My search for snow brought me to Northern Wisconsin this weekend. After a nice ski at the Moccasin Lake Ski Trail on Saturday, I decided to head to the Nine Mile Forest Trails near Wausau. The skate deck was in great shape and there was plenty of coverage from recent snowfalls, but the the nine degree high for the day left me with little glide.
I never know how to dress for 1-10 degree days. If it’s Zero or below, I feel like, yeah, wear all the layers, but warmer than that it can be tricky to choose which layers are going to keep me from getting chilled but also from getting too warm. I opted to add the toe warmers to my boots and wear my warmer fleece mid-layer and was pretty cozy, even warm enough to ditch my neck gaiter after a couple of miles.
Nine Mile has some extended climbs on the 10k which made for a great, heart-pounding workout. The powdery and slow conditions meant that I never picked up much speed on the downhills, but I’m generally squeamish on fast conditions so maybe it was for the best. I’m not training for a race this year and am happy for any time out on the trails.
The lodge at Nine Mile is one of the best in the state with plenty of room to spread out while warming up during this pandemic. There are cubbies to store your gear, which is really handy for changing into warm, dry clothes before a two-hour drive back to Madison.
Andrea Roenning – January 23, 2022 – Category: Wisconsin Skis
