Hap Wright Claims First Skiable Snow in Gaylord

Sat, Nov  12, 2005 - By Hap Wright

It wasn’t Alaska, or Yellowstone, or even Colorado, but this Gaylord area snow was skiable lake effect powder, and this is the earliest I’ve been able to get on snow in several years. That’s a good sign.

I traveled to Gaylord early Friday Morning, November 11, after hearing reports of Thursday snow squalls. The weather was sunny with temperatures in the high twenties. I found snow on the western and eastern outskirts of town. Site one, west of town along a woods border, held a thin but skiable crust that was good for a half hour ski. Site two, east of town, had considerably more snow and held up for a good workout through mid-morning before starting to melt away.

There was enough snow to get in a good classical workout with some double poling, diagonal striding and even some double pole kick as well as some hills. That wet stuff dripping down my back and down my forehead is definitely not the morning dew.

I used Fisher single crown waxless RCS’s with Toko Dibloc yellow waxed tips and tails.

After today’s sun, this stuff will be history but I’ll wager that next week more snow will be back in Otsego county, and so will I!

Hap's a Boyne area Nordic skier