Personally, I haven't seen Notchview as busy as it was this weekend. Snowshoers and skiers alike enjoyed the freshly groomed trails. With a 10" - 30" base and 20k tracked, 24k groomed, and 12k set for skating, conditions were pretty great. While I was out on the trails I heard many mention being first timers! Isn't it wonderful that Nordic skiing is something you can learn to do at any age, and continue to do at any age? We saw babies being pulled in sleds while mom or dad tugged them along, as well as folks in their sixties (or seventies? or older?) chugging through the woods! The Bill Koch league does have age requirements, however, and on Sunday I was with our youngest group.
These kiddos are ages 5 - 7ish and there are two groups of them: The Monadnocks, led by Gus and Alex; and Judges Hill, led by Lizzie and Jessica. The thing that impressed me the most about these young skiers is their willingness to TRY anything their coaches asked them too. Whether it was conquering a small hill or learning to ski in the tracks, the positive attitude coming from the children was inspiring.
Gus and Alex brought their skiers to a stretch of track in the field to practice skiing in the tracks. For some this was a brand new concept. They caught right on and were getting the hang of pushing off and gliding, without poles I might add. There were lots of smiles as each skier realized they could do it!
Lizzie and Jessica had their group work on skiing in the tracks over on the Kinder Loop. If you've never skied the Kinder Loop you should check it out. It's a flat, figure eight shaped trail with a nice track. Perfect skiing for a beginner, or anyone looking for the peacefulness of the quiet trail. I admired the independence of these children as they made their way through the trail. You could almost see their confidence growing as they skied.
Whether you've just discovered the fun of Nordic skiing or have been skiing for years, I hope this youngest group of skiers is an inspiration to you. Their stick to it, go get 'em attitude is something we can all learn from!
