Sharing the Rail Trail--with snowshoes and memories

Anyone living in coastal Connecticut knows that there is an incredible winter going on there! January recorded the most snowfall in the state ever and everyone knows that February usually brings even more snow than the first month of the year. So local skiing, downhill and Nordic, is alive and well in the Nutmeg state.
Today I decided to take advantage of the local snow to do some cross-county skiing on the Monroe section of the Housatonic Valley Rail-Trail. My brother had reported to me that the ski tracks on the Putnam Rail Trail in Westchester County were often obliterated by snowshoe-ers, but I was happy to find that Connecticut snowshoe-ers are more considerate of the skiers who share the trail. The Monroe trail makes a straight line through the woods as so many rail trails do, with a bonus detour along the way to a trail that circles the swimming pond at Wolff Park. The pond is long frozen over and some have taken a short-cut straight across the ice rather than the loop around it.
Cross country skiing is not ski-walking. Though skiers may not approach the speeds of downhillers, there is a thrill to be had as one silently glides through woods and meadows. The constant motion required means there are rarely cold fingers or toes out on the Nordic trails. To take full advantage of the underfoot scales on recreation wax-less skis or the sticky wax on performance skis, skiers should remember this tip: never let their knees get ahead of their feet. By driving forward with the knee a skier will maintain contact with the snow, be in good position for a powerful friction "kick" and enjoy an extended glide.
My skiing today included some nostalgic moments. This is the same trail that years ago I walked or skied weekly with the family dog during the hour that my sons spent in a nearby studio learning to play the piano. They are now accomplished musicians and I live in a different town (with a different dog)and this recreation path is a little out of the way for regular visits. But it was definitely worth the drive on a sunny Sunday to get some invigorating exercise and a trip down a trail full of memories.