In my opinion, winter is much more enjoyable (tolerable?) when you get outside and play in the snow. Justin & I discovered cross-country skiing in 2008 while living in New Hampshire, and we wasted no time picking up a used XC ski kit that winter. I still have the same skis and poles from 2008 and they’ve laid tracks and made memories in several states since then. And while I still will only consider myself an amateur skier, I’ve come a long way since our NH skiing adventures.
Because I was on mom duty in NJ last winter, I only skied once. That made me even more determined to get out there this year as much as I could. However, thanks to Alaska’s seemingly now normal unstable winter, my goal was a bit tricky to achieve. Every time winter showed up in our area with fresh powder, I tried my darnedest to capitalize on it before the temperature swung and melted the sparse snow covering we had.
In these parts, skiing is a great way to socialize since everyone pretty much lives in tiny homes and there aren’t any restaurants open in the winter.
I’m happy to say, I skied 10 times, covering about 20 miles total! Pretty sure that’s a record for me (and pretty sure the season is over, but you never know in Alaska).
Over the years, we both have gotten new boots because their zippers break, although I’m definitely hankering for an upgrade on the skis/bindings. Damn that equipment is expensive. Regardless, I’m already looking forward to pushing that goal next winter since it’s hard to beat the joy of carving through fresh snow!
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