Make More Tracks

Moree golf courses need to become XC centers

Encourage Your Local Golf Course to Become a XC Skiing Center

If you’re a cross country skier in the U.S. snowbelt states or any Canadian province, you may well have enjoyed a golf course offering XC skiing – not surprising, since there are more than 250 in North America, from Halifax to Whistler, Boston to Lake Tahoe. In my admittedly biased opinion, this isn’t nearly enough. So I suggest that if[Read More…]

by March 17, 2022 1 comment Make More Tracks, Other News
Group Lesson      Source: Jackson Hole Nordic

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH CCSAA

I recently was part of a conference call of U.S. and Canadian cross country ski area operators. The conversation touched on who our guests are, their wants and their needs; whether we’re in a growing business (short and joyful answer: yes!); and what we need to do to create new skiers and to retain past visitors. The questions are all[Read More…]

by February 3, 2022 1 comment Other News, Make More Tracks
Celebrate Winter: Anecdotes and Insights from a Cross-Country Skier’s Experience

Celebrate Winter: Anecdotes and Insights from a Cross-Country Skier’s Experience

Over the past 50+ years, John “Morty” Morton has cross-country skied around the world, been an international-caliber racer and coach, and, as far as I’m concerned (this is homage from a friendly competitor), is the premier Nordic ski trail designer in North America. Morty has seen dramatic evolutions in the sport – from wood skis to synthetic, wool to spandex,[Read More…]

Source: Trapp Family Lodge

Four Bucket List New England Cross Country Ski Towns

XCSkiResorts.com recommends these classic New England towns and areas for a cross country  ski vacation: Stowe, VT, is quintessential New England with its white steepled church and main street lined with stores. It’s also the home of the Trapp Family Lodge of Sound of Music fame. Trapp Family Lodge has a 110 km trail network with 60 km of groomed[Read More…]

New To Cross Country? These Nordic Centers are Great Places to Start.

New To Cross Country? These Nordic Centers are Great Places to Start.

If you’re among the many newcomers to XC skiing, I suggest that you take a lesson. XCSkiResorts.com recommends starting at one of the following locations: Metropolitan Boston — Weston Ski Track, a county-owned golf course accessible by public transportation. Snowmaking guarantees good cover and lights allow for night skiing. A 75-minute session covers the basics (i.e. motion, turning and negotiating[Read More…]

by December 16, 2021 3 comments Home Top Box 3, Make More Tracks, Other News
Wecome to Latigo Ranch

Latigo Ranch: High-Country Nordic

Sometimes life exceeds expectation. That’s what I’ve found with winter ranches in the Rockies. In summer, hundreds of dude ranches draw thousands of visitors. They’re crazy-diverse: homespun and elegant; private and heavily peopled; mostly self-service or with staff at your call. You’ll find Spartan working ranches as well as places with canapés and kidney-shaped swimming pools. The few ranches open[Read More…]

Buying NEW XC Ski Equipment

Buying NEW XC Ski Equipment

For newcomers to cross country (XC) skiing, deciding on the best skis can be intimidating, especially if you don’t want to rely entirely on retail sales people or on-line outlets for advice. The following guidance about selecting and using XC gear is general and intended to help you be an informed consumer. Note that as a rule of thumb, standard[Read More…]

by November 11, 2021 4 comments Gear, Boots, Skis, Make More Tracks
Tips to Buy New XC Ski Gear for This Winter

Tips to Buy New XC Ski Gear for This Winter

Last winter XC ski gear was in demand like never before and all segments of cross country ski equipment sold out, with few or no options for retailers to reorder. There also was an uptick for backcountry gear and snowshoes. Retailers are still experiencing demand and supply issues. Coupled with global supply chain challenges, everything from the components that complete[Read More…]

by October 27, 2021 1 comment Boots, Skis, Make More Tracks
SOURCE: YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITIONS

