Dawn at -19 Zero!

Not necessarily about the Birkie...but damn, its a good thing the cabin is built well!

A Cold, Hard Ski...

Sculpture at the halfway point of the American Birkebeiner.

Temperatures were below zero when I hit the Birkie Trail Saturday morning. The snow was slow...or sharp...as hard-core ski waxers will tell you. In fact I was told before the event started that skate skiers would find squeaky snow. And squeaky snow is slow snow. Therefore the cold was never really the problem. I dressed well. I had five layers on the bottom and four on the top. My cheeks were the only part of my skin that weren't covered, and I put some skin protector stuff on those. So as it turned out I had lot more problems with my glide than I did with the cold...although the two are related.

Winter enthusiasts hanging around in the cold!

I read last night that when temperatures get below 10 degrees the snow gets aggressive and starts to grab at skis. Never before did I realize that snow - especially cold snow - has such basic human personality flaws. The writer mentioned all sorts of solutions, only one of which I could attend to, waxing my own skis. But I have two problems with waxing: I'm horrible at it and I find it a bit tedious. I know it is important, but there are so many other things I would rather do than wax a ski. Still though I did take some time to apply two layers last night. But my lack of care hurt me this morning. I am certain I should have taken another hour and waxed at least one more time.

Chili and hot chocolate outside the warming huts.

Today's ski was my most challenging ski of the year. Because of the cold they shortened the race. Instead of starting from Telemark and skiing towards OO, we went from OO to the Fire Tower aid station using the Birkie Skate Trail, and then returned back to OO along the Birkie Classic Trail. Although this setup worked well, and was quite scenic, we had to climb the most challenging hill on the course twice. The volunteer at the Fire Tower told us that we "just skied the most difficult 2 km...in North America." I assume he is exaggerating a bit, especially considering that we are in Wisconsin and not the Rocky Mountains, but I do know that it was the most challenging 2 km I have ever skated. Up, up, and up we skated, a painful experience that has forced me to evaluate how I must attack these last 34 days of training.

As I talked with skiers their complaints were always about the snow ... not the cold. Several times while climbing the hills I could feel the snow grabbing my ski. Literally trying to stop my skis and send me over the tips of my skis. The climbs were slow, methodical, and ridiculously long. The downhills were still fun, but since it felt as though most of my time was spent plodding up the hills, the fun times were rare and difficult to recall. Hopefully when I come back in three weeks for the Pre-Birke the temperatures will be warmer and the snow faster.

Gobs of warm chili after a cold ski.

After the ski however the American Birkebeiner Foundation served up a great spread for the weary skiers. Chili, hot-dogs, cookies, and hot chocolate helped ease the fatigue. I chowed a couple of bowls of the chili and got back some of the energy I expired.

Blueberry in the Cold!

Looking east...and a hair north.

It's Friday. It's three o'clock in the afternoon. And it is 1 degree below zero outside. Early morning wind chills hit as low as -30. Most of the schools up here were out for a "cold day." I am fortunate enough to be inside the cabin, warmed by the hot-chocolate and wood-burning stove and comforted by whiteness and stillness.

I am at the Blueberry Lake compound for the weekend. Back in December, way before I could even guess about a weather report, I signed up to ski the Birkie Tour. It is an untimed, non-competitve, supported ski along the Birkie Trail. I figured it would be a good way to get reacquainted with the trail, work on learning to drink and eat at the food stops, and hang with some skiers.  It's tomorrow morning. And the predicted air temperature at start time is -2 with a wind chill somewhere around -14.  Should be fun.

From the front, looking south. Doesn't Look Cold?

So tonight I am going to enjoy the solitude. I'll grade a few exams, cook a tasty meal, wax my skis, and then finish the evening with a snowshoe out on the lake. I'm sure I won't last long, but I want to experience this cold.  I want to take a wander! 

Good Snow = Better Skiing = Better Skier

January has been a tough month for cross-country ski training. After a New Year's thaw we were left with only a bit of snow, and any snow that could be found was at least an hour's drive away. But last week the weather finally began to cooperate a bit.

