We have been ski du fond for over a month-2 to 3 hrs per day. The snow came on Boxing Day, 2002 and we only just had our first rain storm last weekend-January 31st. Refusing to acknowledge an impending rainstorm we had carried through on plans to ski into Mason's Cabin in beautiful Kejimkujik National Park. This 54-Km round trip was by no means a trek for the faint of heart. Our party comprised of Jean Marien, my two daughters Bev & Abby and myself. We departed from Grafton Lake on Friday Jan.31st hoping to return on Sunday, Feb 2nd.Laden down with all sorts of goodies (because we were to have Saturday to recover from the ski in) we finally arrived at the cabin after 7 hrs late Friday afternoon. What a welcome sight it was. The cabin was toasty warm in just an hour and we gorged on all sorts of delicacies. Many stories were told and a boisterous card game followed. We were tucked in by 10:30-oblivious to the ensuing rainstorm that took place overnight and into early Saturday morning.

Saturday morning brought brightening skies but terrible ski conditions. Upon learning of again another depression heading our way bringing lots of rainfall for Sunday we decided it best to make our return trip on Saturday. We were not prepared for the ordeal that faced us now. The trail we had labored to break the previous day had gone soft and sloppy with the overnight rainfall. Laden with still heavy packs and muscles aching from the previous day's ski we set out with expectations that we would be able to cut our time by 1/3 going out. After 1 hr and only managing to travel 2-3 kms our high expectations were dashed. All in all we kept our spirits high taking turns re-breaking trail and making frequent but short breaks to refuel. By 3:30 Saturday afternoon we were at the Eel Weir on the Mersey River with the final 8 kms facing us. Jean offered to set out ahead of us while we had a quick break. Upon catching Jean we were relieved to see that the Park had groomed the final 8 kms with their snowmobile thus creating glide that was remarkable. This really perked up everyone's spirits and we completed the final leg in just over an hour.

Weary from two full days of skiing we went our separate ways, however come Sunday we were grateful for making the return trip a day early. The province was battered with 40 mm of rain for most of the day resulting in much flooding.

Now it must seem odd having an account of a ski outing included in a marathon canoe newsletter. Quite the contrary I believe. Many of the training concepts, nutrition and health benefits are universal to both sports. These long 3-5 hr outings are in a way a marathon of sorts.

Living on the south shore of Nova Scotia does not generally lend itself to a long and fulfilling ski season such as one would experience in say northern New Brunswick. It seems as if the winter of 03 is a freak of nature. Many of the storms advancing up the eastern seaboard are dumping precipitation along the coast in the form powder rather than rain.

Getting back to the training, I really have no plan. Rather, I simply am using the skiing as a form of release from the short days and long cold nights. Louise says that I am avoiding some home renovation project-she may be right. I feel compelled to ski as much as I can because we may never have another winter like this one-plenty of time to tackle that drywall project after the snow is gone!!

The time skiing is helping with the base training for the canoe season though.-lots of long, low intensity hours spent on the trail. Some days while feeling up to it, I will mix it up with a really hard fast ski, pushing my heart into the anaerobic zone for extended periods- what a burn. This is the feeling that equals that of a marathon canoe training - that empty spent feeling that follows a race- knowing you gave it all and then some! As Jean says and I quote "it's remarkable that ones body continues to give". I guess that is what we have trained our bodies to do.

As I sit here finishing up this article, the wind is howling outside and there is an additional 10-cm of fresh snow in the driveway. Oh by the way, my worst winter activity is shoveling snow-takes away from the ski du fond. I have already been out for my evening outing-an easy 1 ½ hr ski to the lake and back. Since the big rain we had on Feb 2nd we have been dumped on 3 more times and there is still another 20 cm threatening for Saturday! I've got 15 km of classic trail to break out this weekend if everything goes right. Still too much snow around to start that drywall project!!