Make More Tracks: How To Snowshoe
Snowshoeing Is A Highly Accessible and Easy Way To Enjoy The Winter.
Now here’s a winter outdoor sport that brings you in to the vibrant , snow-filled landscape and fresh air with a minimum of hassle and expense. From our surveys, we’ve noticed that those who snowshoe often bring spouses and grandchildren along into an easy way to walk in the woods.
How easy is it to get started? Here’s a short instructional video from LL Bean. Click on the image to view.
Make More Tracks: Hidden Gems Of Nordic Skiing
[Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com.]
Less Known, Excellent XC Destinations To Explore.
Comfortable going along the river behind the Woodstock Inn. Credit: XCSkiResorts.com
With torrent of people hitting the trails and the outdoors across the country, XCSkiResorts.com wanted to give a shout out to hidden gem destinations for cross country (XC) skiing this winter. There may very well be an overflow of skiers at the most popular XC ski trails, so this guide will share some of the lesser known but excellent destinations.
In the east, the Woodstock Nordic Center https://www.xcskiresorts.com/woodstock-nordic-center offers more than 45 km of skiing right in the town of Woodstock, VT on two trail systems. The Mt. Peg trails begin on the golf course at the Woodstock Country Club and climb to the summit overlooking the village below. On nearby Mt. Tom, the Center grooms more than 20 km of trails on old carriage roads in the midst of Vermont’s first tree farm and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. The Woodstock Inn & Resort, which operates the Nordic Center is a 142 room AAA four Diamond Resort in the heart of Woodstock, a town that is the quintessential New England town with a wonderful collection of restaurants and shops.
Lapland Lake XC Ski & Vacation Center http://www.xcskiresorts.com/lapland-lake/ in Northville, NY features a touch of Finland in the Adirondacks from the food and the resident reindeer to the Finnish woodburning sauna and children’s games. They’ve got 38 km groomed for classic and skate skiing and 12 km of mapped snowshoe trails. The resort is located adjacent to the famed 133-mile Northville-Lake Placid Trail for limitless wilderness ski and snowshoe opportunities. Known for its courteous staff, this year-round family resort features a two-story warming lodge with a wax room, restrooms, changing room, and shower along snack bar, and eleven housekeeping cottages known as “tupas” that have fully equipped kitchens, living room, up to 4 bedrooms, electric heat, woodstoves, and a bath with showers.
Crystal Lake Ski & Outdoor Center https://www.xcskiresorts.com/crystal-lake-ski-center in Hughesville, PA (central PA near Williamsport) is in a snowbowl location that often has snow when the rest of the region is bare, and the trail system is second to none. There is varied terrain to please beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers. This is a full service area with rentals, ski instruction, and a cozy fireplace lounge.
Yes, West Virginia. Almost heaven. Credit: XCSkiResorts.omc
The White Grass Touring Center http://www.xcskiresorts.com/white-grass-touring-center/ is in the Canaan Valley and high Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia. It is a one-of-a-kind place to XC ski that gets 150 inches of snow annually. There’s 50 km of trails that are groomed or maintained and the area has 1,200 vertical feet with slopes and glades for backcountry skiers, too. Established in the late 1970’s the “fleece and flannel” scene at White Grass is alive with a popular natural foods café.
XC ski destinations in the central regions include Cross Country Ski Headquarters http://www.xcskiresorts.com/cross-country-ski-headquarters/ in Roscommon, MI which is a leading XC ski outfitter and ski area in the Higgins Lake area. Since 1974 this has been a premier destination for XC skiing in Midwest in
XC HQ in Roscommon, MI. Credit: XCSkiResorts.omc
the heart of Michigan, with 19 km of trails groomed for classic and skate skiing for skiers of all abilities and there are also miles of trails all around the region. The Cross Country Ski HQ is known for its friendly and experienced staff and retail operation. Trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing characterized as 10% hilly, 50% moderate, and 40% flat.
The Golden Eagle Lodge https://www.xcskiresorts.com/golden-eagle-lodge in Grand Marais, is a family owned year-round resort located on Flour Lake sitting at the Height of the Laurentian Divide in MN. It has 70 km groomed trails for classic skiing and 60 percent of the trails are groomed for skating in the Superior National Forest. The Baumann family owns the Golden Eagle Lodge, and they are the only residents on the lake, welcoming skiers to enjoy 120 inches of snow annually and the tranquility and solitude of the surrounding ancient forests. The lodge is also amidst the Gunflint Trail 100-mile system, which is a mecca for Midwestern cross country skiers.
Maplelag Resort http://www.xcskiresorts.com/maplelag-resort/ in Callaway, MN is located in the northwest region of MN and is within an hour of Fargo, ND. Maplelag has 70 km groomed for skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking. Family style meals are known to feed the camaraderie at Maplelag and the lodge is a treasury of Norwegian Folk Art with nooks and crannies to enjoy together or get away to relax and read a book. The bottomless cookie jar policy provides endless sweets. The Richards family is the host that will guarantee you a memorable time.
Further west is XC skiers can visit Enchanted Forest XC Ski & Snowshoe Area http://www.xcskiresorts.com/enchanted-forest/ in Red River, NM, which has 33 km of trails groomed for classic and skate skiing, 15 km for snowshoeing, and 5 km that allow dogs. Enchanted Forest is known for the entertaining events and the great scenic views with 500 acres of ancient forests, aspen groves, and sweeping meadows in the Carson National Forest (that’s Kit Carson for you history buffs) There’s a day lodge at the base area for a snack and the Midway warming yurt and three rental yurts are available for overnight winter accommodations.
