Just Desserts Eat & Ski

Saturday, February 23, 2013, noon to 2 p.m.

Enchanted Forest XC Just Desserts Eat and Ski Picture this: You're cross country skiing on groomed trails through a snowy forest when suddenly you come upon a group of people with chocolate on their faces licking their fingers and eating from a table laden with delectable goodies. Yes, it's time again for Enchanted Forest's most popular event: "Just Desserts" Eat & Ski. The theme is simple: Enchanted Forest puts homemade desserts from fine restaurants in Red River out on a five kilometer course and skiers ski out to the different sites and indulge. There is no competition involved, although skiers are advised not to start too late if they want to sample some of the more popular concoctions, such as, 18 Layer Chocolate Cinnamon Torte, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, Tequila Lime Pie, Black Forest Cheesecake, Mountain Berry Cream Flan, Fudge, Wild Blueberry Pie, Texas Red's cheesecake, Triple Chocolate, Kahlua, Espresso Cake and much more.

"We've been lucky to have sunny days every year," said Judy Miller, founder. "People sit around the picnic tables and socialize while they eat. It's great, because we've been blessed with beautiful weather pretty much every year. One year it snowed a little, making for one or two soggy desserts, but our skiers were undaunted. The sun did finally come out and it was a beautiful day." Miller says the event can also be a challenge when the sun shines a little too brightly. "One year a restaurant brought an amaretto ice cream pie," Miller said. "It was delicious, but it was also a runny, sloppy mess by the time the skiers got their spoons out!"

The area's founderer, John Miller, dons a cookie monster costume for the event and cross country skis to different tables, checking on participants and sampling a few of the treats. "I'm in charge of quality control," he says with a grin.