Climate Change And Nordic Skiing Works Well For Kids

No hat or gloves needed, just a skad more snow.

Over the break I took the kids Nordic (cross-country) skiing for the first time.

Like much of the nation, Oregon is experiencing an unusual winter, with unseasonably warm temperatures and a dearth of snow or precipitation of any kind.

We went to a ski area that, on a typical late December day, would have 15 km of trails. We had less than 3 km due to poor snow cover.

Still the kids had a blast, and gearing up was easy as they needed virtually no winter clothing of any kind. A fleece, maybe. But if not, no big deal. For the record, pants of some sort were required.

All this sunshine makes me want to tell war stories of taking the kids alpine skiing on impossible blizzard days. I'm happy the kids had a good time but feel they are missing the bracing cold, or at least the lung-burning of cranking out some KMs on the skinny boards. I suppose that can wait.

In related news, LSS felt good about not Nordic skiing as Angela Merkel, a powerful political figure in the Nordic world, broke her pelvis falling at a slow speed Nordic skiing.

If a Teutonic powerhouse like Merkel is vulnerable on skis, what are us mere mortals to do?

Anyway, here's hoping for more snow.