Common Questions

Here are common questions I get asked on my journey. If you have other questions, please comment to the blog and I'll add to this post.

Q: Why are you doing this?

A: I'm between jobs and I wanted to clear my head and come back to work life refreshed. I was looking for an adventure and quickly narrowed the list to hiking the Appalachian Trail (my daughter, trail name "Beast", did it last year and I hiked 2 different weeks with her), XC skiing in Yellowstone, and skiing the Catamount (my wife and have talked for years about how much fun it would be to ski inn to inn on the Catamount). The time commitment for the AT was too much, and the logistics of a Yellowstone ski was hard to sort through. The Catamount was just right.

Q: Have you ever done anything like this before?

A: I've hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail. My family also did an inn to inn walk along the Thames a few years ago. Always nice to have a pint at the end of a long walk or ski.

Q: How did you train for the trip

A: I participate in triathlons and various running races and train for them year round. For ski conditioning I spent 5 days at Craftsbury at the new year and ski'd as much as I could in nearby forests leading up to my trip.

Q: You must be brave? Or, are you ever scared?

A: To the brave question my standard response is "or crazy." Seriously, I haven't been scared at all. There was a section (19) that was written up in the book suggesting rough terrain and that you should not attempt alone. While I wasn't scared, I did think it prudent to have my daughter track my location during the day to make sure I didn't get stuck somewhere. Turns out I had done much worse terrain already.

The worst thing that's happened to me was in deep snow near Lincoln Gap. I had a 5 foot bump to get over, and was nearly to the top when the entire bank collapsed into a hidden stream below. My left ski was frozen in place. After harumphing I dug out my ski and performed a rollover move (skis swung over head) to get out of the stream. After scraping and drying my skis I was on my way.

Q: Do you ever get lonely?

A: No, not once. Being alone forces me to engage with people I wouldn't ordinarily talk to. Also, On my iPhone I get newspaper and magazine delivery, so plenty of reading material for down time.

Q: Do you ever see anyone on the trail?

A: I rarely see anyone on the back country portions of the trail. At ski centers I usually run into a few people, especially on weekends.

Q: The trip must have required a lot of planning.

A: I love this comment, because it did require a lot of planning. At this time of year Inns become fully booked for weekends and school holidays. I booked my rooms back in December, working with each of the inns to make sure they'd be willing to pick me up if necessary. I tried to be conservative to make sure I could ski to the next inn in a day. I also built in a day off/buffer day every week. Early on I used the buffer days since I was doing a lot of trail breaking.

Q: It's been a very cold winter, has the cold bothered you?

A: Surpisingly no, the cold hasn't been a problem. I have good gear and I generate a lot of heat from skiing. My hands are cold right after stopping for lunch, but they warm up in 20-30 minutes. I also bundle up for long downhill stretches.

Q: Do you ever lose the trail?

A: Generally, the trail is very well marked. Finding the markings at road intersections and housing/industrial areas has been challenging at times. I've also stayed on VAST and logging roads too long. Luckily I've noticed something wrong pretty quickly and check my gps/CT app to get back on track.

Q: What was you longest day?

A: 16.6 miles in 8 hours, 20 minutes. A typical day is 5-6 hours. 

Q: What was your favorite section

A: Section 22 was awesome. The conditions were great, good views, it was remote, challenging, and thrilling (lots of narrow downhill chutes)

Q: Which sections were the toughest

A: The deep snow and unbroken trail made sections 3, 4, 10, 11, beginning of 15, and beginning of 18 the toughest.

Skis & Boots

Jackets

Hats and Gloves

Miscellaneous Gear

Waterproof Sacks

Yes, someone's gotten wet before 😀

Shirts

Pants

Hiking boots

Equipment List

To help others who consider a similar XC ski adventure, here's a list of equipment I've taken along (see corresponding pics). With food and water my max pack weight is 25 pounds. It's light enough that I really don't notice it. Note that my trip has been inn to inn, so no camping equipment was required).

