Cross
Country Skidays
Bloomington Indiana 2006 / 2007
Cross
Country Skidays
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Seventeen |
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You identify the greens as the flat raised spots without the red polls. The red poles indicate tee off spots. Those are ok. Sometimes the Greens have flags, but usually not this time of year.  Thank you Mark T. for bringing the Camera. Click on the image to see it larger. Send us your area cross country ski pics with some text. |
Think Bloomington doesn't have enough snow? In 2006 you where right.But with 2007, we may be back "in
track".
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| January 22, 2007 (thru
the 24th) - You
would think after over a year of no snow we would have rushed out to
check out day two of this snow... I did not. There just seemed to be
too many things I had to do. At 5PM, I checked out the nature trail at
Karst Park, but did not have my skis with me. The shade of the area had
preserved plenty of snow. The snow melted slowly this day making
areas of tall grass less skiable, but looking for shaded areas, we
would have still had some fun sking had we found the time. So
too, I did not try on the 23rd or even the 24th. The morning of
the 24th, we got
about 1/2inch more snow on the spaces that had
retained snow. I am sure I could have skiied on these days, even
if the quality and quantity of snow was rather pathetic. I have
added one day to the yearly total for these days... cheating, in terms
of documentation, but more accurate than claiming zero too. February 6th, - Despite no snow during this period, the temperatures were frigid. This week zero was common with highs consistently below 20. Some patches of snow from last months reported snow was still visible, when early afternoon on this day we got measurable snow. The accumulation was predicted to be 3 to 5 inches. The actual was probably only 3" but given the cold build up, every inch was frozen and very skiable. I went to Karst Park about 4:30pm and the gates were closed. I entered the park through the school parking lot at the nature trail. Three others (two first time cross-country skiers) opened the gate which was unlocked and skied from within the park. We crossed paths several times as we both went from one side of the park to the other and back. We opened tails on every option in the nature walk area. I saw a red tailed hawk and a bunny that was jumping the furthest I have ever witnessed in Indiana. I measured and his leaps were easily longer than the length of my skis. This snow is going to be around a while.... Human cause of global warming has become a scientific fact this week, but we have not managed to totally end Southern Indiana Cross Country ski days yet. Karen Bayne sent: I skied the IU cross-country course the evening of Feb. 6 and
spent an hour and 15 min. skiing. There was just enough
snow to make even the edges of the course, with the long grass,
skiable, although when crossing the golf-cart paved path the ski
poles hit asphalt with each plant! Apart from a set of sled
tracks I didn't see anyone else; I was the first skier out there,
although I did meet two other women going the opposite
direction. I stayed off the greens but admit to
criss-crossing the fairways upon occasion in order to take in some
of the woods and also enjoy some hills, both up and down.
The late- evening sunset was a beautiful sight with faint pinks and
purples in the west after the heavy afternoon snows. It was
very quiet and peaceful although when I stopped to listen I could
hear the cars on the bypass. The snow was good and I
enjoyed a couple of good mild downhill runs. I had a new
set of gaiters to try out that worked well.
John says, "I believe skiing the fairways and tees are cool and should be done guilt free while being appreciative that the golf courses allow our presence." The municipal course at Cascades ropes off where they don't want you... honor that! February 7th - Still plenty skiable. Don't overdress, burn some calories by going a little harder instead. Don't lift your polls let them drag, keep your hands low, like you are trying to throw a glass of water out in front of you as far as you can, then set your poll and push. Don't think of it as holding you poll, push your wrists against the strap to your polls. BTW, if your polls don't at least reach high in your arm pit they are too short. By now, I prefer polls to the top of ones shoulders... Why not, the push comes from behind your feet. As long as the angle is not to steep to set, why would you want short polls? February 8th and 9th, No new snow, but the cold temperature continued with some warming during the day. Unfortunately I got a flu and did not make it out. I did drive past Karst park on the 8th when it was perhaps the warmest and saw that some of the tracks set in days earlier might have been better avoided as there was some melting in the tracks, but still complete snow coverage to allow skiing anywhere else. I got this report from Mara-Lea and Jim Rosenbarger: Jim
and I just returned home from skiing on lake Griffy. It is a lot of fun
with great views (including ice fishing). But you probably know this
already.
We're
still enjoying the ski gear we acquired from you!
