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Northern Michigan January Style. . .

 


 A shot of yours truly taken by the Grand Duchess after lunch in the yurt at Forbush Corner Nordic Center on Sunday as we headed back out toward some more challenging intermediate and advanced terrain a few kilometers further along the trail. Conditions were about as close to perfect as one can get.  Cold, plenty of snow with more falling throughout the weekend, and many winter smiles as one of my coaches up there refers to happy skiers.  

And there were record numbers this weekend!  250+ adults on Saturday alone.

Lots of families or parents, grandparents, children of various ages, and even babies being towed in Burley ski trailers (usually by the fathers) out on the trails and in the yurt for breaks on Saturday and Sunday, which suggests at least to me that cross-country/Nordic skiing is far from dying like some doomsayers moan.  It's doing quite well in Michigan at least. 

Admittedly, our own trail adventures were not quite The Heroes of Telemark (1965) or biathlon, but it's amazing how a morning of skiing followed by a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwich, oranges, a hard-boiled egg, hot cocoa, and delightful conversation with fellow skiers (and an afternoon of yet more skiing) can turn an already good day into a fantastic day. 

Gemutlichkeit or Hygge personified? Take your pick.  We're still coasting on that sense of well-being today (Tuesday) as we settle back into the usual weekday routine. I'm headed up again at the end of the month to help with a race and maybe take another lesson.  Can't wait!

-- Heinz-Ulrich

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