Of all the equipment the only things I haven't used are my rain jacket, rain cover, matches, and compass. I'm glad to have them anyway. In particular, I've been in Stowe skiing in the rain before.

Skiing alone, the only thing I should have in my sack, but don't, is an emergency satellite locator.

I've been happy with all of my equipment choices. No failures yet with 1 week to go. I spent the most time on boot selection - fit, warmth, durability and I'm really pleased with the Alpina Alaska.

1)

 Rossignol BC 90 skis

Rotefella magnum NNC bindings

Alpina Alaska boots (weather has been unusually cold this year, but my feet have never been cold)

OR rocky Mtn Gators (my shins have been cold a few times when breaking trail, but not worth having insulated gators)

Swix ALU Touring poles

North Face Prophet 52 backpack (really comfortable)

2) 

North Face lightweight rain jacket

Columbia ski jacket (omni wind/heat)

Arc'Teryx down jacket

3)

OR shell mittens with fleece glove inserts

Serius ski gloves

Very lightweight gloves from Costco (I use these the most when skiing, either alone or with the OR shells)

Patagonia fleece/wool hat

Skull cap

North Face balaclava

4)

32 oz Thermos (to keep water from freezing - works well)

Climbing skins (magic carpets, a must for long steep climbs)

Maxi glide

EasyAcc auxiliary phone charger (iPhone freaks in cold weather, this charger has saved me several times when I needed to make a call or use gps in the cold)

Pocket knife

Ibuprofen

Band aids

CT guide book

Insulated lunch bag (never had a frozen lunch)

Black Diamond headlamp

Matches

Duct Tape

Handkerchief

5)
Waterproof sacks

6)

North Face XC primary layer x 2

LL Bean fleece (for after skiing)

Swix XC secondary layer (only used on the coldest days and for long downhills)

7)

Columbia rain pants

Sporthill XC pants

EMS hiking pants (for after skiing)

Alpine Lowe nylon tights

8) Merrell hiking boots (I did have vasque snow hiking boots for the first part of the trip, but traded them for a lighter pair - i'm only using them to walk to dinner)

Not shown)

iPhone & charger (with CT Map app)

Wallet

Toothbrush & paste

Sock liners x2 (wicking & blister prevention)

Smart wool socks x2

Ex officio nylon briefs x2

Backpack rain cover

Ski scraper

Sunglasses

Compass (in case iPhone fails)

Tiny notebook and pencil (for journal)

Elmore Store

I made really good time on the 9.5 miles to Elmore Store. Since I had arranged for a pickup at a fixed hour, I had the opportunity for a leisurely lunch in a warm friendly environment at the store.

Kathy Miller, 5th generation owner of the store, set me up and brought me a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven - delicious.

Kathy, representing the Vermont and National Grocers Associations has testified before Congress and the Federal Reserve (Ben Bernanke) regarding credit card fees to small businesses. So cool.

In this historic year of catamount thru skiers, Kathy had also met Sam, who finished a few weeks ago - she had a picture of him at the Canadian border. I promised to send along a picture of me at the border as well.

Mount Mansfield from Elmore base

The 14 miles around Mt Elmore was easier than I expected, except for a few miles thru meadows the trail was well used. Although bitterly cold at the start, -9, it was a great day for skiing, nothing but blue sky all around.

The night before I met Steve at the Lost Nation Brew Pub. Steve could easily identify with my journey, he's climbed Rainier, McKinley, and the tallest peak in Antarctica - talk about adventure! At one point Steve asked, is your next challenge to ski hut to hit in Norway? I laughed and showed him an email I received just 2 days before from my Norwegian friend Ole inviting me to ski hut to hit in Norway in early April 😀.

