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2023-02-27 at 09:33 - comment by Diana Piggott
Thank you Helen, you have always been an inspiration to me! I have also been slowing down with age, but hope to reverse that a little bit now.
Congratulations on your 60th ski!
Aqua toque: 🤭 🔥
2023-02-26 at 16:17 - comment by Helen Read
Hearty Congratulations to Diana and her "supportive coach" Matthew. He had a great teacher to learn the passions for XC from you, Diana!!! As Mr Democracy said, this might be the first time, but subsequent times you ski this route, the easier it will feel. I remember meeting you on early season Tyrwhitt by the Back Door many moons ago. Glad you are upping your game.......mine is somewhat decreasing with age, but yesterday on Goat Creek was my 60th outing.
2023-02-26 at 15:09 - comment by aqua toque
Congrats on the achievement!
But just think, one day you'll do it in the dark, blind-folded, at -42 C with wolverines nipping at your heels in a true democracy.
2023-02-26 at 12:51 - comment by Diana Piggott
Thank you, Mr. Democracy. Excelsior, as they say!
2023-02-26 at 11:44 - comment by DEMOCRATIZE AB
Howdy Diana,
Once you ski it once, then you can do it again as you have the experience and know you can do it.
Once you have ski it once, you can likely explore further the next time, particularly if the trail is broken beyond the trackset. The scenery only gets better the further you go.
Knowing a trail enables a skier to know where and how to use energy to gain skiing "efficiencies" in order to save energy. The more energy a skier can save and more efficient a skier is at skiing, the faster and further the skier can go.
The more knowledge of a trail stored in the mind, the easier it is to ski or backpack that trail.
31 km Birkie achieved!!
Report Submitted by Diana Piggott
(trip) Date: Saturday Feb 25, 2023
Submitted: Sunday Feb 26, 2023 at 09:55
Participants:
Myself and my son Matthew
Discussion:
I have never been a distance skier, and haven't skied 30 km since 1985, so this was an ambitious goal for me.
Matthew and I skied the Cascade Valley trail all the way to the Stoney Creek bridge (also a first!), which was pretty cool. On the way we were passed by a few much faster skiers! First there was Dave, who was most encouraging, and then the ever remarkable Chuck.
We visited the warden cabin on our way back, and sadly everyone else had gone by then. We did enjoy our lunch on the sunny porch, with a few wind squalls for atmosphere.
Getting back was hard work, and our Strava told us the round trip would only be 30 km, so we ventured a short distance down the Bankhead trail to get the proper distance. I couldn't have done it without Matthew, who kept me suitably entertained the whole long day!
After a rather frightening drive home, we had a celebratory gourmet dinner with bubbly :-)
Total distance: 32.00 Km
 Ready for adventure!
 Fresh grooming after the first bridge (a life saver)
 Matthew and Chuck, with whom we had a lovely chat.
 End point: old Stoney Creek bridge
 Heading back
 Sunny lunch spot
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