"If you don't stop making that face, it will freeze that way!"

Here's the face

And here's the reason

Last Sunday I grinned constantly during a long ski at Lifjell. I think this was the coolest place I've been with cross country skis on!

I was shuttling some friends who were going backcountry skiing at Lifjell.

Turns out there are also tracks groomed for cross country there! So I went for a ski on the mountain!

Steep up and down mountainsides

(I now have a purple toe from falling while trying to make Telemark turns down this hill... not a good idea on cross country skis)

Through high meadows

Near the beginning I was so busy staring at the scenery that I somehow ended up flying through the air to hit the ground, shoulder first and feet last, in a skiing position. It was like something out of a cartoon!

Past cabins and up windy valleys

And across high frozen lakes

Newly groomed trails led all over the place.

Though there were snowdrifts blown in my the wind minutes later in some places!

It was cool to ski to places I'd been in the summer (after hours of hiking to get there)

And it was awesome to do a day trip on a mountain with cross country equipment and just my water belt. It was really windy (especially on the way back, when I was going into the wind), but luckily I was warm enough.

I sure didn't follow these suggestions...

Half of the people I saw were skijoring.

At this cabin at Hollane, people could buy waffles, hot drinks, and watch a ski jumping competition on TV.

It was great. Goodbye for now!