That's right sports fans, I took this picture on Christmas Day 2008 while sitting on the dock on the bay on the lake behind my house. It wasn't my dock, but the dock worked fine for a spot to have a cheese stick and drink a carton of OJ. The tracks were made by my yesterday. Today was an excellent afternoon for some XC trudging around the neighborhood fields and ponds. I shot these pictures while sitting on the dock. Not sure whose dock it is, but it sure is handy for taking a break.
A blanket of at least 12-inches of loose powder snow covers the fields and lakes in this area of Western Wisconsin. The skies were clear when I started out and turned partly cloudy as the afternoon progressed. Winds were brisk in the open areas and coming from the south. The weather station says snow is coming tonight and turning to freezing drizzles tomorrow. If that comes true, my plan to go downhill skiing tomorrow might get pushed out to Saturday.
Snowmobiles were out crossing the lake on the trail that runs from somewhere south around River Falls to Superior. Traffic was light, but the trails are open. The trail groomer came through the area on Monday. My guess is that hardcore snowmobilers are spending Christmas up north -- or maybe down in southern Wisconsin where record snow blankets the hills and dales. The fewer the snowmobiles on the trails, the longer the trails will be open. The snow is really light and fluffy and won't provide much trail cushion.
Yesterday, while sitting on the same dock, I saw a small herd of deer over in Bill's Bay. I skied over there earlier, but the springs in that part of the lake leave water under the snow. Once my skis sink into the water, the water freezes and the skis don't slide until I scrape them off. Hence, today I told the field on the south side of the lake and followed the snowmobile trail down the lake. There's a trick to this XC skiing.
Anyways, it was an excellent, invigorating afternoon of XC skiing for me. When I got home, it was time for an excellent Christmas dinner with the wife.