I arranged for a ride back to my hotel from Sigh Searles, section 26 co-trail chief. Once again the timing worked out well, I just finished putting on my warm clothing when Sigh pulled up. Sigh is retired and teaches classic track skiing at Craftsbury. Sigh took a detour on the way back to the hotel to show me where the next section of trail had been recently re-routed and other skiers have had trouble finding their way. 

Herd of cows

As I was crossing one of the meadows I was greeted by a small herd of cows. The cow named Popsicle actually blocked my way and I had to ski around her. She and 9 other cows followed me, rather closely, until I crossed over a fence, about 200 yards 

Soon after I left the cows behind I startled another wild turkey into flight. Just minutes later I startled another barred owl.

Sterling Range

Edson Hill to Ryder Farm

On arrival at Edson Hill I discovered there was no dinner service on Wednesdays. However, it turned out well. Carl, who runs the Inn was going out to dinner and offered me a ride to Piecasso's which was on his way. So, I got my "heart stopper" pizza after all 😀. Unfortunately they had floated the Lawson's keg the night before.

Edson Hill has done some major remodeling, it's a really nice place to stay and has great views. Knowing what I was doing, Carl fixed me the king of breakfasts - no problem with fuel today.

The skiing was pretty easy today except for a few meadow crossings where I had to fight through some drifts.

I got a ride from Ryder Farm to my hotel from Mike Stafford, the section 24 trail chief. Amy Kelsey, Catamount Trail Association, had put me in touch with him. His timing was perfect, as I ski'd in to the parking lot, he was arriving. Mike gave me a heads up on what I'm likely to face tomorrow. Thanks for the ride Mike!

My Mansfield from Stow Recreation Path

Trapp Family XC Center

Beautiful morning at Trapp. As I was starting out I ran into Lauren & Griff who were doing a photo shoot for a Trapp brochure. We chatted about my trip a bit and then they asked me to add color, with my bright yellow backpack, to their shoot - so, I got to do some modeling, LoL.

The skiing was great again today. Mostly groomed trails, but in remote areas. 

I spooked a barred owl, and later a wild turkey, into flight. Both were within 10 feet of the trail.

Ice Formation

View from the top

Narrow Trail

Wahoo, it doesn't get better than this

The skiing was incredible today. I went from Bolton to the Trapp XC center. The trail conditions, the level of difficulty, the very remote back country skiing, and exciting downhill chutes were just right. I benefitted greatly from a Catamount Trail Association event on Saturday (to break trail) followed by 3" of untouched powder waiting for me this morning.

The only way the day could have been better is if I'd seen Marty moose and had a Piecasso "heart stopper" pizza with a few pints of Lawson's for dinner 😀.

Catamount Trail News Article

I found this post on the Catamount Trail Association site about the skiers in 2015, I'm cross posting it here:

http://catamounttrail.org/2015/02/19/historic-year-for-thru-skiers-on-the-catamount-trail/

Mark Smith at Windekind Farm

Mark and I had a chance to talk during lunch today. He served in the Peace Corps in its early days, stationed in Brazil. There he met his wife Marijke who was serving in the Danish corps. They purchased Windekind Farm in 1968 and have never looked back. 

Mark and Marijke have been wonderful hosts here at Windekind Farm.

Here's Mark working on a 7.25 gauge coal powered steam engine that's true to its standard size engine in every detail. Mark has 3000 feet of track that guests can ride in the summer.

Catamount Trail Meeting

While at Windekind Farm Amy Kelsey, Catamount President, and Peter, section 20 Trail Chief, met with local land owners to discuss improving/re-routing the trail. I gained an appreciation of how much effort goes into laying out and building a trail - working with land owners and the state is a lengthy process.

Over the Hump

Friday and Saturday I made it from hwy 17 near mad river glen up and over Camel's Hump down to interstate 89 near Jonesville. I affixed my climbing skins for the first time to ascend the hump  - I swear the skins have magic powers, I had no problem with the ascent. Even though I was breaking trail on 7 of the 10 miles of section 19, the snow depth wasn't nearly as bad as what I had been through near Lincoln gap 2 days before.

