How To Make Winters Seem Short
Reminiscing: After permanently settling in Minnesota and starting a family we did the usual outdoor winter activities like skating. tobogganing and shoveling the driveway. That was fine but looked for something that might offer more variety. The North Stars , a local cross country ski club put out a notice for anyone interested to come to out and try cross country skiing one weekend. We rented some skies and and took them up on the offer. I came away from that demo of the sport convinced we had found what I had been looking for. It was 1970 and for Christmas we equipped the family with skis. The whole family became involved but I become obsessed with the sport and still am. Following are some pictures of skiing activities over the years. We skied locally and all over the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin and took trips to ski in California, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and Switzerland. I’m now a care taker for my long time skiing partner and have little time for anything else but never regret the experiences we had together skiing.
Youngest son Matt on skies when five.
Daughter Ann skied with her high school team and in a
US Junior Cross Country League team
Skiing with first son Todd and his wife Kim at Devils Thumb near Fraser Colorado.
Joan on a trail near Big Mountain Montana
Skiing near Anchorage Alaska. The temperature was well below zero.
I skied one or two of the big area races most years
1993; Skated the 23K Kortelopet version of the Birkebeiner. Skied my last race in my early 80’s
Joan collects her ribbon for finishing the 13K version of the Vasaloppet race
Skiing on Nine Mile ice. The last time Joan skied
Alfred Wellnitz Books 
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