Yellowstone’s Winter Magic

In 1991, while guiding a small group in Yellowstone National Park, I tried to describe walking outside as the sun rose one February morning near Old Faithful: “Morning light pours over the hills, reflecting off the frost in a blinding cloud of diamonds. Elk and bison shake snow off their backs, stirring after a long night’s chill. Duck and geese[Read More…]

by October 11, 2021 1 comment Home Top Box 2, Make More Tracks, West
Dawn, Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA. Credit: NSNA

Make More Tracks: A Personal Note At The End Of The Season

XC Has Grown In Participation. Hopefully, Make More Tracks Played A Role. The Make More Tracks Resource Guide and series of articles in each issues since October was conceived to provide readers of SeniorsSkiing.com with information to expand their options in the winter of the pandemic. It was intended to provide info and perspectives about mostly XC skiing. As someone[Read More…]

by April 13, 2021 2 comments Make More Tracks
XCSkiResorts.com publisher Roger Lohr and wife Kimberly at Bretton Woods.

Make More Tracks: XCSkiResorts.com Saw Boost

Increased Interest In Nordic Makes XC Site A Place For Information. XCSkiResorts.com was established in 2003 as a major source of information for recreational and travel-oriented cross country skiers and snowshoers and it entered uncharted waters when the pandemic hit. Would anyone want to travel to go cross country skiing? According to site founder and editor Roger Lohr, “The response[Read More…]

by April 6, 2021 1 comment Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: “When All Else Fails, We Still Have Trails”

Make More Tracks: “When All Else Fails, We Still Have Trails”

A Network Of Trails Run By Community Foundation Offers Multi-Use Recreational Activities. The motto above is the moniker of one of the most interesting trail systems I have seen to date. Round Valley, near Park City, UT, is a paradise for cross country skiers, fat bikers, hikers, and dog walkers. The well groomed trails encourage multi- use and 25 kilometres[Read More…]

by March 22, 2021 0 comments West, Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: Favorite Nordic Centers In Colorado

Make More Tracks: Favorite Nordic Centers In Colorado

Small Ranch Resorts And Large Scale Nordic Centers Span The State. [Editor Note: This article by Pete Wilson first appeared in The Nordic Approach.]  In this state of mile-high life, opportunities to elevate your outdoor activities abound. Taking a page from the book of their Alpine resort neighbors, these cross-country ski areas center their offerings around the spectacular peaks of the[Read More…]

by March 15, 2021 0 comments Make More Tracks, West
Make More Tracks: Favorite Nordic Centers In The Northwest

Make More Tracks: Favorite Nordic Centers In The Northwest

Cascadia Contains Cross-Country Resorts Close To Metro Areas. [Editor Note: This article by Pete Wilson first appeared in The Nordic Approach.]  The Pacific Northwest of the contiguous US is a wonderfully strange bit of geography. The Western edge is home to the fjord-filled Pacific Coast, where long beaches and towering seaside rock formations make for otherworldly getaways. Go the other direction, East[Read More…]

by March 8, 2021 2 comments Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: Top Nordic Centers In The Midwest

Make More Tracks: Top Nordic Centers In The Midwest

Here Are Five At The Top Of The List. [Editor Note: This article by Pete Wilson first appeared in The Nordic Approach, the site of the Cross Country Ski Area Association.] Generally speaking, the midwestern states make up an overlooked bit of the country—literally, the fly-over states. And sadly, this wild misjudgment often extends to the world of outdoor activities.[Read More…]

by March 2, 2021 4 comments Make More Tracks, Midwest
Yurts and heated tent cabins accommodations in remote corner of Yellowstone.

Make More Tracks: Yellowstone Expeditions

A Rustic Retreat In Remoteness. When skiers talk about great backcountry, they often cite the Tenth Mountain and Braun systems in Colorado; Sierra Club huts in California; Skoki Lodge, Assiniboine and Shadow Lake in the Canadian Rockies. I’d like to add a new destination, near Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. (Check an atlas, find Yellowstone in the northwest corner of[Read More…]

by February 22, 2021 0 comments Make More Tracks
Nipika is totally off the grid.

