Tramp & Trail

This was a two part hike with five Tramps taking part in a cross country skiing class taught by Paul Fortin at the Boonville Rescue Station and the rest of us skiing out the Great Trail on Egypt Road.  Paul’s class had as their first assignment learning the sequence “Turtle, Duck, Dog” guaranteed to get a novice skier back on his/her feet after a fall.  After this they learned the fundamentals of kick and glide, which they practiced on a two mile round trip down the Black River Canal Trail to Rt. 46 and back.

Deb Roberts and Roberta Mathews drove to Boonville to join three other students already under Paul’s tutelage.  Skiing conditions on the Great Trail were ideal with a few inches of powder providing good control over the recently groomed surface.  This ski was tailored to satisfy the wishes of people with varying degrees of skill.  The Great Trail starts out mostly level, crosses the power line and then enters a hemlock swamp that provides some tricky moguls.  After this it becomes more challenging with a series of long, steep hills, finally terminating at Echo Lake Road.  Skiers were free to turn back at any time they chose, so only three of us eventually reached the end of the trail.  After this most of us joined Paul and his class for a very pleasant meal at the Boonville Hotel where we recounted our day’s activities.