Be Vigorous

with grace, healthy and well.

I broke out the skis to test the trails I made with the snowshoes. I bought the skis, shoes and poles probably 15 years ago, entry level, red, white and blue. I have used them a few times each year, maybe I missed a year or two, or three. I know what I’m doing but I am no expert, not exactly sure on my feet, particularly on the turns downhill.

Standing tall on the way to garbage mountains. The snowshoes make an excellent packed trail, when they are mostly straight.

Sometimes the trail is not so defined.

Sometimes what seems like the right path on snowshoes is awkwardly winding on skis - but good for practicing turns on the move.

I tried to get through these cattails on the snowshoes recently, as I was hoping to walk the open ice of the pond, but the top of the snow is three to four feet above the water line, and it acts like blanket insulation so some of the water underneath is not frozen, and it’s a hundred yards of cattails at least, to open ice.

We took the snowshoes to the lake instead.

Skiing here is a challenge. While there is 12-18in of snow in the woods, this is the south end of the lake, the lake is 5 miles long NNE to SSW and about a mile wide, and the north wind can howl, making ridges and “dunes” like these. The snow here is maybe 6 inches deep at most and not soft, to a thin dust over ice. Some of these ridges turn to ice able to catch a ski and turn it sideways. Sometimes there are ridges of glare ice a foot tall you can slide down sideways. The further north on the lake the deeper the snow, sometimes breaking through the crust of dunes you have to walk on the skis to get through. Navigating the lake on skis can be difficult, and sometimes there are long stretches that are easy skiing.

A beautiful afternoon, little wind and about 15F. This is not a true representation with the phone camera, lake snow reflecting the spectrum this time of day.

I took the skis out the next day, went a little further north and found this water sitting on the ice, the air temp about 30F. Sometimes when the wind blows from the north it can push the ice sheet to the south and create enough pressure to force water onto the ice, when it is only a few inches thick. Sometime soon I will ski and snowshoe around the lake, maybe 10-12 miles. The ice is thick enough for skiing, not for driving on. This is one of the deepest lakes in the state and usually freezes-over a month give or take after all the other lakes in the region. It was still open not far from here at -15F on Christmas.

I really enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The skiing reminds me of canoeing, getting into a rhythm and being graceful about it, maintaining attention. Skiing is more challenging though, than snowshoes or canoeing. I have been out with the skis four times this winter and I am just beginning to get my feet under me. It reminds me of the guitar too, trying to make practicing sound good, trying to flow with the trail. I have fallen twice both skiing and snowshoeing, all four times letting my attention wander thinking how well I was doing. Skiing is an intense workout and humbling, I am always trying to move a little faster, a little more smooth, balanced, and probably would look to a more experienced skier like a newbie forcing it. I am yet more awkward than smooth, on the skis and guitar, but a little more smooth every time.

I’m not suggesting you go snowshoeing and x-country skiing regularly and learn to play a guitar, to be vigorous. I’m just suggesting you be vigorous about everything you do, whatever you do. Vigorous and graceful. It is something to aspire to anyway, and it doesn’t really take any talent, and you probably have more talent than you think, more than you need to do whatever it is you focus on to keep yourself healthy and well.

Welcome to 2023. May you be vigorous, graceful, healthy and well.