Crosscut Mountain Sports Center https://www.xcskiresorts.com/crosscut-mountain-sports-center is in Bozeman, MT next to the alpine ski area Bridger Bowl is a popular XC ski day area only 16 miles from Bozeman. This non-profit organization is a year round recreational sports training and educational facility providing human powered outdoor activities with 50 km of groomed trails for classic and skate skiing. Located in the Bridger Mountains, the center includes a biathlon range and includes a wide 15-foot trail width and narrow gauge trails for fat biking, snowshoeing and classic skiing with impeccable trail grooming. At 6,100 foot elevation there are no altitude problems at Crosscut.
Methow has lots of ways to make more tracks. Credit: XCSkiResorts.com
Methow Trails http://www.xcskiresorts.com/methow-trails/ is located in north-central Washington just below the Canadian border and anchored by the towns of Winthrop, Mazama and Twisp. It has more than 220 km (136 miles) of perfectly groomed skate and classic ski trails. Kids 17 and under ski free everyday in the Methow Valley. Many of the trails also welcome fat bikers, snowshoers and dogs. Methow Trails is a non-profit organization dedicated to connect people, nature and community through world class trail systems.
The Bear Valley Adventure Company http://www.xcskiresorts.com/bear-valley-cross-country/ is in Bear Valley, CA on Highway 4 on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the land of giant Sequoia trees. Bear Valley is perfect for new or experienced XC skiers with a trailhead meadow surrounded by hills and ridges. It is at 7,000 – 7,800 foot elevation and boasts substantial annual snow depths making it in most years the first to open and last to close among the Sierra XC ski centers. There are 70 km on 38 trails groomed for classic and skate skiing with 2 kids trails, a popular sledding and tubing hill, the Snowbound Café and 3 trailside huts There’s a groomed downhill ski area nearby, too.
Make More Tracks: Private vs Group Lessons
Groups For Beginners, Private To Refine Technique.
Group lessons: Fun and affordable. Credit: SkiNH
Let’s say you want to learn how to cross-country ski relatively quickly and easily – how to move with grace and minimal effort, develop endurance, and enjoy what you’re doing from the git-go. The surest shortcut to becoming a good skier is to take multiple lessons with a professional instructor.
I’ve often wondered what’s the simplest way to speed up the learning-and-fun process for people of any age, not just us “perennials”: group lessons or private instruction. Figuring that it would help to ask the pros, I contacted three renowned Nordic instructors/coaches/ski school directors. They all have long strings of credentials, but a quick overview: JoJo Toeppner ran two of the best-known XC areas in North America, California’s Royal Gorge and Tahoe Donner; Emily Lovett has long been co-Director of the famous Yellowstone Fall Training Camp in Montana;and Scotty McGee is a celebrated cross country, telemark, and alpine instructor, trainer, and examiner. They’re experts not just at technique but also at communication and accelerating your learning curve.
There can be a bunch of factors involved in your choice, ranging from expense to self-consciousness.
Credit: LL Bean group lessons
All three experts agree that cost can be a factor. Scotty comments, “When your goals are specific enough, or price difference isn’t an issue, private lessons give you the tailored experience that’s most likely to meet your goals and be targeted at your abilities.” JoJo feels that “It’s much more expensive to take a one-hour private where everything is charged separately (ticket, rental, and lesson, as opposed to a 75-minute discounted package). Privates can be customized to what the student wants if there’s a specific need, such as hills, corners, or stopping, while groups cover a little of everything.”
Emily makes the point that group lessons can be really fun and meaningful as you learn from each other and bond through a shared experience. She adds that group instruction involves some willingness to be open to others’ abilities, questions, and learning styles, which can be fun and interesting.
Scotty says that for newer skiers, group lessons are a great way to meet people and easier to book than privates. He says, “Nordic centers most likely have a beginner lesson once or twice a day. As skiers progress, up through intermediate level, there are many undiscovered breakthroughs waiting to happen. Small improvements to efficiency and effectiveness take time to integrate into technique. So multiple group lessons at a beginner-ish level can provide great value as long as repetition (‘Here’s how you put a ski on’) is not an issue.”
Private lessons provide focus. Credit: Peak Performance
It sounds like if a resort offers intermediate group lessons, they’re likely to provide two instructors when there’s a medley of ability levels. Above intermediate level, the likelihood that a group lesson will meet your goals decreases. One exception to this is the organized “camp” with multiple ability levels (Yellowstone; Silver Star, BC; Bend, OR; Crested Butte, CO) which can see dozens of perennials during multi-day clinics.
Maybe you prefer to have a lesson based on your personal learning styles and goals, in which case a private lesson’s tailored attention and feedback may be more valuable. One-on-one instruction can also include video analysis on a phone. Group lessons can be especially fun if they’re on-going sessions (for instance, a weekly lesson or training), where you progress together over multiple sessions.
One filter you can use to help find the highest quality instruction is to inquire about certification with the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) or Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors (CANSI). Qualifications include both skiing and teaching ability, and a mechanical understanding that helps frame the journey from where you are now and where you want to go.
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