This is snow....
Indeed, this is about 4 feet of snow still in evidence in March.
Snow is cold. It is wet. You can even mold it into shapes.
And if you find a large mound of the cold stuff you can strap pieces of wood to your feet, hold onto some poles for dear life and slide down it.
Even in Minnesota, the Land of the Prairie.
Although it may be difficult to find a hill large enough. And sometimes you even have to make the hill by pushing large amounts of dirt into a single mound.
But at least when you make your own hill for downhill skiing, you can place it conveniently in the suburbs and near the interstate for easy access.
This particular mound of dirt and snow is Buck Hill in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yes, it is pathetic. But at least the snow is fresh and ready to go. And they arrange for a new layer of powder every night before the first skiers arrive in the morning!
This particular mound of dirt and snow is Buck Hill in Burnsville, Minnesota. Yes, it is pathetic. But at least the snow is fresh and ready to go. And they arrange for a new layer of powder every night before the first skiers arrive in the morning!
And it cannot be all bad as the St. Olaf College Ski Team trains there every year. And they are really quite good.
Although their success may have something to do with the fact that the ski team is primarily comprised of the Norwegian exchange students...
6 comments:
That pathetic, snow-covered mound of dirt in Burnsville is also the place 2002 and 2006 Olympic skier Lindsey Kildow, and 1998 Olympian Kristina Koznick, got their starts. Of course, they were probably around five when Buck Hill was no longer a challenge. Still.
Hey...I almost ended up going to St. Olaf!! I actually drove up from the Chicago suburbs to Northfield, MN in early-1980 and spent a couple of days "up there". It wasn't bad, but I ended up deciding that I needed to spend those four years closer to a big city.
Anonymous: everyone starts somewhere. And it is a much less intimidating start than the Alps, which I am terrified to even attempt. (Have I mentioned I am petrified of heights?)
TBF: It's a great school. And I suppose the location means fewer distractions from studying! I'm an Ole Alum. Graduated in 1992. Then went on the UW-Madison for my master's degree.
Funny you say you're petrified of heights. So am I! But skiing's helped with that.
Awww...Makes me homesick for MN!! Unfortunately there wasn't a flake of snow there when I was back home at Christmas. :-(
Kirk has always loved to make fun of the ski "hills" in Wisconsin where I learned to ski. Then one day we skied together in the Alps and he realized I was better than him. I had a good laugh.
As a Lutheran from Wisconsin I knew lots of people who went to St Olaf. But as you know, I chose to go to the Big City in Minnesota instead.
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