Today was my fourth day in a row xc skiing. Each of the previous 3 days, I skied 35 to 50 minutes before work starting just before 1st light when the horizon was just starting to turn pink. Those times were at 5 Rivers Environmental Education center about 5 minutes from my house.
Today I went to Thatcher Park, about 1/2 hour away and skied for 1 hr 40 minutes. It was a decent day, sunny, in the 20s I think but with a bit of a wind, less of a problem in the woods.
I started out from the parking area called Paint Mine and followed the blue trail which is part of the "Long Path". A trail that runs from NYC north to Thatcher park.
Conditions were skiable, a little hard packed but not bare ice.
The first 45 minutes were almost all flat and uphill. When I turned around, it was on a fairly steep and bumpy section so I had a little trouble. I hadn't got my XC legs back yet. I've been used to downhill skiing with shaped skis. (Turn skis, turn!)
But before I got too far, I relearned my snow plow and step turns well enough that I got through just fine and had a great time.
Here's a map of the trails and some pics:
My ski tips
It's cell tower city up here!
More cell towers
Classic XC heaven!
A ravine off the trail
More trail
This stretch wasn't too steep