To start the trip, Dick, from Marblehead, gave me a ride to the trailhead near Mad River Barn. The day before we had discussed our outdoor adventures and the wonders of Yellowstone, where he worked when he was younger. Going to Yellowstone was the best vacation I ever took: geysers, the canyon, wildlife, and hiking - awesome.

At the trailhead I met a downhiller who had skinned up and climbed for a mile to get a free ride down before he headed off to work. Nice to have broken trail to start the day. 

I decided to break sections 19 and 20 into 3 segments. The first day with unbroken trail I expected to take a long time and I didn't want to run out of daylight. I arranged to be picked up on Trapp road at 5pm, but I got there at 2:30. So, I walked into Main Street in Huntington and started hitch hiking. After being "tsk, tsk'd" by a few minivan moms, I got a lift from Casey, a carpenter and snow boarder. Casey had been in the forest looking for a place to build a mound so he could catch some air😀. Casey, local to Huntington, made his way to Windekind by feel.

I've hitchhiked twice now and both times it's been boarders who picked me up, clearly we're kindred spirits.

When I arrived at Windekind I discovered that it's self catering. Not a problem, except I didn't bring any groceries. Marijke very kindly brought me a basket of goods for dinner and breakfast and we arranged to stop at the grocery the next morning on the way to the trailhead.

From Trapp Rd I was able to ski right into Windekind Farm for lunch and to use my suite as a warming hut.

The skiing North & South of Trapp Rd (Cobb Brook) was difficult because of all of the downed trees - on the order of 100. At times it was hard to see where the trail was.

Mark, from Windekind, and I decided it would be easier for him to pick me up Saturday afternoon rather than on Sunday, so I ski'd out the door of Windekind down to Interstate 89 Saturday. That gives me a day off today, Sunday - in trail parlance it's called a zero day.

The skiing from Windekind down to the Interstate was pure pleasure - the trail has been well used and the climbs were gentle heading North.

On our rides to/from the trail Mark and I had a chance to get acquainted. I also made fast friends with his dog Elsie (golden lab) who sat on my lap on the way to the grocery. 

Mark is a big supporter of the Catamount and is really intrigued by what I'm doing. He's unaware of anyone else attempting a "thru ski" of the Catamount going Inn to Inn.

Mark and Marijke are hosting a meeting with local landowners and the Catamount Trail org today to discuss re-routing the trail. Mark invited me along to add color.

View from my suite at Windekind Farm

Heights between long trail and Trapp Rd

Middle Age crazy

I'm a little more than half way through my adventure so it's appropriate for halftime entertainment. Here's an adaptation of Jerry Lee Lewis' "Middle Age Crazy" song.

3/3 - improved one line of the lyrics

Well today he traded in his old cross country track skis

He got a heck of a deal on new back country rails

He ain't wearin' his usual khakis and dress shirt

He's got nylon tights, back country boots, and a skull cap

And today he's fifty years old going on thirty

Don't look for no dye in his hair, hell he ain't got any

He's got a family that's his pride and joy

He's gone middle aged crazy cross skiing while he still can

He's got a woman that he's loved for a long, long time at home

Ah, but the thrill is all gone when they ski on groomed trails

Their cross country ski skills have been a while coming by

Hell, they've had lots of uphill climbs, but the payoffs were high

And he's fifty years old, going on thirty

He's dreamed of the Catamount trail, and now's his time

But his wonderful wife, she understands

He's middle aged crazy skiing the best that he can

Beaver Home

Beavering Away

The brown lump on the left is a beaver.

View from Sugarbush Golf Course

Easy day of skiing today. The trail from sugarbush Golf Course to Mad River was well used and mostly downhill.

