When I first started cross country skiing in Ontario, I was living in Meaford. We had some local favourite places to ski…Owen Sound at the falls, the Lorri Trails on top of Georgian Peaks…but the best place was the Kolapore Forrest.
There are 50 km of bush trails. Hardwood forest, cedar wetlands and forgotten farm land that has returned to bush. We skied there quite a bit. I use to take the kids from Blue Hills Farm there every Saturday. We had old three pin binding, some had fish scales and others waxed. Skis were wider and shorter.
Since I moved to Muskoka, my skiing has changed. We have track set groomed trails here. Provincial Parks and other private operators have changed the skiing terrain. Track set trails mean that the snowplow technique is rarely used. If you want to slow down a bit in track set, you just need to step out with one ski. On track set corners, you just lean into them. Stay in the tracks and don’t loose speed. Skied are narrow and longer now too.
A trip back to Kolapore was a trip to old school skiing too. Shorter, wider skies would have worked much better. Because there is no groom track set, you need shorter skies to snow plow and get your back tips out wide enough. Consequently, I had a few big falls. Back country skiing is not for speed. That isn’t the point of back country at all.
I do love Kolapore but will have to get a hold of some slower, wider and shorter skies next time.
On top of Red Death!
After a day of cross country, we went to Osler. Major snow strom in Ontario so there was a foot for fresh powder and only 100 people on the hill.
No comments:
Post a Comment