Great Ski Workout

I sat in the Ski Cooper parking lot for a few minutes trying to decide whether to downhill or cross country ski. It was still snowing but it looked like it was starting to clear. Even though it looked like it might be a perfect day for downhill, I kept thinking about the real reason I came here. I am here to train for Kilimanjaro. The more I considered that, the more I realized that I would get a much better workout if I decided to cross country ski instead of downhill. So I decided to get one last really good high altitude workout.

It was wonderful! Just the right temperature too. They had just groomed the trails so it was much easier to find my way. I did the whole long loop called Fish Flats and took the steepest route on the Griz Trail to the highest point so I could enjoy the long gentle downhill back to the lodge for a cookie! Then I went back out for 3 more mikes. 11.6 miles total. I ski a lot slower than I run, but after 5 hours of continuous exercise, it wasn't much different from running a marathon. I feel about the same level of exhaustion. I am so glad I decided to go for the cross country choice. Climbing all of those hills on skis was an awesome workout. And what a view!

The Trail