Since many of the topics on these forums tend to be about bad things (real or hypothetical) that happen, I thought I might start a more happy thread about getting out and enjoying winter.

One of the great things about living in Alaska is having access to some incredible wilderness. In the Anchorage area we also have a wonderful network of trails right in town. I am lucky to live within a few blocks of the "Tony Knowles Coastal Trail", which follows the shoreline for about 10 miles total, from right downtown to Kincaid Park (a world class nordic ski area). The "Chester Creek Trail" follows a greenbelt from the East side of town and connects with the Coastal Trail. These are paved bike trails in the summer, and are groomed for cross country skiing in winter. As we sink slowly into geezerdom, DW, DDog, and myself try to take advantage of this, to keep our aging bodies in some sort of shape.

Last night after work, DW, DDog, and I drove halfway out the Chester Ck Tr and skied home. It was about 10 deg F at our house, and maybe 5 deg colder in some of the low spots along the trail. I probably shouldn't admit this on a forum dedicated to survival equipment, but we tend to ski these trails without carrying much gear. The Chester Ck portion is lighted and there is usually enough ambient light along the Coastal Tr to make a headlamp unnecessary, but we each took a headlamp just in case. In my fannypack I also put an extra insulation layer, a small water bottle, my cell phone, and a few dog treats. I should also say that while it feels like one is in the woods along this route, in reality there is no place where you are more than 200-300 meters from a street or building. (Some of our 'in-town' trails are a bit further out, and I do carry more stuff when skiing them.)

We drove to our starting point and got on our skis. DW clipped DDog's ski-joring harness to her fanny pack, and away we went! About the only real potential hazard on this route would be running into a grumpy moose. Usually they are not at all agressive, but occaisionaly one has an attitude. On this route on New Years Eve two years ago, we had the (you-know-what) scared out of us when we inadvertently got too close to a mamma moose and baby. Mamma let us know, in no uncertain terms, that we were in her space! So, we backed off, and all was well. Whew! But last night we stayed alert, and didn't see any moose. All went well. One advantage of XC skiing in chilly weather is that you tend to keep moving fast to stay warm. Makes for a good cardio workout! We met a number of other skiers, a couple of runners, a walker or two, and two people on fat-tire bikes with their dogs. All the "usual suspects" on Anchorage trails.

We got to Westchester Lagoon, where Chester Ck joins the Coastal Tr, then after another mile we got off the trail and walked about 4 blocks to our house. (Right after a snow, before the plows get there, we can sometimes ski right to our front door.) We skied bit over 5 miles total. We drove my car back to retrieve DW's car from where we started skiing. A quick stop for some take out food, then back home for supper and a glass or two of wine. All in all, a perfect winter evening!

How about you? What do you like to do in the winter?