Note: April Gregory has joined the Black Hills Travel Blog as a guest contributor. She will be posting stories about her outdoor adventures in the Black Hills.

Instead of starting 2010 with a pounding headache from New Year’s drinks the night before, I spent the first day of the year doing what I love best: being outdoors.

I broke my 1970s garage sale cross country skis in deep powder last spring, so I headed over to Ski Cross Country on Third Street in Spearfish.  I quickly had a conditions report and rental skis in hand. After throwing my cross- country skis and backpack in the back of my friend’s truck, we grabbed a morning cup of Joe from Alpine Coffee and hit the road.

Spearfish Canyon was gray and foggy, but as we climbed closer to our destination the fog cleared and we were soon under a bright blue sky. We decided to ski Dead Ox Trail, part of the Eagle Cliff trail system and a fairly difficult trail about 3.5 miles long. The Eagle Cliff trail system has 27 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, skiing, horseback riding and biking. The trail system was started by cross-country skiers in the 1980s and is maintained by both the Forest Service and Black Hills Nordic Ski Club.

The trails are mapped and marked, but not groomed. There are two trailheads for Dead Ox. One is 7.4 miles west of Cheyenne Crossing on U.S. 103 and enters the canyon through a cabin owner’s driveway. The second is a mile further, 8.4 miles west of Cheyenne Crossing, also on U.S. 103.

After the recent 2-foot-plus dumping of snow that fell on the Black Hills, we wondered if we would have to break trail. A vehicle in the lower Dead Ox trailhead parking lot signaled the work was done for us, no trail breaking required today!

Dead Ox Trail follows a narrow canyon streambed. It gently climbs uphill and eventually opens into meadows. We strapped on our skis and started out. We had the entire place to ourselves. All around us everything was blanketed in clean, untouched snow, the only sign of life the fresh ski tracks going off and disappearing around the next corner. Occasionally we would cross over a deer path through the deep snow or see a spot where one had had bedded down. Down in the canyon out of the wind, the trees were still bent with snow. On the ground, the snow was so deep that occasionally my ski pole would completely submerge. The only sound was the gentle swish of our skis gliding across the deep, fresh powder.

After several miles we ran into the couple ahead of us, doubling back toward their vehicle. We stopped and chatted before continuing on into the open meadows. The breeze was colder and stronger out in the meadows, so after stopping for a cup a tea from my thermos, we decided to head back.

The return trip was all downhill. On one of the first corners I fell (like falling into a cloud!). I sank so far into the deep powder that only the top of my head was poking out. Once I struggled out of my deep hole in the powder, the rest of the return trip flew by as we swished and curved down the trail back to the parking lot. Although only a gentle downhill trail, our return trip took half the time.

I couldn’t think of a better way to start out the New Year. We had the entire trail to ourselves and enjoyed the peaceful quiet serenity of our surroundings.