Cross Country Ski Trip

I went for cross country ski trip with the family over the Dr Martin Luther King Holiday, driving up to the cross country routes starting from Hyak off of Interstate 90.  It was a gorgeous day, with fresh snow still falling most of the way up.

Getting the car packed up with all the gear is much more of a challenge since having the 2 year old.

Yours truly, still smiling.

As is climbing the grades while pulling Madeline and the trailer on skis.  Whether by bike or ski, this is where I'm most in my element, chugging up hill and pinning myself against my anaerobic threshold.  Fortunately, the bike/ski/jogging trailer we were able to procure from craigslist is very adaptable, and just fits in the wife's Subaru.

Yay!  Fresh powder!

Generally, my motto on the descents while skiing is "fast, dangerous, and outta control," and I was somewhat worried that with all the elevation gained, it would be a difficult descent.  But getting back down was no problem, as the snow was perfectly fresh groomed.  The last time I had been on this route, it was clear and icy, which was too fast for my abilities at the time, but this time the fresh powder enabled me to carve wide curves and get around the switchbacks as needed.