On Skis Again

After much Internet research, it looked like Strbske Pleso was the closest (and only?) place with groomed XC tracks, so we headed over there. A bit west of Poprad you take a road that winds steeply up the foothills of the High Tatras. The town of Strbske Pleso is at about 4300 feet, and would be beautiful except for the fact that a huge windstorm came through about 4 years ago and blew down vast swaths of trees.


The skiing itself left a bit to be desired. If there had been new snow and it had been groomed, it would have been excellent, but the snow was old, the day was warm and the wind had left pine cones and needles all over the tracks. By the 4th lap of the 5km loop, my skis were barely moving. But the views of the High Tatras immediately to the north and the Low Tatras across the valley to the south were impressive. If we don't get more snow, this may be my last time on XC skis here in Slovakia.

After a couple of hours of skiing, we drove back east along the high road with views of hundreds of acres of downed trees (and some beautiful peaks). Back down in Poprad, we ate lunch at a Koliba, a rustic Slovak-style restaurant. I had the 'Fuhrmann halusky' with lots of sausage and melted cheese (and a beer), and Cindi had something described on the English/German tourist menu as a 'domestic slaughter'. I guess they just step out the back door and shoot the first thing they see. Mighty tasty, but you can hear your arteries slam shut.

To work off lunch, we walked across the parking lot to AquaCity Poprad, a giant indoor/outdoor thermal bath and water park resort. We sampled various hot pools and took a few rides on the big slides, but skipped the 'cryotherapy' room where they cool you down to -100 deg C. They say it's good for you....

Nice views of the Spis Castle at night on the way home.