100 Minutes of Skiing in Itasca State Park on December 22nd

When I finished my grading for the semester on December 20th, Enrico surprised me with a very special Solstice gift--a mini vacation to Bemidji to go cross-country skiing, without kids. I had a meeting on the 22nd, but we were all packed, so he pulled up to Minard Hall on the NDSU campus at 12:45, and we left.

We got to Itasca State park around 3pm and were out on the freshly rolled trails by 3:30pm. It was warm, just under freezing, and we headed out on the trail for the headwaters. The snow was fast and the scenery was beautiful. I just loved looking at the majestic spruce trees all around us. We were the only skiers out on the trail, so we also enjoyed the quiet and solitude. There was a glorious sunset over Lake Itasca, and then we decided we should head back to the car. But first, we took a twin selfie, or "twelfie," as Enrico dubbed it.

Heading back was more tiring than skiing out, and by the time we got close to the Visitor's Center, we were dragging a bit but were rewarded by seeing the first star of the night just as we arrived.

The Visitor's Center is open as a warming hut all night, and there was a fire in the fireplace. We changed out of our sweaty ski clothes, got some water to drink, and sat on the comfy couches for awhile, enjoying the fire. It was a lovely outing, but Enrico had planned more for our evening. He drove us out north of Lake Bemidji to Turtle River, where he had made reservations at the Chophouse. Every Thursday is "date night," and they offer a special price fixe menu. Here is the first course:

It was a great dinner made even more delicious by our post-ski appetites.