The Chicago Blizzard of 2011 makes for adventure one step out the front door. One peek outside the window showed that mobility would be difficult today. Huge snow drifts covered cars, most side streets had not been plowed, and even many sidewalks remained in drifts. Be sure to check out the slideshow to the left with many pictures of the adventure.
Driving and walking would be inconvenient and for some impossible; on the other hand, cross-country skiing would be a different matter. I clipped on my skis and went right down the middle of my street. A few people were out shoveling their sidewalk or trying in vain to dig out their car. Each stopped a second and gaped at the spectacle of a cross-country skier cruising down the middle of the street.
“Haven’t you ever seen a cross-country skier ski down the middle of the street, “I asked.” “No, not every day,” was the usual response. Normally when passing a fellow Chicagoan on the street there is nary a word exchanged. It is not because Chicago is a rude city. Chicago is a huge city with a large population, so it would be ridiculous to expect to say hello to every pedestrian that passed by.
The morning after a blizzard is a different story. This is especially true when cross-country skiing down the middle of a Chicago street. Everyone wanted to say hello to me. I had people taking pictures of me, I had people yelling into their homes to get their family out to have a look, and I even had some picture requests.
It is always a warm feeling how an event like bad weather or some sort of disaster brings communities together. When I was out skiing I witnessed neighbors working together to shovel snow and helping each other clear their cars. I also saw strangers help push out stuck motorists. I even lent a hand to a stuck taxi on Lawrence Avenue.
I continued over the Chicago River and saw two young men down by the river just checking out the pretty winter scenery. One looked up and waved at me and said “it sure is an adventure today.” “Yes, it is,” I replied.
I continued down Ronan Park and skied along the river. It was here in the unplowed park that I seemed to leave the big city behind. I skied for about two miles in the park and saw absolutely no one until on my way back I came across a young couple on snowshoes.
Most people will remain inside the next day or so and refuse to leave unless they run out of food, but I recommend venturing out. It is not every day that urban Chicago becomes an adventure when one opens their front door.
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Comments
My driveway was perfect for sledding, but I decided probably not a good idea. I have nothing sled-like in the house - not even cardboard.
But I love your reminding folks that x-country skiing could be just in front of their house.
Great pictures of the quietness of Chicago after a blizzard.
As a matter of fact I did see someone cross country skiing down our street today. Our street is only three blocks long so hope the person was intent on continuing elsewhere.
There were thousands of miles of cross-country ski trails out there today with all the unplowed streets, alleyways, and side walks. I am sure he did not have much trouble finding elsewhere.
I love to cross country ski, never more than right out my front door.
Stay warm.
Great story, Ted. I was hoping that you would hit the "ski trails" of the Windy (and now snowy) City. What a great urban adventure. Getty Images has some interesting photos of people coping with the snow and winds in Chicago. Just go to http://photos.examiner.com to see them, if you haven't already. I also put sixty of those shots in my last two slide shows. I wish I could be exploring the city with you. Thanks for keeping us posted.
Cheers,
Joel
Joel Siegfried
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That is so cool that you skied down the streets! Hey, you could have probably skied all the way here to NY.
That is awesome! I have to try that someday.
I left comments on the Slide Show. You know how much I enjoy the pictures and I see that Joel enjoyed them too. I'll get back to reading the article, but I'm so enjoying the pictures.
How do you like this new system. i have to hurry before they shut it down for repairs. You know I'll have to come back and take a look at the video and hear the snow crunch. Stay warm Ted. Oh, I don't have to tell you that - you are always prepared ;) Thanks so much Ted
I finally got to reading the article. It is so amazing to see how we can help each other and be civil to oneanother in times of crisis.
I loved your comments to people, the main picture with your new friend and all the SNOW. The wind looked pretty fierce too in the video. That was funny about the couple with the 'snowshoes'.
Amazing article and story, thanks for sharing and not having to do the traveling to obtain such a great recap of the blizzard.
there is nothing better to xc ski on than a once-plowed street- it is the ultimate in grooming. If you ski here in NJ, you can ski in Allaire State Park and ski over the Parkway... there is a pedestrian (I mean skier ha ha) bridge over it. It is cool.
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