Throughout the week we had several Alberta Clippers come through. Then on Martin Luther King Day we finally got ourselves a nice little front-dropping about five inches on the Madison area throughout the day. All total we saw about nine inches for the week. Not a ton, but at least enough to reopen the Madison area trails. So last night after work I grabbed the skies and hopped over to Elver Park.

It felt really good to be back in the woods. Back on good snow. Over the past couple of weeks I skied at Lapham Peak over near Milwaukee-a short loop covered with man-made snow. I also made it to Blue Mounds State Park-beautiful trails, although a bit bare and icy in places, and then I spent a couple of days over at Mirror Lake State Park-the best snow in the area. But even the best snow in the area left me feeling anxious about my ability to train effectively. Last night however lifted my spirits once again.

Skiing on bad snow seemed to challenge my skiing abilities. I tired easily, wasn't able to hold a flat ski very long, and always had to worry about scratching the bottoms of my skis. It seemed as though I never got comfortable, and once again began doubting my abilities to ski 50km. Last night however the snow was fantastic. Its freshness allowed for some strong skating. My strides were long and confident, and I actually felt like my skis were working with me. I was able to hold my striding techniques for long periods of time. The uphills held plenty of snow, and the new found base allowed from some good climbing, and then the downhill stretches were an absolute riot-fast and smooth. And most importantly, I felt like I could ski again. In fact I felt as though the two and half weeks of skiing on lousy snow actually helped me as a skier.

Over the next couple of days we are expecting some very cold weather, temperatures going below zero at night and only reaching single digits during the days. But what I am learning is that cold weather after a good snow makes for some fast trails. Just in time for some serious training. And so with 38 days to go before the Birkie we will likely have some strong snow for the duration.

Will it Go Round in Circles

Reading the ski reports yesterday, I came across this interesting description on skinnyskis.com: "This is a good time to download some Billy Preston on your iPod. The only skiing in the Milwaukee area is the 1.2K loop of manmade snow at Lapham Peak. Will you go round in circles?"

Although I don't ski with an iPod I did find the time and energy to drive to Lapham Peak, about an hour east of Madison, located in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The skating was a bit challenging at first. I had trouble holding an edge and it took me a long while before I felt comfortable on my skies. Might have been the man-made snow, or it might have been the lack of wax, but my heavy legs, sore shins, achy ankle, and a week and a day off made for a difficult ski. But I kept going, kept humming a little Billy Preston, kept counting my trips up and down the only small hill on the track, and eventually worked my way around the 1.2 km loop 20 times...for a total of 24 km.

Even with the struggles however, it felt great to be back on the skis. And besides finding snow I also discovered a new area and witnessed a beautiful sunset. Still though, what we need the most around here is a snowstorm or two.

A December Disaster: Warmth and Rain!

December dropped almost 21" of snow on the ground...about eight more than normal. The trails all over the state were in excellent shape. The trails locally had about a five inch base...a strong base so early in the ski season. Obviously, things were in great shape. I was feeling strong and enjoying my daily trips onto the ski trails. And I was beginning to gain tremendous confidence in my ability to ski 50 km. I knew that if I continued to ski about three to four times a week, saving the weekends for long exhausting tours, that I would indeed be able to fight my way to Hayward's main street.

And then it came: A late December melt has destroyed our snow. Two and half straight days of temperatures above 32 degrees. In fact, Thursday topped out at 40, while New Year's Eve day topped out at 46 degrees. Yesterday, along with the warmer temperatures came a long miserable rain. The chronic winter complainers are happy--a respite from their miserable indoor existence.  The skiers are now the complainers,  searching the long-term forecast for any evidence of snow. Only flurries are in sight, and the Birkie is only 57 days away.

So now once I again I must readjust my psyche. I must again lace up the running shoes and head back to the pavement. I must fight off the bad weather and learn to love running the streets of a dirty and yucky Madison.

A tough start to the New Year!