New Year's Eve Ride & Skate Ski 2006

Great ride today with Chip, Todd, Mike, and Gary. Chilly, but warmed up quickly. Nice glimpses of both the Cascades and Olympics, but overcast till the sun came out at the end. Nothing wrong with winter rides if the weather holds! The ride ended on an unsettling note. I started getting dizzy the last few miles. Am pretty sure the problem was food. The moral is to snack during the longer rides!



Yesterday Cath and I tried out skate skiing at the Snoqualmie Nordic Center trails. It was the first time either of us had been there in many years. We took the lift to the top, and it was cold! Low 20's I think. It was a bit exasperating to try and figure out their trail maps and the best way to take the easy trails. For some crazy reason they number about half the trails as number 14 - 14A, 14B, etc. They seemed to use names too, but things did not always match up. Many of the trails were good. I think if you go there a few times and figure out the routes you like, then it is a very good deal for being so close. We ran into Jim and Janeen classic skiing and had fun comparing notes. They were more classic than most. Equipment from the 70's, and Janeen's boot was strapped on with duct tape!

The snow was wonderful. We'd hoped for clear skies because it was sunny when we left Seattle. But you had to get higher to get above the clouds. The same day Chip & family were at Alpental, and Katie & family were snowmobiling near Rainier, and both reported stupendous views from above the clouds. Oh well!