Frankie's First Time Cross-Country Skiing

Growing up, our family cross-country skiied together often.  My parents had me on skis at a very young age.  I don't even remember the process of learning - it was just something we always did.  Many a Christmas morning featured new ski equipment under the tree.  It was not a hobby shared by many college friends, though, and not something Erwin grew up doing.  As a result, I fell out of the habit of skiing as an adult.  I have had fleeting thoughts about getting back to it over the years, but my equipment dates back to junior high and the boots were a bit snug last time I used them, many years ago.  Plus, we have had a long series of winters with paltry snow cover.  I just never seemed to make it happen. 

South Trail, New Woodstock

South Trail is a multi-use rail trail that follows the abandoned Lehigh Valley Railroad from New Woodstock north to Ballina Road.  This a 3.3-mile trail is part of the network of properties protected by the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation.  It was my first visit here.  However, the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) follows the old Lehigh Valley Railroad between Cazenovia and Chittenango, so I had an idea what to expect when I planned this hike: flat and easy.  We received quite a lot of heavy snow in the last week, and I expected to be snowshoeing.  Parking for this hike is available at New Woodstock Lumber, and that clinched my decision: plowed lot, easy grades for snowshoeing.  Unfortunately, there was yet another winter issue I failed to anticipate... snowmobiles.