January 2008
Going Places: Winter Fun
Glide into Cross-Country Skiing
Snow covered branches glistening in mid-day sun, the absence of crowds, and time to enjoy the quiet beauty of nature attract me to cross-country skiing. Add the aerobic benefits of a full-body workout in the wintertime, and this Nordic sport is great for the whole family. We had our children on cross-country skis before they were 6.
Whatever your age, you can learn this sport quickly, set your own pace when skiing and experience fewer injuries than you would with downhill skiing. Equipment also differs from downhill, or Alpine, skiing. The skis are longer and thinner, while the poles have a spike and round disk at the bottom to dig into the snow and push off. The boots have bindings to the ski only at the toe, not the heel.
There are two primary types of cross-country skiing – classic and skate. The classic style is the more familiar one seen on TV and the one experts suggest you learn first. It uses long skis and a straight-ahead gliding stroke, most effective on groomed or prepared trails where there are grooves to follow. Skate style has slightly shorter and wider skis, and the skier pushes the ski out at an angle, much like an ice- or roller-skater. The snow needs to be fairly well packed and firm for this type. Most lessons cover only one type of cross-country skiing.
The best way to start cross-country skiing is to go to a local Nordic center where the trails have been prepared and lessons are offered. Consider heading to a national park or local ski area for the day or a regional resort for a weekend. Most offer lessons for children and adults, so that you can practice before heading off on your own.
Local Areas
Stevens Pass Nordic Center is located five
miles east of the Stevens Pass Summit Alpine ski area. With 28 km. of
groomed trails, it has something for every level of skier. The center
offers group and private lessons as well as rental equipment. An extra
amenity is a free shuttle from the Alpine summit area to the Nordic area.
Sign up for lessons, without reservations, at the Cascade Depot, which
also has restrooms, food service and a rental shop. Trails are open Thursday-Sunday,
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Drive Highway 2 to the Stevens Pass Summit ski area. Trail pass is
$17 for adults per day. Group lessons are $36 each for classic, $46 for
skate; one-hour private lessons are $55 for the first person, $12 for
each additional person up to three; equipment rental packages are $25
for adults and $17 for youth 7-12 years old. 206-812-4510; www.stevenspass.com.)
The Summit Nordic Center at the East Summit on Snoqualmie
Pass offers classic and skate cross-country lessons twice a day on weekends.
Once you have mastered the basics, you can enjoy more than 50 km. of maintained
trails for all levels. The Lower Cold Creek Trail is the best for beginners.
The trails and Nordic lodge are open Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Drive Interstate 90 to the East Summit. Trail fees are $16 for adults,
$14 for youth ages 7 to 12 and free for children 6 and younger. Rental
packages are $24 for adults and $21 for youth ages 7 to 12. Drop-in group
lessons for ages 10 and older are $35 per person; one-hour private lessons
are $50. There’s also a $45 group lesson or guided tour, which includes
trail fees and equipment rental. 425-434-7669; www.summit-at-snoqualmie.com).
The 120-mile trip from Seattle to Leavenworth
can be a day trip or stretched out for the weekend, if you want to ski
a couple of different trails in the 26-km. groomed system. The Leavenworth
Winter Sports Club offers certified ski instruction at the 8-km. Icicle
River Trail on weekends and holidays. This is the most popular spot for
families as it has easy terrain to navigate, as well as dependable snow
conditions and scenic views, and food service. Children need to be at
least 12 for a one-and-a-half-hour beginning group lesson, but can be
any age for a one-hour private lesson. Just one block from downtown, families
can ski a 3-km. trail at the Waterfront Park. Other Nordic trails are
on the golf course and at the alpine ski area – lighted trails on
Ski Hill are open until 2 a.m.
(Drive Highway 2 to Leavenworth. Trail fees are $12 for adults, free
for children 12 and younger. Group classic lessons are $15 each; group
skate lessons are $20 each; private lessons are $40 each, with $25 for
additional person. 509-548-5477; www.skileavenworth.com.)
National Parks
At Mt. Rainier National Park, make your
way to the Longmire station (about 11 miles before Paradise) on Saturdays
for two-hour classic lessons, available for adults and children 6 years
and older. Beginners learn how to stride, make simple turns, stop, fall
down, get up, and go down small hills. More advanced students learn about
skiing down larger hills and over bumps, as well as telemark skills. Staff
members also offer a four-hour guided ski tour for those who already have
the Nordic basics. This can be a delightful opportunity to see winter
animals up close in a protected and quiet environment. These activities
generally last until April. Trails are not groomed.
(Drive south on Interstate 5 to State Route 512, exit 127; go east
to State Route 7; go south on SR 7 to State Route 706 in Elbe. Go east
on SR 706 through Ashford to the Nisqually entrance, the only one open
in winter. The park entrance fee is $15 per vehicle. Group lessons are
$16 for adults and $10 for children under 12; tours are $20 per person.
Lessons are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sign up for lessons and rent equipment
at the Longmire Ski Shop. 360-569-2211; www.mashell.com/~mtrretail/Skiing.htm).
Nordic skiing is also available at Olympic National
Park, with trails beginning at the Hurricane Ridge Ranger Station.
The road to Hurricane Ridge is open 9 a.m. to dusk Friday through Sunday
in the winter. The trails are not groomed. There are no lessons.
(Take Highway 101 to Port Angeles, and follow signs to the Hurricane
Ridge entrance. The park entrance fee is $15 per vehicle. Visitor Center,
360-565-3130; recorded road and weather information, 360-565-3131; www.nps.gov/olym.)
