Back when I was a hippy...
When I lived out of the back of my car and made just enough money for new wool socks...
When I owned just one pair of skis, some Rossignol Randonees with metal edges I could use for downhill, cross country and everywhere in between...
Way back then, the North Arm Ski Trails north of Ely were my favorite ski trails. I loved the wild forests and hairy turns and the pride and work of packing my own trails. Tall pines marked the trail.
We hiked those trails this weekend, one last bit of fall colors in the woods as the tamarack and a few aspen were hanging in there with their season's best.
The trails in summer are nice for hiking, except a few low wet areas that had been filled in with logs. Perfect for winter, treacherous in summer. Hard to believe the open, lichen-covered rocks could make a good ski trail, but with decent snow cover the trails are great. Bring your shortest ski poles with the biggest baskets, however; the skier-tracked tracks are deep in the snow.
Now I'm hopeless addicted to wider groomed ski trails. I can't get the speed I'd like on these North Arm trails, and if I did, I'd probably crash into the big pines or over the Troll's Bridge.
But wow, are they sweet on a quiet winter wilderness day!
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4 comments:
You know ... if there was only a book available that would tell you about ski trails along the North Shore ...and if the author were ever to be available to talk about the trails and the book ... say ... on the radio ... wouldn't that be cool? Especially if people had a chance to get a copy of the book with a pledge to said community radio station? I don't know, but i think that would be the ginchiest ...
You know, that's EXACTLY what's happening tomorrow morning on KUMD! Plus I hear there are going to be prank phone calls.
To jog your memory Andrew:
http://web.mac.com/borealwalden/Boreal_Walden/NorthArm_Chronicle/NorthArm_Chronicle.html
still my favorite trails after 21 years.
What a great endeavor to take on! I look forward to following your entries. Way back when, working at Widjiwagan in the winter, the staff was challenged each year to ski all 50+K of the system. I'd get close every year, but there was always some part out by Cummings Lake or so that I never reached.
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