Yes, I'm going to blog about snow.

We're finally blessed with a layer of snow on the ground! Even though I hate winter for the inconvenient mess it makes out of my carless life, this snow is perfectly timed. Just as I was ready to start thinking about eventually getting serious about training for 3 months of backpacking... here it is! I've been saved from running, the sidewalks are icy and snowpacked now (and I refuse to run indoors). So now we'll be able to fit in plenty of cross country skiing!

This year I think we'll get the city of Minneapolis cross country ski season pass, since the Columbia Golf Course is a nice loop near our apartment. Apparently you can ski the lakes too, though I've never done it.

A season pass through the Minnesota DNR to go cross country skiing in the state parks is only $15, and with our wealth of parks, it's totally worth it. We had the best time skiing in Banning State Park last year and will definitely try to get up there more often.

So hooray for snow, and cross country ski season. I feel like it'll be pretty good physical preparation for the trip, at least spring comes and I can't avoid running anymore.