Peter at West Hill B&B was kind enough to give me a ride to/from dinner. He recommended a pint of Lawson's, it was delicious. I Also tried a Heady Topper, people queue up for it as it's delivered to markets around the state. It was good, but I preferred the Lawson's. As a home brewer I'm always interested in trying a good local microbrew.

I heard a group of people at hydeaway restaurant talking of the fantastic dining experience at the Herb Lyceum in Groton. My daughter Emma has worked there for 3 years - the food and atmosphere there are really good.

From my room, can't stay any closer to the trail

View from near Lincoln Gap

The ski from French Settlement to West Hill B&B was challenging. I was worried about the climb up to Lincoln Gap, but that turned out to be easy. The largely unbroken trail (sinking in 12") from Lincoln Gap to West Hill was the hard part. 

Once again I was able to ski right to the door of my inn.

Blueberry Hill to Rikert XC ski center

The ski from BB Hill to Rikert (thru to Wagon Wheel road) was the most pleasant 12 miles of skiing I've done on the trail. The terrain was undulating, but relatively flat, and in the woods. The trails were all groomed or broken. There was a nice long downhill with bumps heading down to highway 125.

Rikert is a a special place for me, it's where all of my kids cross country ski'd for the first time. I ski'd into the center to have some lunch and to warm up by the wood stove. At Tony's suggestion (he knows everyone around here) I sought out Mike at Rikert and we chatted about the trail and how I could ski directly to the Chipman Inn.

Since cell coverage is so poor here I had arranged with my wife, who was driving in from Massachusetts, to leave a message at Rikert regarding when to pick me up from Wagon Wheel road. By chance, while I was having a bowl of soup at Rikert, she walked in 😀.

Tony from BB Hill stopped in at the Chipman while we were there. He's known Chris, Chipman Innkeeper, since the 70's. I introduced Tony to my family and Jackie mentioned that she went to Bates. Tony mentioned a student there that he knew, Jackie knew her and had even seen her that day at Rikert.

"0n Blueberry Hill ..."

The chapter title is a reference to the famous Fats Domino song from 1956, and to recall my stay at the Blueberry Hill Inn a few days ago. 

Tony has run BB Hill since 1967  - he's the Dean of Vermont Inn owners. He's also one of the creators of the Catamount Trail. So, I wouldn't be here without him.

Tony was impressed I made it from highway 73 to his Inn. He didn't believe anyone had ski'd that section all year. Based on what I saw, I'd have to agree, it was pretty rough going breaking trail.

My son Wiley joined me for a day on the Catamount

Wiley (14) was a real trooper. We had to break 4 miles of trail on a 9.8 mile leg. Wiley did his share of trail breaking, and boy did I appreciate it. He wants a large pizza all to himself for dinner, he earned it!

Family joined me for 2 days @ Chipman Inn

Wiley, Jackie and my wife Pauline joined me for a few days. Great to see them after a few weeks away. Just missing Emma who ran a marathon in Austin over the weekend. Their timing was great - I needed a pickup service in Ripton and rides into Middlebury for dinner. 

I pushed it, I pushed it real good

16.6 miles today.  I ski'd right out the door of the Mountain Top Inn to the front door of the Blueberry Hill Inn. The first 11.5 miles on groomed/snowmobile trails took 4 hours 10 minutes. The next 5.1 miles, 2.8 unbroken back country, took the same time.

Zero degrees and gusty winds today, I didn't really feel the cold.

I saw fresh moose tracks this morning. The moose was heading to a lower elevation. No picture of the tracks because I didn't want to risk my iPhone shutting down. It shuts down when it believes the temp is below 32 degrees. I keep it warm by putting it in my vest pocket. It's shut down on me several times already.

Ski into Mountain Top Inn

I was able to ski right to the front door of the mountain Top Inn after a relatively easy day of skiing from Killington.

After settling in I jumped right into their outdoor hot tub, aaagh! Awesome with snow coming down around me.

