Classic skiing race 2:43:30 [3] 30.0 km (5:27 / km) +300m 5:11 / km
White Mountain/Jackson 30k, second time. Woke up to cold, calm, pale blue morn, 5F. Forgot camera...as I drove by mist rising off Winnipesaukee w/ the ice houses hunkered down and branches layered in ice (& the momentarily poignant statue of the boy fishing) at Meredith. JSTF was the usual beehive of activity. Got there around 0900 (101mi/120' drive), needed to select a kickwax from my kit of relative ignorance. Solved that but noted that my glide wax was crazed on the ski bottoms. Oh well, time to go, as in Go Slow? but no Diane around. Hi teens at start, in combination with calm & sunshine, made such a temp just right. Too hot after 20' but couldn't "throw the tee" in the woods, so to speak (covered by bib etc). First 10k up & down (58'), then up along Ellis River (61'), then return down (43'), 30' better than last year. Had a hard fall then, groin stretch, wondering if I'd be able to carry on - absorbed some of that time difference.
Usual recollection of characters or colored jerseys either passing or was trying to keep in sight. Group of 6 late adolescents singing & racing/stopping; one actually purposefully took off ground on a bump, fell, recovered immediately. A black-haired, gray-streaked woman outclimbed me on the last significant hill after 25k and disappeared forever (not sure why she was passing so late); the Scandanavian woman in her 40s with the well-endowed derriere who I passed on the hills thinking I was done with her. She eventually disappeared into the "mists" in front of me. Did need a head band as the sweat burned the eyes when I removed my wool hat which proved too hot.
The finish omitted the 30 kt frigid headwind as in last year. All in all, benign benevolence presided today.
Went to the Federers after: Ernst, Hans Bengtsson and Larry & Sara Mae Berman as well - a nice gathering of old NEOCers in a different era. Larry, at 76, was oldest racer. Brief glimpse of Jim Pugh whose 2 brothers go back to about 1960 in my experience.
A lovely new England day, nary a cloud, rims of hills silhouetted, esp. driving home. North Conway scenic view offered momentary perfection of the snow white Presidentials. Too much ticky-tack signage between Meredith & Mt. Washington valley. Vermont solved this before it got out of hand. Perhaps New Yorkers had something to do with it....
Came home to hear of Beth's DP/personal adventure on snowshoes. Out the back to within sight of the beaver pond & return; but ignore outgoing tracks & venture far to the right (compass in possession but not utilized) - squeezed into Allen & Bog Bog corner, she had to emerge but time's passing was telling a long story. I've suggested she take cell; no point in having some, say, knee, injury & not be able to get up/walk & not be able to dial any # of interested parties. She did make her personal discovery of a "most impressive depression" which I could point out to her on the Nottingcook map; western edge came close to being a BG control site. Her misadventure (?) beat up the dogs with the snow being on the deep side.