Resorts
The full-resort Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop
is worth the drive for a weekend. Enjoy Nordic skiing right out the door
with access to 200 km. of groomed trails, the second largest cross-country
ski trail system in the United States. There are group lessons for children
ages 6 to 12 on weekends, as well as private two-hour tours and lessons.
A good deal is a two-day, two night package at the lodge (starting at
$235) that includes lodging, two lessons, ski passes and equipment rental.
(For winter directions, when Highway 20 across the north Cascades
is closed, contact www.sunmountainlodge.com
or 800-572-0493. Daily trail passes are $20 for adults, $10 for youth
ages 13 to 17 and free for children 12 and younger. Group lessons are
$22 each; private lessons are $60 for one person, $35 each for two people;
a tour and lesson is $45 each for three people; equipment rental is $19
a day for adults and $15 for children.)
Whistler/Blackcomb north of Vancouver,
B.C., offers a full ski resort experience with hotels or condos for rent.
A long weekend at Whistler Village offers winter activities for everyone,
from world-class downhill skiing and boarding to cross-country skiing,
ice-skating and tubing. Go this winter to ski the same venue as the top
athletes will in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. With 60 km. of cross-country
trails, Whistler offers lessons or a two-hour guided tour package of the
park where Nordic Olympic events will take place. Moms – there’s
even a women-only clinic! In early 2008, the sliding center is scheduled
to open. This will be the site for Olympic luge, bobsledding and skeleton
events. Choose lodging in the Village for easiest access to activities.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Hilton Whistler Resort and Four Seasons
Whistler offer special programs and amenities for children. They are all
just steps away from Alpine skiing and the bus to Nordic skiing.
(Whistler is a four- to five-hour drive from Seattle. Take I-5 to
the Canadian border, and drive Highway 99 – the “Sea to Sky
Highway” – from Vancouver to Whistler. Trail passes are $16
for adults, $9.60 for youth ages 13 to 18, $8 for children ages 6 to 12
and $32 for families (lesson prices often include trail fees). Beginner
one-hour group lessons are $65 for adults, $49 for youth ages 13 to 17
and $39 for children ages 6 to 12; private one-hour lessons are $99 for
the first person and $75 for each additional person; prices are in Canadian
dollars. 604-905-0071; www.crosscountryconnection.bc.ca/winter.)
Mt. Bachelor Resort in Bend, Ore. is a
prime area for Nordic skiing as well as traditional Alpine skiing. Hotels
or condos offer a variety of lodging for a long weekend. Daily lessons
in classic or skate methods, offered several times a day, are available
in group or private format. The best bargain is a package, which includes
the lesson, equipment rental and a trail pass for just $45 (adults) or
$40 (child up to age 12). With more than 56 km. of groomed trails, there
is plenty of variety for all levels of skiers.
(Bend is about a six-hour drive from Seattle. Drive I-5 south to Portland,
and then take Interstate 84E to U.S. Route 97 south. Take exit 138 to
Mt. Bachelor and go right on N.W. Colorado Street. At the second roundabout,
turn left onto S.W. Century Drive and go 21 miles to the resort. Trail
passes are $13-16 for adults, $8-9 for youth ages 6 to 12, free for children
5 and younger. One-hour group lessons are $35 for adults or children;
private lessons are $65 for one, $110 for two to four people. 800-829-2442,
ext. 2210; www.mtbachelor.com.)
Make this the year to explore another side of nature as you and your family glide along on cross-country skis. It’s a truly different outdoor experience.
Janice Lovelace is a Bothell writer and outdoor lover.
Sledding and Tubing Areas
The Summit at Snoqualmie offers snow tubing at the Summit Tubing Center with machine-groomed lanes, commercial-grade tubes with covers and a tow to the top of the hill. There is a small café on site. Two-hour slots 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sundays. $14 to $19 ages 6 to adult (includes tubes), free for children 5 and younger with a $5 tube rental fee if they would like their own tube, $5 viewing area fee for those who would rather watch. 425-434-6791. www.summitatsnoqualmie.com.
The Leavenworth Winter Sports Club operates Lt. Michael Adams Tubing Park at the Leavenworth Ski Hill. Tubes are provided and a tube lift provides tows to the top. Children must be old enough to ride alone. 90 minute slots 3 - 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sundays. $10. 509-548-5477. www.skileavenworth.com/tubing.
Hurricane Ridge, 17 miles out of Port Angeles, offers incredible views of the Olympic Mountains and two monitored areas for tubing. Sunrise Family Snowplay Area, about one mile north of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, is for children and families, while the Small Children’s Snowplay Area is reserved for ages 8 and younger. Bring your own sleds or tubes (no metal or wooden edged sleds allowed). Food, beverages and restrooms are available at the visitor center. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through March. $15 National Park entrance fee per car. 360-565-3130. The Road and Weather Hotline at 360-565-3131 offers current Ridge information. www.hurricaneridge.com.
Sliding and sledding are permitted at Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park. Bring your own inner tubes, plastic sleds, saucers or other soft sliding devices. Park rangers supervise the Snowplay Area north of the upper parking lot on weekends and holidays, and the Jackson Visitor Center is open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. for warm-up breaks. 360-569-2211, ext. 3314. www.nps.gov/mora.
Some Washington State Parks Sno-Parks offer designated areas for tubing and general snow play. These include Hyak Sno-Park, Lake Wenatchee North Sno-Park and Lake Wenatchee South Sno-Park. Sheltered restrooms are available for changing clothes. No metal or wood sleds; helmets are suggested. Go early – parking lots fill up fast. A Sno-Park permit is required to use these areas – the fee is $10 to $11 per vehicle for a one-day permit or $30 to $60 for a seasonal permit. 360-586-6644. www.parks.wa.gov/winter/parks/nonmotorparks.asp.
– Chris Stay
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