Lefferts Pond

Appalachian & Catamount trail intersection

More on Section 12

I forgot to mention a few things about Section 12 into Killington. It's amazing to me how many people are willing to help me on my journey.

I arranged a pickup with "Plans Too Much" an Appalachian Trail angel. He's a retired Army  colonel who's walked the trail around Vermont since his youth. He was unable to give me a ride back to Brewers Corner in theorning because he was volunteer driving vets to doctor offices. However, his wife Catherine was able to help me out the next morning.

On returning to Brewers corner I met the trail chief for Section 12S (Hilary?). We talked about the trail and the deep snow conditions. They confirmed that I should expect to go no faster than 1mph on the unbroken trails. Good to hear, I was wondering if I was a wous 😀. Seeing I was getting dropped off they offered to help me with rides - so cool.

After finishing for the day I ski'd along highway 4 from the trailhead to the inn along the top of the plowed snow, .8 miles. Must have caused a stir for all the cars going by. Going back this morning I was worried about skiing back down to the trail along the snow banks because it was downhill and I was concerned about my ability to stop on top of the narrow banks.

Last night I met Rama, his wife, and son  Naresh from Stamford CT by the fire waiting for dinner. This morning I asked them for a ride to the trail, they were very happy to oblige.

"A man has got to know his limitations"

The skiing for the last few days has been fantastic, nice mix of snowmobile and back country trails. Not trying to do too much, thus the title of this chapter, has a lot to do with the enjoyment of the trail.

The end of section 9 and section 10 gave me a clue that I'd be going through deep snow and mostly unbroken trail. Thus, I planned to bail out of section 11 on Old Plymouth Rd unless I got lucky. No luck, and I had to bail out leaving a small section for another day. 

I stayed with Taffy and Hull Maynard at their High Pastures B&B - they treated me like family. Great food and conversation. Hull is a former VT state senator and Taffy a former school teacher and coach. They took great interest in my journey.

Per Sam Bartlett's suggestion, I broke section 12 into 2 days. I started out on Tin Shanty and somehow missed the trail and  found myself way off course. I circled back and found the trail and decided it was impassible for a single skier (snow depth). Luckily, the old CT route was in my book and follows a snowmobile track - I took it. Later on I discovered I wasn't the only one who made that decision, I saw old tracks coming southbound, but they never exited northbound. 

I'm at the Inn at Long Trail, a popular junction with the Appalacian and Long (& Catamount) Trails. Okey at reception has befriended me. He showed me a satellite locator device "spot" that I probably should be using in case I'm immobilized. I showed him the animal tracks I've come across, we reckon the unknown track I posted is from a jack rabbit.

I saw lots of fresh bobcat tracks today, but no bobcats😞. I did see a ruffed grouse yesterday, what a racket they make on take-off.

Blue Ridge Mountain in distance

Clement Shelter

Pierce's General Store, Shrewsbury

Anyone recognize these tracks?

Winter Storm Marcus

Bob, the owner of the Inn at Weston gave me a ride to the trailhead Monday morning. We were worried that the road wouldn't be plowed. Thankfully, as we pulled onto the access road, a plow was exiting. Even though their restaurant is closed for the winter, Linda made me a nice dinner. She also prepared the best breakfast I've had on the CT.

Skiing through the storm was fun, although I have to admit it was the coldest I've been yet - must have been the wind in my face.

See the picture giving warning about the steep descent  into Healdville. Well, no caution was required for me. I was sinking in 16" and pushing down the hill.

For my pickup, Ann Marie from the Echo Lake Inn arranged for me to call from a construction company in Healdville. The receptionist was stunned to see me covered in snow & ice. People came out of their offices to witness the creature 😃.

Chris, who gave me a ride to the Inn, is from South Africa but once lived less than a mile from me in Groton MA.

At dinner the hostess announced that I was skiing the CT, giving me a chance to field questions from the dining room and make some acquaintances. One couple at dinner was from a neighboring town and has a cousin who lives on my street. Small world.

