Cross Country Skiing

I have never been what you'd call an "outdoorsy" person. Instead, I usually prefer to sit on a comfortable couch inside and read a book, watch TV, or work on my scrapbooking. But I've noticed a subtle change occurring during the last several years. I've begun to enjoy being outside more: sitting on the deck in the backyard, working in my garden, walking and hiking through the woods (in nice weather) and even doing a little backpacking. This week I added a new outdoors first to my list: I went cross country skiing. I went with a friend from school who let me borrow some skis and boots and also showed me what to do. The weather was perfect - not too cold, nice snow on the ground, and the sun was even shining. Although I started out with a coat and hat, I soon took them off as we went along the trail. I learned what bindings are and how to hook my ski boots into the little holes in the skis. I also learned how important balance is in skiing and that the poles are extremely helpful in trying to keep your balance. And I found I was a little "off-balance" at times. :)



We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful scenery at Riley Trails and I even made it down a couple of gentle hills with only a few falls. The hills seemed much bigger when I was standing at the top waiting to go down. And I never really did learn how to stop at the bottom of the hill. We also skied around a little lake and through the woods. I'm so glad I tried it and definitely hope to go again. It was also a wonderful way to end a rather stressful day at work. (Of course, sitting in the hot tub after skiing was also nice.)