Next Adventure Outdoor School introduced seven students to the thrills of xc skiing this past Saturday on Mt. Hood National Forest.
The snow was well consolidated and a bit icy in spots - but the surface was usually soft enough to grip. At 3800 feet, the air just barely got above freezing. Perfect for learning the skills to cover all kinds of snow conditions.
After instruction, we headed out for an uphill tour, followed by a downhill run back to the van. Three instructor-guides made sure that everyone got to hear the tips and tricks they needed to improve their grip and glide.
We split into two groups after lunch. Andrew took two of the participants on a snowshoe romp, while the rest of us continued practicing downhill - then uphill - skills. Some pick-ups passed us on the road with Christmas trees strapped in the back. They honked and waved to us, and we waved back, lending a festive holiday air to the day's outing.
The participants had mastered the basics of cross-country skiing, and were on their way to getting good long glides from their diagonal strides. Everyone enjoyed a day out of town up on the snow.
We warmed up with hot drinks and snacks before loading up the van and returning to Next Adventure.
The Great Sock Giveaway was still going strong at the shop - Santa, an elf, a reindeer, a nutcracker and a Christmas tree were there to help people get great deals on socks while donating socks to local charity. Ho ho ho!
Next Adventure Outdoor School will be offering more trips on 2012.
Stay tuned!
