I admit that I am somewhat of a cross-country skiing geek. I'm not anything like some of those lycra-ed guys with the yellow lenses in their goggle/glasses (...jon...cough...) but I do know my kick waxes. I am starting to feel like I am one of a dying breed of classic style skiers as everyone around me converts to skating, and I do skate ski when classic is impossible, but I try to stay true to my 17 year old pair of waxable skies. I can walk outside in winter, take a sniff of the weather and tell you what wax would be best on your skies. They come in a range from white (polar!) to the warmer tones in the rainbow- the reds and purples. Each wax has a corresponding temperature range and if you put on the wrong wax your ski turns into either a slip sliding dangerous flailing, or a sticky grudge with no glide whatsoever. So you have to get it right. Most waxes have a range of 10-15 degrees, but then there's the purple. It is from -1 to 1 degree celsius. There are not many purple wax ski days. But when one rolls around, I hate to miss it. Yesterday was a glorious purple wax day. The sun was high and almost felt hot, there was no wind, and the snow was in top condition. I didn't have time to sneak away to the woods somewhere so just bolted down to the golf course for an hour, but it was a lovely hour indeed. In November when winter is just starting up, it's hard to believe that you would ever venture outside at 31 degrees in just a long underwear top- but indeed I did. And I got sweaty. Love that.
Today looks like it will hit the purple zone in an hour or so, but by afternoon warm right over into the red zone. I stay away from that- that red wax has the consistency of bubble gum and once it is on your skies you find it everywhere- your coat, your boots, your hair, your steering wheel. Plus, once we hit the red wax it means the snow is starting to melt, which hurts my heart. Just checked- it's 25 and rising. I have five degrees before go time!
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