Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Cross country Skiing

       I've had a good run of cross country skiing in 2016. Everything has been right...snow, temperature, wind. So I've been out in the afternoons and it's great. I have set up trails in the close so I just have to walk across the road, put the skis on and I'm away. I wish other things did not get in the way and I could ski everyday. 

      Now I did not ski tonight. I only took photos. It's minus 16 C (4 F ).

     Since I post on cross country skiing I have to explain that it's not sliding down hill on skis. This is walking or running on your skis. It takes effort...lots of effort. We can go down fairly steep slopes that are well groomed and trackset. We tuck ( bend the knees and stick the butt out ) and get a fast run down hill. Of course , we have to get up high in the first place. Usually the trail rises in another location that is longer but a lower slope.

      We have a Kananaskis Park which has many excellent trails. You actually gain a lot of altitude and then it's a nice run back down.

      Our city has an amazing number of cross country ski trails that are track set and well maintained. I have enjoyed the trail but no longer go on the trails. I like to ski by myself. At this age it's too risky to go on your own. If I fell in the snow I might not be able to get up!!!

     It's also light enough that I can ski in the evening so it's very convenient. Now I thought I'd show what the trails look like in the evening but I learned a little more about photography. With the level of light the camera is very slow so I wiggle and the photo is blurry. One day I'm going to have to get a tripod.






  

24 comments:

  1. Our snow is awful! Hard from the extreme cold. Terrible walking. I did a quick one. Fox tracks! cheers!

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    1. I think you also had rain with the snow so you end up getting ice. We just have snow.

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  2. Just increase the ISO setting and use aperture priority at f4.5.

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    1. Thanks for the info. I will change the ISO but I can't change the aperture on this camera(Nikon L830)

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  3. I went cross country skiing only once. It was fun. I remember going up and down hills...in the bush. That was hard. My skies got tangled in the back, lol. Another time I went snowshoeing. Again, it was my one and only time. I felt something was wrong the with snowshoes but what did I know really as it was my first time. The person who gave me the snow shoes (they were rentals) looked at them and gave them to me. I noticed they kept catching at the back but I carried on valiantly along with my friends. After several hours when we made our way back and I turned in my snow shoes, a new attendant said "did you know you had two snow shoes for the same foot!!!" I thought to myself, how stupid can some people be. I didn't know any better but I would expect them to know better. In any case, I did have fun even if it was a bit more challenging than it should have been, lol. Sorry for the long comment but you brought back memories. Hope it warms up for you.

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    1. Now You've given me a topic for a post. I well remember my first time on snowshoes.

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  4. That sounds good, I have seen people doing this in Austria where it is called "Langlaufen". I never tried it, I am not that sporty but it didn't look so frightening as skiing with that speed.

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  5. It's nice to have groomed trails. I just found a small county park that offers skis and boots for people to use.It looks easy, but takes a lot of energy.

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    1. There's definitely a right way to cross country ski. Some of it's like skating.

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  6. Reminds me of when I lived in Colorado and went cross country skiing on the wilderness trails just a short drive away from my home. It was wonderful, and I always went with friends but there were so many people out on fine days that I was never alone. Glad you are still out there going on the trails. These days I use snowshoes. :-)

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    1. I wish I'd spent more time skiing when I was younger. You learn more when you're younger. Groomed tails are really very pleasant. Check out the link I gave you.

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  7. A great way to exercise and get fresh air. And a tripod is a good idea. I think you're really enjoy using it.

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  8. Wow, Red. You're the poster boy for the active -really active - retiree!!
    Always meant to try cross country skiing but would first need to whip this carcass into better shape.

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    1. I'm not really a poster boy. However, I do like to be active.

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  9. Good grief! That is amazing! Actually, you are amazing!

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    1. Hey, skiing is not all that difficult and besides it's fun.

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  10. I haven't been out yet doing that this season.

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    1. You've just got your snow so give them a chance to groom the trails.

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  11. 4 degrees F??? Yiiiikes! That is too cold to be out. You are amazing! I tried cross country skiing once and got blisters on my hands because I was gripping the poles too hard.

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  12. Hi Red, This does look like a good way to get some exercise. That is neat that the trail is so convenient to home. I wonder who is in charge of grooming the trails?

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