Great
timing Mara Lea... thanks.February 10th, Still enough snow to ski on the temperature was only 4ºF at 8am so morning skiing was no problem, almost enough snow for skate skiing if we where ever to wax those again. This morning, I looked out my Greene County window surrounded by woods and as is so often the case, it was all snow covered. When I ventured from home... the snow was gone. am counting this day as a skiday, because the lakes and ponds would still be skiable, but let me also share this warning from Mara-Lea as she learned I used her personal e-mail to me as a "report". I didn't know I was making a
report! Let me add the caution of some slush and thus questionable ice
in places, as well as scary cracks too. Be aware and be careful! And
don't go alone! Today we are staying on solid earth and will hike
instead. With rising temps the ice and snow seems to be melting
somewhat. Warm regards, Mara-Lea
February 13th, Indiana got the first blizzard warning since 1977, today. Bloomington was on the southern most edge. We had a 30º hard rain all day that was freezing and dropping tree limbs on our house and all around. Our power was put out, turned on and went out again in ten minutes. The ice on the ground was rather slushy, almost like snow as the temperature dropped throughout the day. By nightfall it turned to a light powder and gave us two inches on top of the ice by morning. I went out at 6:30 PM. It was still light enough out to see. I skied from my home through the neighbors tall grass field. Even though it looked more like grass than snow, it was fast, because it was all ice. The best skiing came on Greene County line road. We rarely get sand out her and everyone was home, so the roads were free of all but one car. Hard packed snow was what it seemed like. February 14th, What great snow... so light on top of ice. The only draw backs where a little difficulty in setting my pole occasionally and the lack of depth required more effort to hold the skis parallel. Karst park was beautiful. The nature trail area was shaded, but the trees, all ice covered lit up like crystals! I skied most of the nature trails and the whole back fence line of Karst over to the Gathering entrance and back. The Soccer field was blown free of snow in patches. That was fast, but required a lot of effort to track. I took my own advise and shed my coat today. The sun was warm and I did probably 40 minutes in a cotton sweater with a cotton t-shirt underneath but with good had and gloves. Not what I would call high-tech, but I had fun and stayed just warm enough. Saw a photographer friend getting shots of the ice storm as I made my loop. Corbin Baird wrote: Well I was not sure if I was going to get
out this year at all! Skied
at Batchelor tonite and it was ok. There is just enough snow to
ski.
Not a bad night to skate if one had the equipment. Lets hope for
just
an inch or two of more snow!
Thanks
friends for your ski outing stories. I will be attending the Tour
of California next week and could use your help!February 15th, It warmed a little more than we skiers would have wished for yesterday, but this ice layer is going to give us glide for a while. A couple inches of snow and continued colder temperatures could keep us going as friends take over the duty of reporting here. I am headed to the Amgen Tour of California next week. If you have a report to share... a paragraph, send it to info@bikesmiths.net. If I don't acknowledge, it is because you got spam filtered not intentionally ignored, write again or call and reference your e-mail subject, date, time. Thanks! February 16, 17, 18, 19, The days leading up to his period, I was being audited by the Indiana Department of Revenue and getting everything in order so I could travel to San Francisco for the Tour of California and some checking out of bicycling amenities in a state far longer progressive on infrastructure. This will be recorded as the biggest lapse in coverage of snow days here in many years. I had hoped that some from the community might e-mail reports, but instead, what we get is a guess-ament. Based on the fact that I had to dig for ten minutes then ram my truck into a snow drift hopelessly stuck in order to use one of the few open long term parking spaces at the Indianapolis Airport on the 18th, I am calling these four days, Bloomington area skiable. If anyone has an improved report, please send it. March 3rd, 2007, This might be the worst skiable day ever recorded, but probably not. This one fit in the category of, "if it is white, it is skiable." I almost didn't give it a try, except, this has been such a good skiable month, I have become reinvigorated here. Those who think global warming has rendered x-c skiing dead in the midwest need to look at the temperature history. It has not been the case that the temperatures have been to warm for skiing, it has just been a lack of precipitation when in long stretches of time, we have had cold. So this morning, I woke to see white. Only about 1/2, but I thought, short grass might work. At Karst park, the nature trails were not being kind to the bottom of my skis, even if the glide was acceptable, but the soccer field were fine. The glide was better than average, to average and it made a fine "exercise snow". That is, it was not so beautiful, but if you wanted to ski, until about noon, you could and I did. In the stretches where the snow had drifted to about an inch or two deep, you could trace your own set tracks a second or a third time. Otherwise, you needed to blaze a new path to avoid bare spots. Skiable...yes, but not much more. Hey it's March, you know. |
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