Up Portland April 2021

Hello Folks!
Sauntering
With Charlotte
By Charlotte Collins / Up Portland Adventure Writer
I cannot tell you how excited I was when I stepped foot out of my door one day recently
and there, right next to the white steps, were three soft purple crocuses, pushing
through the dirt and the last remnants of snow. To me, the coming of Spring means the
smell of fresh rain and mud, the sound of peepers before bed, and the emergence of my
friends from their winter hibernation.
Spring also sadly means
the disappearance of
snow and therefore
the end of ski season.
However, have no fear,
because I made sure to
take advantage of the last
bit of snow in the valley
by cross country skiing
just in time to share my
adventures.
with softer, more forgiving snow, which I appreciated greatly, especially on the hills.
We skied alongside a beautiful burbling stream that danced around snow-covered
stones and ran under sections of ice in the shade. Even though I was tempted to stick a
toe in, I resisted the urge and kept moving through the field.
As we headed back on this one section of trail, the rounded peak of Spruce mountain
stood in contrast to the clear blue sky beyond the trees and compelled me to stop and
take a moment to marvel at the subtle beauty of Winter before Spring finally pushes
through.
One of the best things about Spring skiing is that it is a time to be goofy and have fun.
The best conditions are usually mid-Winter so there is no pressure to ski intensely this
late in the season.
Lucky for me, my XC ski buddies know how to have a good time. When the trail became
patchy and we had to ski over mud and when I snow ploughed my way down a
steep section and screamed most of the way, we just laughed it out.
Late this March, I
grabbed a friend I know
from college and met up
with my partner, Jack,
at Jackson Ski Touring
in New Hampshire. Jack
had been frequenting
the Ski Touring Centre
for a couple weeks prior,
so when we arrived,
we definitely expected
more snow. In the week
between when Jack had
been and the day we all
arrived, there had been
some rain and warm
weather, so it maybe
would have been wise
to check trail conditions
before leaving.
Despite the large amounts of ice on the main trails, we decided to go adventure and ski
on their less-known paths — The Eagle Mountain Fields and the Hall Trail (off of Rocky
Branch parking) — places we were promised would have more snow. We clipped in our
boots and went off on our patchy snow adventure.
One thing that readers should know about me is that I’m actually not very good at cross
country skiing. I am terrified to go down hills and will often fall over, even if I am standing
still. My friend Maya and Jack both raced Nordic skiing in high school, so to say I
held them back would be an understatement.
Despite that, we still had an absolute blast. The day started out just below freezing
which meant that the snow was a bit icy and kept us moving at a fast pace, and ended
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