More xc skiing near Joyce's ranch

Tuesday I went cross-country skiing again as I had recovered from being stiff and sore from last Friday's skiing. And as the temperatures the past few days were near 50 F the snow is melting! Ski now or wait till next winter!

I skied with just Joyce this time. Sue Ann wanted to ski up the North Fork and didn't want to drive across the Valley to Joyce's place. As it is calving season (4 more newborn calves the previous night), Joyce wanted to stay closer to her ranch and not drive across the Valley to go to the North Fork. I like both women, but as Joyce had skis for me to borrow and Sue Ann doesn't, I skied with Joyce.

As on Friday we started our skiing at noon. Because of the warm weather we did more walking across much of the snow-free pasture than skiing. On our return we took a route across the pasture that had more snow. The reason for the snow - trees. No trees: little snow. Trees: snow. No good choices. At least the cattle weren't in this pasture so I only had trees to avoid.

Once again I climbed through the barb wire fence with the skis on my feet. Again Joyce had to untangle the barb wire from my shirt. When we returned back through the fence I ended up sitting down after getting one leg and my body through the fence - otherwise the skis wanted to take off downhill with me on them before I was through the fence! Straddling a barb wire fence on skis is not a good thing.

We took the logging road W/NW up a different mountain. The temperature was warm, the sky mostly clear, and the sun was warm so I quickly took off my coat and skied in a flannel shirt. I had brought a small backpack to carry some food and water and now my coat. At the mountain top I found I had sweated and soaked my shirt under the backpack. Boy, did that feel cold when I stopped skiing!

This area is part of the area that had been logged 10 or so years ago. Some trees, some open areas. In one area with more trees, the inner part of a bend, were the old remains of a settler's log cabin. Only the bottom half dozen logs remained of the walls. The cabin was located in a great spot. The mountain bent around from NE to the South/Southeast and the view was to the east across the Valley to the Swan Mountain Range. Gorgeous!!! Joyce said the remains of an old saw mill were across the logging road and up higher in the draw.

Nearer the mountain top a large pine tree fell across the logging road and over the side of the mountain. We had to find a way across and through the tree. I snapped off some of the branches as I passed over the tree so when we returned the crossing was much easier.

We stopped below the mountain top. The logging road curved SW and up higher. From here we could see over the north ridge into Flathead Valley and all the way across to the Big Mountain ski resort and the Whitefish Range. The mountains were blue and white and the valley floor was mostly white. What a wonderful view!

Skiing down naturally was quicker than skiing up. But it wasn't as fast as Friday's ski down on the other mountain road. I think it was because the snow was melting and wet. Still I had my number of crashes. I am amazed my skis stayed on my feet. From how my shoes were bent sometimes I thought the skis would have come off.

I had mentioned to Joyce before we skied down that I was certain I would crash a few times. "Don't be a wus!" she jokingly told me. These Montana women are tough cookies!

At one point I had skied way well ahead of Joyce. When she caught up to me she joked how she seen signs of a bear rolling in the snow in the logging road. Ha. Ha. That was one of my spectacular crashes.

Once we left the logging road to cross through the forest and then across Joyce's pasture, I had the problem of avoiding trees. At one point I sat down to stop - else I would have done the stereotypical face plant into a tree trunk with my legs on each side of the tree trunk.  By the time I was done skiing my knees and butt were wet.

We estimated we had skied 5 to 6 miles. A great time. Last night I was a little stiff and sore, but I woke up this morning feeling great - not stiff or sore at all. Nor was I black or blue from my falls. I am surprised! And happy!