I had to do this, since it is such a beautiful tradition. When we arrived, we found the parking lot nearest to the warming house nearly full, and a couple of pups frolicking in the snow. The corduroy on the trail looked great and the classic tracks were deeply set. Joel took off while I was struggling to get my stiff new pole straps over my cold weather mitts with the thumb brace on the right, but I have to start breaking them in. I forgot my Garmin so I needed to recycle one of my previous maps.
View Wolverine Outside Loop in a larger map
As usual, I started with Cliff Trail and Cliff Hanger. The trail seemed slow in spite of the lack of fresh snow cover and perfectly groomed firm surface. This time it was because the more intense cold and it didn't help that the trail climbed 110m over the first 2km. I paused to take a picture at the old ski jump on top of Cliff Hanger, my only stop during this outing.
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This used to be a working ski jump. Pretty stiff climb
to get there. |
I continued down the serpentines off Cliff Hanger, rejoining Cliff and eventually Powderhorn Trail. From there, it was north, towards the ski area, including a couple of good climbs and the eventual downhill on along a stretch of Big Powderhorn Mountain. The most notable on the stretch south towards the hospital parking lot was the fact that I did not have to take of my skis to cross the two roads, there was enough white, clean snow.
After joining up with Wolverine Trail, I caught and passed a group of tree and was closing in on a skier with a black lab, making me regret the absence of Mellie. We arrived at the warming cabin at about the same time. Inside was Joe, already waiting for me. He had had a mishap with his antique 1980s vintage ski boots: the sole on one of them cleanly separated from one of them, probably when he attempted to escape from one of the local wolverines.
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| 25 years and counting. time to replace those boots, Joel! |
Without the Garmin it's hard to give an exact data report but I did the 12km in about an hour.
1 comment:
OK Christian and Joel(ia) bear or wolverine?? Get your story straight!! We had a great time this weekend w/ you-all and congrats again on your time for the SISU 1/5 Marathon. xxx cath.
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