First solo XC ski trip

This weekend I took my van to the Green Mountains.  I wanted to celebrate the recent 12+in snowfall and have been excited to get out on my cross country skis.  I am no longer kicking myself for trading my mint-ish '84 2WD for this [previously (knock on wood)] problematic '87 4WD. Four wheel drive rocks! Good thing for the snowtires I just put on (not doing much good in Boston).  I could not have gone half the places I went this weekend without traction on all wheels.  Just as I laid out in my initial motivation for vanhood, I took off on Friday, slept in my -10 deg sleeping bag, woke up and started skiing.  After some skiing I went back to the van and traveled to a more remote trail head slept.  The following morning I skied some more!!  Wonderful wonderful fun.  And here are a few pics to prove it. Can't wait to get out and do this again.

This trip did make me realize a couple things about van camping.  While I have kept things simple by not building in a stove or sink, a backpacking camp stove doesn't really cut it.  Where do

you put it (note its placement on dirty salty snow next to my coffee mug)? Once you find a spot you have to put the whole thing together... and it's only 15 degrees out. All of this is normally fine and dandy, and I enjoy it in a normal winter-camping situation.  But, a standard 2-burner Coleman would save tons of time in the morning, when all I want to do is eat oats, drink coffee and get on the trail.  With each trip I'm sure I'll think of improvements to make to the van.  I'll make improvements for camping, traveling, music festing, and I'll share all my dorky van ideas right here.