When you’re a SCUM who’s part of the “one ski in the grave wave” as John Estle once referenced us, you take it easy on your first Sunday workout–especially when it’s 33 deg and the grooming is 4-6 days old.

After a few loops of the stadium, we skied relay return, tower to Hemming Way, East Ramp, West Ramp to the end of Comp loop (twice), then Flat Black, Comp, and Warmup.

Flat Black proved to be challenging for our early season SCUM as our youngest male skier did a head plant on the outhouse (but was fortunate that none of the female skiers with phones saw his crash).

Several of the SCUM bailed when they could see the stadium from the end of Flat Black and didn’t ski the Comp and Warmup loops.

Trail conditions were amazingly good for October. The same could not be said for the condition of the SCUM bodies on snow. However, Kendall Kramer, Fairbanks’ most recent winter nordic ski Olympian, encouraged us on. It doesn’t get any better than this.