We’ve had a nearly complete lack of snow in the Arrowhead this fall. And now it looks like the skating conditions will be much better than the skiing for a while at least.

Seagull yesterday afternoon, from the Seagull Outfitters webcam:













The forecast for the end of the week:

Nordic ice skating gear can make for effortless travel in smooth ice conditions. I love skate skiing but shy from blades as the great ice conditions usually occur early in a season when ice thickness is thin and variable; choosing gear that concentrates one's weight (blades) over dispersing it (skis) seems risky.

I'm not the only one:

Anticipation for wild ice grows in Cook County as temperatures decline