right. I'll have to use it in the matching sock, but never again. Nylon thread would be better. This was too stiff. Anyway... here is the long view. I'm not thrilled... would do several things differently on another pair, but Michelle likes them, and that's the important part.



In other news... I skied out back. Amazing how slow that is after skiing groomed trail yesterday. But I did my four hills, and the biggest one twice. This landscape appears more bleak than the day felt since there was actual sun, but I like the way the picture looks.

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Spirit of the Woods at Big M 2017

 
Almost every year our trail chapter has an event and chili feed at Big M ski area. Today was the day. We started a little later than our normal time so that we ate first. The lodge there is really nice. It's hard to get good pictures though, because anywhere you point the camera there's a big window. Notice the table full of food. Yum!



That only affects the pictures, not the quality of encounters inside. I didn't count, but there were about 15 people there.



I finally got to meet Sophie the dachshund. If you are local and saw my column in today's Ludington paper, she was the star of "Can You Hike Farther than a Dachshund?" She's hitching a ride in this picture because she had already bounced through deep snow for a couple of miles. (picture not taken by me)

We basically split into three groups. Some skied, some snowshoed at Big M, and one group drove a few miles to snowshoe on the North Country Trail to get miles for their Hike 100 2017 patch. I decided to ski.



We did 3.4 miles which included some easy trail and some intermediate. I give myself a pat on the back for that. Elizabeth, the younger member of our party, is growing up. She was a novice skier at the event linked below.

In fact, I got a complete body workout this weekend. Work last night was quite physical because we were shorthanded. Came home with many sore upper body parts. Came home from skiing with sore hips. Bed for me, really soon, but what a nice day.

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Somebody Turned on the Snow Machine

 
At work, Heather said, "Somebody turned on the snow machine." Sure looks like it!

I decided I was going skiing whether I thought I had enough energy or not. The snow was great! Cold and squeaky and smooth. I skied all four of my hills and did the biggest one twice.

Snow everywhere!

Do you like it through birch branches?



How about on sumac? I probably feature a shot like this every year, but I like it!



And on jackpine.



Off to work very soon, but plans for playing this weekend. Stay tuned.

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