• Saturday-What'sUP February 18 - 03:24 am

Last weekend, my friend Debbie and I went up to the Swedetown Ski Trails to participate in the Ski for Heart annual event. It was a cold, blustery day, but once we got moving, it wasn't long before we had worked up a sweat. The trails were groomed to perfection and the snow was lingering in clumps on the branches making the scenery along the way quite enjoyable. Wooded trails like this are perfect for skiing, where you can get some exercise, while sharing the trails with nature. We spotted signs of a number of creatures and saw a Pileated Woodpecker, not more than five feet from us, but unfortunately I wasn't quick enough with my camera.

Looks like hard work to me but definitely good exercise!

Just skied Swedetown Wednesday and Thursday of this week and Chassell on Tuesdat and MTU Friday. All the trails are in wonderful condition and we had a great time.

Now that is the way to start a morning. Looks so peacful.

footnote: I just weighed myself and I dropped 4 pounds from all that skiing and that was on top of several pints of Guiness at The Irish Times in Laurium.

Great picture and yes, what a great way to start the morning! Work up that appetite for a good breakfast. (Spam & eggs?)

Mary Drew does it again. Her verbal description is as excellent as her photo. This picture truly speaks to anyone who enjoys X-C skiing. It is the only winter sport I really enjoy. I think because it keeps you warm.

Sigh...

First time on Xcountry-skies for me was in northern Finland, a little south of Ivalo, place called Saariselkä (for those who know their way around the area). Wonderful memories.
Besides learning at least how to slide along, we also learned how to identify a finn on skies - a slight hissing sound coming up real fast from behind, a very friendly "hei, hei" to your right, and ere you're able to return the greeting, a white cloud of twirling snow disappearing on the horizon. In one word: Faaast!

Mary, Thanks for the link to the ski trails! It tied in nicely with the other area trails as well...definitely on my "to do" list at this point! Surprisingly, there has been snow on the ground for a great part of January and February in Kansas this year...but you cut your own trails if you go out to cross country here!

Danbury, very nice description of your fond memories! Xcountry skiing used to give me that peaceful, easy feeling.

folks might not be so negative if they got out in the good fresh air and exercised!

Has anyone done the one-week X-country ski trip border to border across northern Finland? see http://www.crosscountryskier.com/destinations_finalnd_nov_2003.html I hope to get this one on my calendar in the next couple of years, but it would be great to have a similar challenge in the U.P.!

Sadly I did not get skill at cross country skis in my Finnish blood, am I the only one who has fallen down a hill in lieu of skiing down it? Thank god I can skate or I would be really worried.

Mary, that is a beautiful picture of the untouched snow, complete with wonderful pine trees! Thank you for sharing it with us. It reminds me of the poem, Walking through the Woods on a Snowy Evening. And, thank you for the link to Swedetown. I've seen many references to Swedetown this winter, and I did not know where it was.

Alas, I don't have cross-country ski skis, either. My husband & I bought cross-country ski equipment not long after we moved to Michigan, over 25 years ago. We were not good at it then, and 25 years of age won't help, I imagine. Maybe part of it is that we were always breaking our own trails, since we did not have the benefit of real cross country trails. We were off in the woods, which was beautiful, though.

There is nothing like cross country skiing to be out and enjoy nature!

I was lucky enough to pick up cross country skiing at NMU back in the '80's and since then I've not found a type of exercise better than it. Its simply the best. Last winter I travelled with some friends to the worlds largest XC ski race in the WORLD in Mora, Sweden too. What a great trip to experience the culture and heritage of my scandanavian ancestors.

We are blessed to have had visionaries who fought for the land and the development of all these beautiful trails which are enjoyed YEAR ROUND by locals as well as tourists. Some folks travel here for just this reason. It is possible to XC or bike at any age: there are some who are in their late 70's and 80's who ski/bike (including me). What a great way to enjoy Keweenaw's weather and beauty and to improve our health! If you cannot enjoy the trails then at least support them for land acquisition and maintenance!

Years ago I saw an exercise chart with the various activities listed showing calorie burn-off rates. I believe Nordic skiing was at the top of the list, perhaps because of the body movement required plus the low temperatures. Don't know if anything beats it today.

Remember the Nordic Tracker? I really don't think the in-home XC skiiing compared to the real thing. I should say; in no way, did it compare to the real thing!

Adding to Heikki's comment -- from Covert Bailey's "The New Fit or Fat" (Houghton Mifflin, 1991)on outdoor aerobic exercises: Jogging/running-long term fat-burning potential=high. Cycling=moderate. Swimming=low. Cross-country skiing=very high, "the kind of aerobic exercises...the fastest fat burner ...more strenuous than running..low risk of injury...start-up costs, fairly low...requires skill and balance along with good arm and leg coordination..."

Oh puleeeez, let me do this too.

Margaret, just give it a try next time the opportunity presents itself (and if it doesn't, create one). I'm not much of a skier, never have been, but anyhow, without any instructions from outside, we came, we saw, and we happily slid along. Only thing to really give thought to aforehand would be wax or no wax, and for wax, what wax for what weather ...
... few years back, I made the mistake to trust the weather report and waxed in the train ere seeing for myself. Instead of skiing, I had to go home and thoroughly de-wax my ski ... :(
Good Night. Or rather, Good Morning!

Keith -

I'll be the first to admit it's nice to see some white stuff on the ground down here. Sure wish the weather would make up its mind about whether to be warm or cold though. This swinging back & forth stuff is making it awful difficult to get down the backroads - they're turning to mush!

Definitely wouldn't mind a few more weeks of freezing. :)

-Melissa (also in KS)

Thanks Danbury, will keep that in mind.

My son just called from the UP to tell me how beautiful it is there in the winter. He and his wife and 2 children are having a wonderful time. This is the first time Arina and Alexey have ever seen snow or gone sledding...they think it is heaven(of course,they are only 4)..they have been to the dog races and gone to see Munising Falls ...even gone out on snowmobiles.It is great to be young and visiting in such a wonderful place!