Kicking and gliding into 2021

 

Wayne Phillips takes a break at the Mount Eureka warming hut at Silver Crest Cross Country Ski Area

New Year's begins on cross country groomers

Katie tends a fire in prep for her Glacier Girls' snowshoe party

We got 2021 off to a good cross country ski start on the Silver Crest Cross Country Ski Area trails on New Year's Day.

I was joined by H. Wayne Phillips, a long-time ski partner who has joined me here on Jan. 1 several times in the past.

The weather was spectacular if you can ignore that the weather has been too warm, the sky too clear and it hasn't snowed significantly in some time.  It was in the 30s and the sky, clear.

What snow is there at about 7,000 feet in this Island Mountain Range is in good shape and I found the skiing enjoyable, if pretty tame.

Wayne and I got in 3.6 miles and about 400 feet in elevation on these groomed trails.  I used my backcountry tele skis with Wayne on that run.  Then, after he left I put on some old classic skinny skis and did a couple of more miles.

We were there because Katie, who begins the year convalescing with a broken little toe, threw a snowshoe party for her Glacier Girls.  She couldn't join them on the trek, but tended a fire and hosted a s'mores and champagne party for them when they got back to the trailhead.

It was really great to see all the people, particularly the families with kids out skiing and snowshoeing at Silver Crest. 

It was a mild, but enjoyable way to begin what we hope will be a better year than the 2020 pandemic year.