Mowing Trails for Cross-Country Skiing

Think of a ski resort and mow the trails with that in mind.

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It was hard to imagine that on the 24th day of September when leaves were changing color and starting to fall, the temperature outside was 88 degrees.

What better opportunity than a summer-like day to mow the trails in preparation for cross-country skiing this winter?

There are various roads and trails through our yard that, when covered in a blanket of fresh snow, will make marvelous ski trails.

 

lawnmower.on knees

This in mind, our daughter M headed to the forest with the lawn mower.

lawnmower.safety glasses

Short, woody shrubs filled the trails demanding precise, careful maneuvering of the mower.

lawnmower.down trail

At the bottom of the trail, she turned towards the open meadow where tall grasses had been growing all summer.

lawnmower.around trail

The grass dies back in winter and was beginning to show a slight progression to that end. A broad swath was easily mowed through the meadow to the road on the other side.

lawnmower.meadow

On the south side of the meadow, she cut the grass on the road towards the end of our property line,

lawnmower.up road

then turned around making a return pass over the ground that had already been cut.

lawnmower turning around

She cut the road through the woods that parallels the easement that our neighbors use to get to their property.

lawnmower.back down road

Back through the meadow, and I was thinking about the challenge ahead of going back uphill.

lawnmower.meadow.2

Would the uneven ground, scattered rocks, and twigs make going uphill difficult? Even with a self-propelled mower, I knew it would be a daunting task, at least for me.

lawnmower.up hill

 After an hour’s worth of work, a good part of the trails were mowed and ready for winter’s snow and cross-country skiing.

lawnmower

 

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