To skiers to make much of time

O, Glorious Day! O beloved Fargo Parks groomers! It is March 26th, and Mother Nature has blessed us with more snow, now formed into lovely byways for skiers. Sublime season, cheating the melting of spring to slide forth once again and ply our poles over the kilometers, kicking and gliding in ecstasy, treasuring the moment, knowing it could be the last as the mighty Red River of the North awakes from her slumber to send forth the flood, immersing our transient tracks yet again. But until then, we make haste while the sun shines.

21 Squirrels, about a squirrel per kilometer today

Ok, so yesterday wasn't my last ski after all. It was 29 degrees this morning, so I thought I'd check out the classic trail. Also, I was curious about the length of the trail, and now that I have an iPhone, I can use the Runtastic app to find out. It uses GPS to map your route and calculate the distance. It turns out from my door, to I-94, then back north to the dike and home again is 20.5 kilometers. It took me an hour and 7 minutes to do the whole thing at a leisurely pace. Last week I did it in 55 minutes, really pushing it the whole way. Today, I counted squirrels--they were so BUSY. Most of them were running between the river bank and the trees. What are they doing? Going down to get a drink of water? Probably not, since many of the bigger trees now have puddles around their bases. Sunbathe? Nibble on grass exposed by the sun melting the south-facing side of the riverbank? Does anyone know?

In other animal news along the river, I saw a flock of 19 crows perched in a huge tree on the Moorhead site south of Gooseberry Park. I also saw something very interesting between 9th Ave and 13th Ave--a couple of holes in the snow leading right down to the river. I skied over to one, and it was all dark and watery inside. Is this where the beaver or river otter comes out? I can't believe I hadn't noticed this before.

The river is higher today. It is up to the docks at 13th Ave and just a foot or two shy of the banks in some spots. There is a 30% chance of this year's flood exceeding the "500 year flood" of 2009. I can still see bits of debris in the trees from the 2010 flood. The generous snows that have made this such an excellent ski season now transform to agents of destruction in the coming weeks. Again, as I ski, I imagine all of this trail being underwater soon, and I think about skiing through water, each stride and pole push like a swimming stroke. It feels so real, swimming and skiing share some similar sensations. Push and glide, stoke and flow.

The snow bridges over the bike trail are now ice bridges, and I predict that after today's melt, they will be gone. 

A morning ski on March 15th--last one?

Went out for a skate ski at 9:15am this morning. It is warm and the forecast calls for above freezing temperatures with a 40% chance of rain, so this could be my last ski. Another sign--I saw several squirrels running about. I wonder if they know the flood is coming and are moving their nuts to higher ground?

The trail was in decent shape, a bit icy in spots, minor drifts in others. I got into the flow and soon forgot about trail conditions. I wanted to ski all day, it was that good. Saw only one old couple walking their dog. Peaceful and quiet, overcast. The bridge connecting Lindenwood Park in Fargo with Gooseberry Park in Moorhead has been raised up high to get ready for the flood. In looking up at it, I remember how, in 2009, the bridge was partially immersed in the water. Strange to look up and think that I would be underwater if I stayed here another week or two. Until Mother Nature's voice wakes us and we drown.

Having skied here nearly every day over the last four months, each tree, each bend in the trail is so familiar to me, and it will all be immersed in the deluge. What else is washed away when this happens?

The end of the ski season always makes me so sad. Most people are happy when spring comes, but for me, the early part of that season includes melancholy. 

The skate trail near the water treatment plant, heading south.

The skate trail by the fishing docks near 13th Ave S, facing north.

Self Portrait on Friday, March 10, 2011.

Blustery Friday morning skate ski

The kids had the day off school, so I stayed home with them in the morning while Enrico went to work. We cleaned the house vigorously for a couple of hours, then I took a break to go for a skate ski. Already the day was warming up. It was sunny and a blizzard was expected in the late afternoon, so I thought I should take advantage of the newly groomed skate trail before it disintegrated or got blown over. I started out with high hopes of a fun ski, but already the warmer temperatures were causing the snow to melt and this saturated top layer pulled at my skis. It was like trying to push through pancake syrup. After turning around at Dike West, I found my challenge was really just beginning as I was pushed back by strong gusts of wind, once missing a pole plant as the wind pushed my lightweight pole backwards. This would be a grind! But I persevered, traversing the trail to its conclusion in Lindenwood Park and then back home. Exhausted, I showered and then took a quick nap before taking the kids to the Y for the afternoon while I went to work. Will look forward to a hearty meal with the "Table of 8" tonight.

Thursday misty morning ski (with a gift)

Already, one can ski for a week longer than last year, so I'm determined to make the most of it. Enrico took the kids to school while I waxed up my classic skis and headed down to the river. I wanted to use my new iPhone and the Runtastic app to track the entire classic trail for distance. I thought I might as well also time myself and see if I can make my first ski of next season as fast or faster than what could be my last ski of this season. I started out at 7:50am. There was plenty of light, the ski was overcast, and there was a bit of mist hanging in the bare branches of the grand trees by the river. When I got down to the skate trail, I was surprised to find that Fargo Parks had groomed it! That hadn't been done for a couple of weeks, and one reason I chose to skate today was that it had become increasingly more difficult to skate as we got more snow, until, last weekend, I had only been able to do it because I was helped by Noko assisting me.

When I got to the classic trail, it, too, had been set! I smiled broadly. This would make my personal challenge more fun. My SWIX special blue wax afforded just enough kick. I had to use good technique to keep from slipping. Starting out at a fast pace, I soon told myself to take time to warm up a bit before trying so hard. I'm not in my 20s anymore; I really should warm up a bit. Listening to Icky Thump on my iPod helped me to keep to a steady rhythm at the beginning. I thought about how bringing my heart rate up helps me to generate enough warmth to feel comfortable in this frigid environment. When I reached that nice equilibrium in which my body can be at one with the environment, I stopped to stretch a bit. I love being out here when no one is around. I feel connected to something larger than myself and slip into a meditative state, startled only by the caw of a crow. At the I-94 bridge, I turned back and from time to time my flow was interrupted with a sense of hurting a bit. I was pushing myself just to the edge of being uncomfortable. As I neared home, I was a large bird flying toward me. At first I thought it was a turkey buzzard, but as it passed right over my head and I arched my back to watch, I felt a delicious thrill as I recognized the white hood of this impressive bird--a bald eagle!

What a gift with which to end my ski and begin the day.