Make More Tracks: Sustainable XC Ski Resorts

[Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.] [Editor Note: This article first appeared in XCSkiResorts.com.] Many cross country (XC) ski areas operate in an environmentally-friendly manner, and some of these operators, who are exemplars using the most sustainable practices, are models of sustainability in the effort to combat climate change. The operators at these[Read More…]

by February 15, 2021 0 comments Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: XC Ski Injuries And How To Avoid Them

Make More Tracks: XC Ski Injuries And How To Avoid Them

Either Falls Or Pre-Existing Conditions Can Cause Problems. [Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.] Cross country (XC) skiing is a sport with a very low incidence of injuries for a number of reasons. It’s a low impact sport with low sliding speed, plus the free heel allows twisting if you fall. The ski[Read More…]

by February 8, 2021 1 comment Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: How To Pick Ski Length

Make More Tracks: How To Pick Ski Length

If You Thought It Was Based On Height, Think Again. [Please consider supporting SeniorsSkiing.com with a donation. We appreciate your help. Click here.] Thanks to Jared Manninen from TahoeTrailGuide.com for this advice. We’re curious.  Are readers able to buy cross-country equipment at mid-season?  We’ve heard inventories have been depleted. Let us know.  

by February 4, 2021 2 comments Make More Tracks
Crested Butte Nordic Center attracting alpine skiers who can't get downhill reservations.

Make More Tracks: Cross Country Skiing is Booming Despite COVID

XC Is Hot And Getting Hotter. The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) has been conducting online sessions with its cross country (XC) ski area members since last spring, focused on sharing information about how XC operations should respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions resulted in widespread adoption of plans aimed at minimizing risk of virus transmission for staff and[Read More…]

by January 26, 2021 0 comments Make More Tracks
Freshly groomed XC trails last longer. Credit: North Shore Nordic Association

Make More Tracks: Corrugation For Groomed Trails

The Technical Reason Why Ski Trails Are Corrugated. [Editor Note: This article was written in collaboration with Auguste Lockwood, Yellowstone Track Systems.] Interest in winter recreation promises to grow phenomenally in winter 2020-’21, despite—or because of —COVID-19, and a lot of us are looking forward to more friends and families on more and better groomed trails. One of the subtle,[Read More…]

by January 21, 2021 1 comment Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: Beginning Cross-Country

Make More Tracks: Beginning Cross-Country

Looking For Alternatives? Here’s A Starter Kit For XC. SeniorsSkiing.com has published several articles on getting started in cross-country skiing.  Here’s another view from Breckenridge Nordic Center. We watched all nine minutes and picked up lots of new tips, despite our many years of xc skiing.  Get going!

by January 19, 2021 2 comments Make More Tracks
Make More Tracks: “Tasty” Three Forks Ranch

Make More Tracks: “Tasty” Three Forks Ranch

Luxury Ranch Includes Gourmet Food And Outdoor Sports. I’m a winter guest (or “dude”) ranch specialist – ski at them, write about them, consult with them, love them. Which is a little ironic because when you think “ranch,” you probably also think “horses!” – but I’m a wondrously inept horseman, whatever the season. I’ve been lucky enough to visit maybe[Read More…]

by January 14, 2021 0 comments Make More Tracks
Ski the TOA. Race? Fun? Both? Up to you. Credit: Anchorage Daily News

Make More Tracks: Nutter Butters And The Tour Of Anchorage

Joining A Race Without Training? Hey, It Could Be Fun. In this strangest of times, I think back to the great and diverse and sometimes unorthodox adventures I’ve had cross-country skiing. And although I haven’t competed often, there was this one time, some years ago… As I understand it, you’re supposed to train for a major race. Seems sensible, right?[Read More…]

by January 3, 2021 3 comments Make More Tracks
Bill Koch started skating on XC skis and changed the sport. Credit: ISHA

Make More Tracks: Milestones In XC Skiing

From Wooden Skis, Wax, And Pine Tar Bases To High Tech Equipment in 50 years. Since the time that wooden skis were found in a peat bog in Sweden dating to 2,000 BC, there have been many milestones that brought XC skiing to where it is today. In the USA, the forefathers of cross-country skiing include people like Snowshoe Thompson,[Read More…]

by December 15, 2020 1 comment Make More Tracks