Skiing Tuesday was great. I expected a long day from the deep snow and was prepared. Ann Marie gave me a ride to the trailhead and based on her local knowledge I was able to ski back to the front door of the Inn - I love doing that'

Hunter's tree house

Catamount 2 Step

The road to Healdville

Landgrove to Weston

Skiing directly into and out of the Landgrove Inn is the experience I was looking for. The trail was beautiful coming into and out of Landgrove and so nice to ski right to the front door. Tom and Maureen took good care of me at the Inn. 

I'm in Weston now, a gorgeous village known for its summer theater.

I made good time again today since I was on broken trail. I'm a little nervous about the upcoming week. Winter storm Marcus is threatening to dump 12-24 inches of snow. If we get that much snow then I'll have to cut back my miles per day (I.e. Skip sections) - I'll be on unbroken trail again and averaging just 1 mph.

Before I started this trip I was worried there wouldn't be enough snow, now I'm worried there's going to be too much 😳, three winter storms in the last 2 weeks: Juno, Linus, and Marcus.

Broken trail

Landgrove Inn

Cruised into the Landgrove Inn

I planned a 5 hour day expecting to break trail, but I cruised into the Landgrove Inn in just 2.5 hours since someone had ski'd through a few days before.

Ran into Chris and Zach from Pennsylvania who have ski'd south from the Canadian border. They are camping along the way. We compared notes on upcoming portions of the CT. They mentioned another thru skier, Sam, who is a few days ahead of me.

Cows for Emma

Planet B is back, baby ...

Tuesday night I was struggling to climb stairs. With the help of ibuprofen, a hot tub, ice treatment, and a rigorous stretching regimen I was back on the trail Thursday morning.

I had arranged for a ride to the trailhead, but got stood up. I bummed a ride from Ed, a snowboard salesman, who was checking out boards at Stratton and having a good time. Cool dude!

Since I'm still skiing through deep snow I skipped the first part of section 6 so I wouldn't work too hard and do any more damage to my adds. 

Friday I had planned to be a be a rest day, but I decided to ski the first part of Section 7 to make Saturday's ski a little shorter.

I'm staying at the Swiss inn and the owner, Joe, has very kindly picked me and dropped me off at trailheads.

Otter tracks

University of Vermont student built bridge, 21" of snow on it

Winter Storm Linus and Sections 3 & 4

Sam the trail chief was right about sections 3 & 4, with 12-16 inches of new snow they were brutal. I had been averaging 2.5 mph, but dropped to 1 mph in the deep snow.

The first 2 miles of section 3 were really easy, but once the snow depth reached 10 inches I really slowed down. There were long stretches where I was knee deep.

I arrived 90 minutes late for my pickup after section 3. I can't thank Patrick the Wilmington Innkeeper enough for patiently waiting for me. 

Section 4 got off to an interesting start. I took a snow mobile trail for the first two miles where I should have intersected with the CT, but I never found the trail, despite my gps telling me I was on top of it. At -9F degrees, and knowing I had a long day in front of me I decided to cut across the reservoir which had 6-8" of snow cover (much easier). 

I found the CT at the far end of the reservoir with 3 miles to go. This is the section that killed me. Snow depth was 12-24" and really sloooow. After 15 minutes I realized I had strained my adductor muscles from pushing/ lifting through the deep snow. I was able to finish, but I'll need a few days to let my adductor muscles recover. I'll skip section 5 and maybe 6 as well depending on how i feel. 

It's all part of the adventure😃.

Somerset Reservoir skiing

Section 3 during Linus Storm

Section 2 memorable moment

I decided to point my skis down into a ravine with the idea that the upslope on the other side would slow me down. Well, it did. I ended up doing a half back flip, tips were up and I landed softly on my gear 😃.

With ice sculptures

Cool rock formation