Saturday, February 13, 2010

Cross-country Skiing

I went out late yesterday afternoon for a couple hours of skiing in a local nature center that has six miles of trails. I decided to do my skiing self-portrait for this year and realize I now have a few more winkles around the eyes... I also realized now that I had some condensation on the camera lens.

I love the mix of the trails, from hardwood ridges and lowlands. I passed an old barn, sadly it's no longer in use, but I love how the red stands out against the white landscape.
I headed across Brewster Lake, noticing water seeping into the ski tracks.
I didn't take any photos in the wetlands, but out Cedar Creek I heard then saw from a distance several sandhill cranes. My trip ended, skiing through a Midwest prairie, under an ominous sky and failing daylight.



17 comments:

  1. Sage
    Was that Pierce Creek preserve? You never cease to amaze me; granted we've gotten more than our fair share of snow, but seeping water in ski tracks ... across a lake? Glad you made it safely!

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  2. How lucky you are to live near the nature and enjoy lakes and snow!

    I loved that chic hat and of course, your pic!

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  3. They're not wrinkles: They're smile lines :)

    My post earlier today grew out of a similar wanderlust for nature. May we always be so close to the places that inspire us.

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  4. Sage: You are a "Man of All Seasons"! It never fails to amaze me how winter snowfalls creates such beauty!

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  5. We have more snow than that here...
    lol...and we're about to get some more. :-/

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  6. Ahem, is that a cowboy hat you're wearin'? You know, they have lots of cowboy hats in Texas. ...just sayin'... :)

    Beautiful scenery, Sage. I'm ready for the spring, myself. I've had winter fatigue all week. *sigh*

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  7. Sleepyhead, yes, Pierce Cedar Creek. As for the bit of water in the tracks, the ice is plenty thick; the only problem is if you stand still you can get ice on the bottom of your skis and then you have a hard time sliding.

    Leni, a "chic hat?" Just what does that mean in spain? Here, it would refer to a "girlish hat!" LOL

    Carmi, "Smile Lines," You made my day, thanks!

    Michael, I don't want to be a "Man for All Seasons," for he ended up losing his head at the end of the play, right? just kidding.

    Kenju, I know you're getting lots of snow, and DC has more than Buffalo!

    Stephanie, yes, that is a Stetson, one of two I own (plus I own there dirty jungle/desert hat) But I'm still not from Texas!

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  8. Steph beat be to my comment. (Stetson is a Missouri company--St. Joseph--of course.)

    I cannot think of Nordic skiing without thinking of my father-in-law who taught me during my first trip to Germany in 1985. He was a licensed instructor and coach and my wife--then fiance--was a former member of the German Alpine team. 'Twas quite the experience, recounted here.

    Sorry for the self-link which is, as you know, merely blogger-onanism.

    Cheers.

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  9. These photos remind me of a Robert Frost poem. You look fantastic, btw...like you're ready for a new adventure!

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  10. Beautiful scenery. The red barn carries some mystery with it. And, you carry Zorro's eyes:).

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  11. On a related note, I was watching Cross Country Skiing this weekend on the Olympics.

    They really don't seem to be into the scenery though.

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  12. At least Murf didn't say here how boring CCS is...

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  13. Oh I would love doing that! Your own winter Olympics :)

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  14. TC - That was my other comment choice. I went the Amish route. :-)

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  15. Beautiful pics. I liked the last one the most. :)

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  16. Character lines! Means you've got a story to tell right? Love all the pictures.

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