Snowshoe Programs Proliferating at Alpine Ski Resorts

Snowshoeing with the kids

Not everyone who visits a ski resort wants to or is able to ski or snowboard, so resorts offer other activities. Among those options, guests can explore and enjoy the outdoors on snowshoes. These snowshoe outings at ski resorts range from guided naturalist tours to nearby destinations to athletic fitness treks reaching the top of the mountain. Snowshoeing options at ski resorts are booming and becoming ever more creative.

Smuggler's Notch Resort known as a prime Vermont family destination has one of the most comprehensive mixes of snowshoe programs available. There are snowshoe treks for families with young kids, and outings for adults or families with older kids, who want a bit more in terms of the length of the trek, the topography covered, and the insights shared about the natural world and outdoor skills.

Programs are scheduled for specific days and times at different prices for adult and children. Special family snowshoe programs that are easy include the Fireworks Snowshoe Tour (Thursdays 7-8:30 PM) , which is a guided snowshoe trek after dusk through the woods to a rustic pavilion and bonfire.

The guided treks can cater to individual needs and 1.5 hour snowshoe lesson trek is Sunday at 10 AM. Family Scavenger Hunts are held 3 times per week. The High Elevation Trek is Mon and Fri at 1:15 PM while the Backcountry Snowshoe Trek is on Wed and Sat at 1 PM. Winter Survival is on Tue at 10 AM.

The Blue Snowshoe Trail at Pat’s Peak

Pat’s Peak in Henniker, NH offers three snowshoe trails (Green, Blue and Black corresponding with different levels of difficulty) that are connected in a 4 mile loop. There is no charge to use these trails and they are signed but not maintained. Snowshoes are available to rent for $19 and trail maps are available or can be download.

Beaver Creek Resort in Avon, CO has a variety of snowshoe tours via the Strawberry Park Express chair lift. There are morning or afternoon snowshoe tours that are $125 not including the gear. Private 3-hour tours are $485 and all day tours are $725. An equipment rental package is available which includes boots, poles and snowshoes for $50 a day or $39 for a half day (less for kids or seniors).

Legacy Park is a destination for snowshoers

At Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, MI, there are guided snowshoe tours available on the golf course for $25 including the snowshoes or go snowshoeing on your own with a 1-hour snowshoe rental for $15. One of the popular treks is to the Michigan Legacy Art Park, which is a 30-acre preserve on 1.6 miles of hiking trails within Crystal Mountain. The Art Park features 45 sculptures (20 in the winter), poetry stones, an outdoor amphitheatre (open in the summer) and there is a donation box.

Stop by the Base Camp at Big Sky Resort in Montana for snowshoe adventures. They have a 2-hour snowshoe tour on the Moose Tracks Gully Trail for up to 10 people at a time led by two local women guides. There are designated trails for snowshoers to go out on their own, but they are asked to pay a $5 trail pass. Click for the resort website video about the guided snowshoe tours that are available at $89 for guests aged 12 or older at Big Sky Resort .

Back in Vermont, a resort that presents a different option is Mount Snow where snowshoe tours are available via the Grand Summit Hotel lodge's NatureSpa. There are planned and marked 60-90 minute trail routes at the ski area for the Woodland Tour (recreational) or the Fitness Tour (vigorous uphill). The unique "Guided Snowshoe Tour & Massage," includes a guided snowshoe tour followed by a sorely “kneaded” massage after returning to the spa for $195. Snowshoes are available to rent.

Guided snowshoe tours take about an hour for $55 per person including the snowshoes, poles and a group guide. There are also private tours available and outings offered to people who are more athletic and looking for a fitness workout on snowshoes or an environmental tour with a local Vermonter talking about animal tracks or local geography. Trail maps for snowshoers are available at Mount Snow Sports, where snowshoe rental equipment and a trail pass can be acquired.

It may be necessary for some of the Smuggler's Notch snowshoe treks to be on the alpine slopes due to low snow in the valley. Some snowshoers use the lifts to access a high elevation tour and a backcountry tour. The Smuggler's Nordic Director commented, "When the skiers saw the people snowshoeing on the slopesides, they wanted to get out of their skis to come and try it."

Tips for New Cross Country Skiers

So you've decided to try cross country skiing, You can call it cross country skiing, Nordic skiing, XC skiing, or ski touring - when trying cross country skiing the first few times it may be a totally new experience for you and it may take time for you to become confident. Experienced cross country skiers might call you a first timer, beginner, novice skier, and even a "never-ever" but as with any recreational activity, if you do it a few times, it will become easier and more familiar. Cross country skiing can take a while to master, but it is outdoor fun even on the first time on skis.

