More Sunday Family Skiing Style. . .

Surprisingly good skiing today given a temperature hovering around the freezing point, high winds, and trails in need of regrooming. Nevertheless, we had a blast, enjoying good kick, pleasing glide, and some challenging small hills along the trail.

The Grand Duchess, in particular, navigated an impressively steep pair of S-turns in the woods at speed that The Young Master and I were a bit more cautious in handling. Besides being a cross-country enthusiast (classic diagonal stride and skate skiing), she is an experienced downhill skier, a skill she acquired in Nevada and The Pacific Northwest as an adolescent and teenager, which gives her a decided advantage. Still, great fun was had by all with just one minor spill for The Young Master.

We even managed to prolong the day's ski adventure once we returned home mid-afternoon. Following the obligatory large mugs of hot chocolate x 3 and lunch for The Young Master, The Grand Duchess and I attended to some brushing down and rewaxing of skis in the garage. She also rapidly assembled a new dual-ski waxing bench, given to us for Christmas by my step-father and checked out her new waxing iron, one of several ski-related items given to her for Christmas by yours truly.

A fantastic Sunday afternoon all the way around.

Next Friday, the three of us head two+ hours north for a long weekend of skiing in the upper part of "The Mitten" as they refer to lower Michigan here. We've got a delightful looking rental all lined up nearby the ski area where we will be for three days and nights.

The Grand Duchess and I have not had a skiing weekend since January 2009. Before The Young Master was born. Coincidentally also in Michigan, but in The Upper Peninsula outside Ironwood at ABR Trails, which has always been the benchmark for cross-country skiing in the U.S. for me.

But I digress! This time, there will be three of us. Absolutely. Cannot. Wait!

-- Heinz-Ulrich

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Mid-June Thursday Style. . .

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