Ski Report

Having just repaired both cross-country ski boots with super glue, I was unsure of how much stress they could take. So, on Friday the 15th, I decided to go somewhere that wasn't too steep, and headed out to Estabrook Woods in Concord. It's mostly level out there, with some up and down where the trails go along what look like glacial arêtes. Had a good ski, but while heading back, I realized that the white plastic layer on the bottom of my right ski was coming loose. I was able to keep it lined-up under the ski, until I was almost back to the entrance. Had to pull it loose and drape it over my neck, where it hung like a long, thin scarf or Tallis, while I tried to ski the last part of the way on snow that was rapidly turning into slush.

Once I was home, I got out the glue and the clamps again. But, since there was no more super glue, I had to resort to smearing Gorilla Glue the whole length of the right ski, and along goodly portions of the left one as well. Along with the afore-mentioned clamps, I used a lot of clear packing tape & large binder clips to hold things together as well.

Everything sat until the following Sunday, when, thanks to our third Weekend blizzard in a row, there was plenty of fresh snow. I  took off all of the various forms of binding technology I had resorted to, and went out for a good long ski behind Horn Pond and across the Golf Course. Everything held together just fine. When I got home I wanted to crow, "I am the Jed of Jeds, the Mr. Clamp-It of Clamp-Its!" (You have to admit, you don't always get to combine home repairs, A Princess of Mars, and The Beverly Hillbillies in one allusion.)