Day 4 - Back in Portland

Had two good days of skiing yesterday and today, but I need to change strategy to do this right.

A full spring thaw is in effect. Too soft to skate much beyond 10:00 AM. Skiing at night will be necessary to get the freeze.

Also, I have been hauling too much gear that I am not using. Need to take no gear on each leg - go like it's a day ski and then hit the car each day to resupply.

This morning I skied from Chemult to Route 58 on perfect, rock hard trail. At last! It was so fast. I was singing to myself the whole way. Too fast to skate a lot of the way. Just double poling and trying not to fall. Those are the conditions I need to get each section in.

Yesterday had a great ski from the South Entrance of Crater Lake around the west side then out the North Entrance on packed snow mobile tracks, a total distance of about 16 miles. I have dreamed of skiing out the North Entrance on a nice packed trail for some time. It was great. You can point them and pole for about 5 miles! When it flattened out in the Pumice Desert I was able to skate the rest of the way, even though it was soft.

More soon.