Downhill Skiing is Not the Same as Cross Country Skiing

Most people believe that if you are an alpine skier and have mastered the lift-served form of snowsports, that you can easily master cross country skiing. But alpine ski equipment is much heavier than cross country ski gear – the big plastic ski boots and wide skis provide substantially more support compared to cross country ski equipment. Snowplowing on cross country skis takes more technique to roll your ankles and hold/push the ski edge of the skis against the snow while you are moving. Even though both sports are on skis and on the snow, there are many differences between downhill skiing and cross country skiing.

Wobbly Feeling

Putting on the comfortable cross country ski boots, stepping on the bindings and attaching to the narrow skis, you may feel a bit wobbly at first. You'll be gliding down the smallest incline and you may feel unsure, but bend your knees and try to relax. Don't lean backwards - bend your knees and feel your weight on your heels and you'll have more control.

You Will Fall Down

Accept that you will likely fall while cross country skiing. Everyone falls while cross country skiing sooner or later and the snow provides a soft landing. Getting up after a fall is sometimes complicated to orchestrate, but take your time to untangle and get to your knees. Once on your knees it should be easy to stand up.

Groomed Trails

Many people dream about cross country skiing as an adventure in the forest and down hills in the wild. The truth is that this form of recreation is much easier on groomed trails…that is, trails that have been packed and tracked by a machine. On groomed trails, it is easier to glide, easier to go up hills, and easier to control the speed going downhill with a snowplow technique. Cross country ski areas provide trail grooming and charge a fee to use the trails. The trail grooming, signage, maps, lodge facilities, and other services are definitely worth the fee. Most cross country ski areas do not allow dogs to use the trails, but some areas offer dog-friendly trails.

To find a cross country ski area, use the Internet or websites such as www.XCSkiResorts.com or the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (www.xcski.org). These areas often require a reservation to get a lesson, as they do not always have instructors on site, so visit an area’s website in advance to get their information.

Be Prepared

The typical safety concerns are prevalent with cross country skiing. Go out with someone else, take water and food, and have some additional clothing (dry gloves, hat, neck gaiter, etc.) in case it gets colder or snows. These concerns can arise if you take a wrong turn where you end up on a longer trail that you expected.

Hills

If the terrain that you are skiing on is perfectly flat, you should not have much problem on cross country skis but when there are hills, you'll encounter the sport's ups and downs. The first time going down a hill could be a bit frightening but as in any sport, with practice you will become more accustomed to the feeling…hopefully. It is best to get tips or a complete lesson. The various cross country ski techniques are taught by experienced or certified instructors at cross country ski areas. Most likely you have friends who try their best to provide insight on ways to master the skis. The former idea (with a certified ski instructor) is the better choice.

Get Out There

Cross country skiing provides one of the greatest full body workouts available as it uses all parts of the body's muscle groups. You may not feel exhaustion while you are out on the trails, but your body is working hard and using unfamiliar muscles, so take it easy. It's best to go on a short outing at first and build up the distance or time on the skis over multiple outings.

Getting information about equipment and the different forms of cross country skiing (on track, off track, skating, backcountry, etc.) can be found on the Internet and/or at a cross country ski area. It makes sense to rent your equipment the first couple of times to see if you like cross country skiing. Most ski areas have rental gear for first timers (skis are softer and wider) and for more athletic people (skis are narrower and more lively). The narrower skis will glide better and go faster, while the wider skis will allow more control but feel like they drag a bit on the flat terrain.

When you get ready to purchase equipment, talk with professionals at a cross country ski area or retail shop to make a decision about what to purchase, which will depend on your interests (on track, off track, control, performance, etc.). Once you become a cross country skier, you'll look forward to when it snows and it will become a magical experience to enjoy every winter. Top photos, Fischer Skis, Bottom photo, Great Glen, NH

Backcountry Access - A New Service at XC Ski Resorts

A recent visit to Bolton Valley Nordic Center in Vermont afforded me an up close look at the newest sensation in cross country skiing – backcountry access at a commercial xc ski area. Bolton boasts having 62 km of high elevation backcountry ski trails including steep winding trails through birch glades, mellow trails for touring, and plenty of powder turns on the way back down.

In mid-February while much of New England was wondering when winter would begin, Bolton Valley Nordic Center with its base elevation of 2,100 feet has fresh snow and a reliable, plentiful base. The facility has 26 km of groomed trails, too. The rental equipment includes backcountry gear for either xc skiing or snowshoeing. The famous Catamount Trail is amidst Bolton’s trail system and there seems to be no limit to interest in this market segment. In fact, the grand daddy of xc ski areas, Trapp Family Lodge now offers 2,500 acres and 40 km of trails in the backcountry, too.

