For my “Mom gets a weekend away” trip, I decided to spend some time in beautiful Minocqua Winter Park. I lucked out on the weather and conditions as they had gotten half a foot of snow earlier in the week and temps were around twenty degrees with low wind. The trails were expertly groomed, the base firm enough to glide easily, but soft enough so the occasional fall didn’t hurt. It’s the kind of snow where you feel confident and in control when taking on the hills.
I started out with my skate skis on and headed straight up to the Squirrel Hill Overlook which offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding area. I then wandered around the trails that make up the cookie trails before deciding to do the Riverrun loop (though I cut it a bit short by taking the hill bypass)
After eight miles of skating on top of my adventure in Rhinelander yesterday, the insides of my feet were destroyed so I spent some time in the nice warm chalet and decided to try out my new classic skis. It had been about twenty years since I had classic skied and I still have a ton to learn, but after being out there a bit I figured out how to glide when needed, how to step up hills and how to lean back on my skis a bit to glide even better down hills.
The trail was busy, but not overly so. I got passed up by lots of 70 year olds which makes me happy every time. It’s good to be in a sport where I can continue to improve and stay at it for years to come.
While I was out on my classic skis, I found myself chatting with fellow skiers along the trail. It was like a nice leisurely stroll compared to the cardio kick I get when I’m skating. There were some folks stopped on the trail taking pictures of something in the woods so I went to check it out and it was a young porcupine up in a tree chewing away.
After a couple of miles along the cookie trail, I stopped at the Tea House for some hot cocoa. I’ve always wanted to stop but never made the time for it on previous trips … it’s absolutely charming.
Winter Park has lots of fun for all ages and I hope to bring my family up here soon, but it was really nice to be able to choose my own adventure today.
Andrea Roenning – January 21, 2023 – Category: Wisconsin Skis
