February Skiing "Up North". . .

Bad Dad and The Young Master on Day #2.

The Grand Duchess gives us a slight smile as she glides by on Day#1.

Don't look now, it's The Young Master leading the way.

The Young Master demonstrates Step One of the Dead Bug method for getting up after a fall.

No, not toy soldiers, painting, or wargaming, but healthy, bracing winter fun outdoors at Forbush Corner Nordic Center outside of Frederic, Michigan.  Our second visit this winter.  

15 miles on cross-country skis over two days with some pretty challenging hills on certain intermediate and difficult runs.  Very cold temperatures, blowing snow, windchills below 0 Fahrenheit, and near whiteouts at times on Day #1 completed the picture.  It was almost our own Heroes of Telemark moment. . . without the heavy water plant guarded by German soldiers above a forbidding gorge.  

Day #2 was warmer, sunny, and just as delightful.  The Young Master kept a running tally of falls.  Paul - 1, Mom - 1, Bad Dad - 3.  But I plead a sticky left ski on a frightening run called The Roller Coaster.  However, I did manage to make it down all but two of the hills on that particular trail, including the final one at the end, a screamer called The Corkscrew.  Don't ask how I managed it.  When you navigate a hill successfully, it is over before you know it. 

As an added bonus, the Nordic center where we were hosted two races for area skiers on both days!  We were not part of that, but it was really interesting and fun to observe the proceedings and hear the cowbells before we skied along our way.  Amazing how fast some of those amateurs (some well into their 70s by the look of it) are on skate skis.  Needless to say, they were all finished, packing up, and gone by about 11:30am both days. 

We returned home late Sunday afternoon tired and a bit sore, but relaxed and loose.  That evening, after showers for everyone, fresh pajamas, and dinner plus a little bedtime reading with The Young Master (still working our way through Harry Potter Book #5), the Grand Duchess and I polished off our leftover half-bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, that we brought home with us before the hearth.  

A fitting end to 2.5 days "Up north" as they say here in Lower Michigan (aka "The Mitten").  We now return you to our normal programming. . .   Painting toy soldiers, rule writing, and tabletop wargaming

-- Stokes