At Bolton Valley Nordic Center's eastern side, the Bryant Ski Trail takes skiers uphill on an hour trek to the Bryant Camp Backcountry Cabin (2,690 foot elevation). Not much to the building but it is a destination that opens into various trails further up the terrain. By the time I arrived in the late morning the trails were packed by previous skiers. I had a few chats with other skiers, who donned gear ranging from lightweight xc skis to heavy telemark gear with climbing skins, wide waxless skis with BC boot/bindings, and I even dodged a snowboarder careening down the packed trail on a split decision snowboard.

I had a conversation with a couple of skiers, who admitted to taking the Wilderness Lift at the adjacent Bolton Valley alpine ski area to ski from the Peggy Dow’s Trail to the Nordic area’s backcountry terrain and the Heavenly Highway Trail where I met them. I skied further up the Highway and then turned on to an aptly named trail called Devil’s Drop, which was really a downhill powder run with switchbacks.

Clearly, you want to ski these trails on a day with good soft snow conditions. The trails are well marked and with skiers dropping down into untracked lines through the trees the upper trails can be a bit confusing. It appeared that after skiing around a few times it would be more comforting as one becomes familiar with the upper trails. There is an overlook named Stowe View and another trail where you can reach a destination named Olga’s Falls. The Bolton-Trapp Trail uses the Catamount Trail (Vermont’s lengthwise winter trail) between the Bolton Valley Nordic Center and Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe and this reaches the highest point on the Catamount Trail at 3,310 foot elevation.

The west side of the Bolton trails covers another entire area to ski and looking at the map contours it is appealing for some downhill fun. The backcountry area also has some delineated glade areas on the trail map and one would imagine that there could be much more of these cleaned areas to give skiers more to enjoy.

Trapp Family Lodge offers guided tours in the backcountry for $35 hour and there is a 3-day package with rental equipment, skill lessons, and a full day tour for $250. Bolton has backcountry rental gear for $30.

Uphill Transport for Skiing the Glades

About a decade ago, alpine ski resorts came to the realization that gladed areas (skiing in the trees rather than on the groomed slopes) between trails offers great fun to skiers. They have created safe glades on gentle terrain by eliminating underbrush, smaller trees, and rocks so there is more room for skiers to pick their way through the forest (somewhat) safely. Glade areas for advanced skiers offer steeper terrain and more obstacles.

Call me a heretic, but I feel that the time has come for xc ski area operators to accept that there are many skiers who would like to access these backcountry stashes without having to climb and get so tired. Clearly there is a portion of the skiing population who would pay for transport up to higher elevations to access these areas so they can enjoy the downhill runs. For a few extra dollars above the trail pass, such transport could be provided with an industrial snowmobile (which most resorts already use) pulling an attached trailer with seats. And maybe the snowmobile driver can stop at the top to take some photos of the skiers as they take off down the terrain. Skiers can purchase the photo documentation back at the lodge and get the photos emailed to their computer or phone so they can show their weekend adventure to coworkers on Monday morning at work.

I imagine that xc ski resort operators might feel that such a service is the domain of alpine ski resorts...but xc ski areas could offer a more natural service within the context of xc skiing and snowshoeing. People like high places and the product supplier companies have recently produced a proliferation of off-track and backcountry equipment. This type of xc ski resort service has arrived.

Cleaning, Base Refreshing, Base Saturation, & Summer Storage by SkiPost

The winter and snow cover are leaving us, so what do we do with ski equipment?

1) Cleaning: Use wax remover and Fiber wipe to clean the kick zone and also the glide zone.

2) Use the finest Steel or Copper brush to clean excess dirt from base.

3) Apply layer of Start Base (or Service or soft non-fluoro glider like SG2) to glide zones.

4) While wax is still soft use scraper with low pressure to "hot wipe" wax and further dirt away.

5) Follow with Fiber wipe and then finest steel brush again to remove dirt while refreshing base further. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as necessary until no more dirt is seen coming from base.

6) If you suspect your skis have any base damage (i.e. base sealing) consider having the skis stoneground to reveal a fresh base in the spring before summer storage. A fresh base is the most import feature in a skis ability to hold wax and to glide. Ski shops in most every ski town offer great stone grinding services.

7) Once you have a clean and refreshed base it is time to saturate the base with a summer storage wax. In the glide zones melt in a thick layer of Start Base (or Service or soft non-fluoro glider like SG2) and let it cool. If all the wax has been absorbed into the base at any point add another layer on to. Let cool leave it on the ski all summer.

8) Skis should be storage in cool, dry place, out of sunlight and not near heating elements nor not near the roof where temperature can rise over 50C degrees. Skis should be stored loosely strapped with no pressure on camber so that there is no risk that heat and pressure can alter any of the skis camber characteristics.

9) Better to do something than nothing. So at the very, very least crayon your softest glide onto your glide zones right now.

Article contributor Andy Gerlach in Sun Valley, ID knows his stuff –he's with SkiPost and Start Wax at http://www.skipost.com/