After discussing our options, the girls decided on skiing at Twin Brooks in Cumberland. I wasn't sure it was groomed for the season yet but the girls didn't overly care much. They like the small hills and twists of the forest loop trail as well as the big open track there.
We realized once we arrived that the open field skiing wasn't going to be much fun. It was a serious gusty snow squall of a place. G. equated the situation to a movie scene and suggested we make a beeline for the woods. So we did.
Once in the protection of the trees we did a couple of loops and had a great time. By the second loop we were starting to get our ski legs back in shape. Although skiing is a lot like riding a bike, it uses some muscles that get sadly out of shape during the non-snow months.
As is our tradition with our visits to this trail system, we parked ourselves on a picnic bench among a few trees near the open field to have our lunch. Winter picnics are a favorite in our family and generally soup in a thermos is on the menu.
But our lunch was cut short but gusts of wind so strong they blew L.'s backpack about 15 feet away from it's resting place while she ducked for cover in her lunch pack on a particularly nasty gust.
I was actually taking a bit of video when L.'s backpack flew away.
Our trip back to the car was a motivated - and fast moving - one to get out of the wind, which had picked up quite a bit from when we had first started.
It might not have been an ideal day to cross country ski but the girls and I agreed it was soooo nice to get back out on our skis in the snow. A couple of chapped cheeks was OK as the price of the adventure.
And just for the record, there were several skiers (adults and kids) skiing at Twin Brooks yesterday. Not a lot but enough for us to believe we weren't the only ones excited about getting out on our cross country skis.
In case you're interested in getting out on this trail later this winter (when the wind isn't quite so strong), here are a few things to note...
Trail: Twin Brooks, Cumberland
Length: approx. 10 kilometers of looping trails
Getting there: There are two trail heads for Twin Brooks trails, one on Tuttle Road and the other on Greeley Road
Grooming: Yes
Parking: Yes
Fee: $2 suggested donation (drop box is at trail head kiosk)
Equipment Rentals: None
Bathroom: None
Ski Level: All
Dog-friendly: Dogs not permitted on Tuttle Road trails to keep competition trails open for skiers but dogs are welcome on Greeley Road side trails.
Kid-friendly factor: GOOD
Photos from the trail in January 2009:
On the trail at Twin Brooks
Directions to Tuttle Road trail head:
View Larger Map
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