Hi again from Lake Tahoe! This morning we had a huge blueberry pancake breakfast before heading out for a few hours of skiing. I like to drown mine in maple syrup, obviously.
We needed a bit of a break after a full day of downhill skiing yesterday but still wanted a good workout, so we decided to spend the afternoon Nordic (a.k.a. cross-country) skiing at Tahoe Donner Cross Country!
I hadn’t been Nordic skiing since 4th grade which was my first and only time so I will admit I was a little nervous about clipping into those skinny skis again. I have to say, the boots for this sport couldn’t get more comfortable though!
We started out with an easy warm-up loop and then made our way to the more advanced trails. Check out these cool photos Enmi took on her iPhone! There was so much snow.
Since the weather was warm and the snow conditions couldn’t have been more perfect, we decided to head for the second highest point in the park. We started off totally bundled up we quickly lost layers as we worked up a sweat.
After an hour of going up, and up, and up, we made it to our destination!
How gorgeous is this view?
After stopping for a quick sandwich and drink of water in the warming hut, it was time to head downhill! Now, while going uphill for an hour was no problem, the thought of going downhill on long planks with no real edges to help me stop, terrified me. It wasn’t pretty but I got down, and yes, it was documented on video. Enjoy.
Here’s how I managed to stay in control, the only ways I knew how:
- I used my poles as breaks.
- I made a pizza with my skis. It works for the little kids I see learning how to ski, so why not me?
We went about 7 miles round trip and climbed 1,000 feet of vertical which made for an incredible workout. My body was thankful for a day off of running, especially after my 11 mile run last week! I wish North Carolina got more snow. The girls and I would have a blast doing this while also working up a sweat!
Have you Nordic skied before? It’s so much harder than it looks, isn’t it?
