skiing is good for you

Get Out and Have Fun!

By Alex Kochon

Cross country skiing is fun to learn, healthy, family-friendly, accessible, affordable, and it offers great variety! It uses natural movements – doesn’t require special skills to get started and has a short learning curve. Just an hour or two spent being coached by a professional instructor will give you the skills needed for a lifetime of fun!

For cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, Lapland Lake XC Ski & Vacation Center near Northville, offers lodging and a ski lodge with a retail and rental shop, plus indoor seating, dining, and a food truck on busier days. The Ladies XC Ski Clinics are returning to Lapland for beginner to intermediate skiers ages 18 and older. This all-women ski program, which is grouped by ability and taught by PSIA-certified female instructors, includes a classic-skiing clinic on Jan. 20 and skate-skiing clinic on Feb. 3. Advance reservation is required. To register, go to “Ticket” section of their website. A six-week Youth Skate Ski Clinic is for ages 8-14 of all abilities to introduce them to the technique and improve. There will also be a Youth Festival on Feb. 11. Visit: laplandlake.com.

The Garnet Hill Lodge & Outdoor Center in North River has Michele Pearsall back as its new manager this season, and she’s an experienced guide in the Adirondacks for various outdoor activities. The ski and snowshoeing trails and retail/rental shop are open, as well as its Bobcat Lounge & Sugar House on weekends. The Sugar House out on the trails will have hot beverages and maple snacks. Up on the hill, their Log House Restaurant is open daily for breakfast for lodge guests, lunch/dinner is open for all, and happy hour on Fridays. More info: garnet-hill.com.

In Lake Placid, Mt. Van Hoevenberg has been rolling out snow and grooming as much as possible since Thanksgiving. When fully open, Van Ho has 55K of trails that are groomed daily for all abilities, including 4K of world championship rated trails. The Mountain Pass lodge offers a restaurant, ski shop, equipment rentals and more. Visit: mtvanhoevenberg.com.

At the Gore Mountain Nordic Center, the North Creek Ski Bowl offers a groomed 5K trail network with snowmaking and lighting to extend your snow-time into the evening hours. The stadium layout provides an ideal training and racing venue. You can also explore a scenic overlook, challenging hill climbs, descents, and different loops. There are recreational trails available, plus equipment rentals and lessons. Visit: goremountain.com.

A gem in the Town of Greenfield, Brookhaven Winter Park, 10 minutes from Saratoga Springs, it offers about 20K of XC ski trails that are groomed for classic and skate several days a week. There are also two snowshoe loops.  These trails are free and open to public use. In the clubhouse, The View, is a full-service bar and restaurant. They have expanded park events, including a learn to ski program, Brookhaven 5K Snowshoe Race on Jan. 21 – followed by a fun Family Winterfest Celebration! On Jan. 27, there’s a Full Moon Party for adults with skiing, snowshoeing, bonfire and spirits. Visit: facebook.com/brookhavenski. 

In Glens Falls, Cole’s Woods is another community park that transforms into a winter wonderland when it’s blessed with natural snow, Cole’s Woods in Glens Falls has a lighted 5K loop, which is groomed as needed by volunteers, and it has free Thursday Night Winter Races on January 18 and 25 and February 1 and 8 for skate skiers, classic skiers, and snowshoers of all levels. The Friends of Cole’s Woods has just completed a new Hadley Loop, plus added new grading, 20 poles, four dozen lighting fixtures, and underground wiring so no more problems with winds taking down the above ground wiring. See the website for their new map. More info: friendsofcoleswoods.org.

Based in East Poestenkill, Pineridge, just east of Troy, this cross-country ski area is situated at about 1,746 feet above sea level, a prime spot for natural snow, with views of the Taconic Range and Mount Greylock – celebrating its 40th season in business. In addition to offering day rentals and lessons, Pineridge has season-long equipment rentals for children. Visit: pineridgexc.com. 

In Saranac Lake, Dewey Mountain has Youth Ski League and Adult XC and snowshoe programs beginning in early January. They’ve got lighted night skiing, a modern lodge, groomed and ungroomed trails, rentals – and it’s only $5 per day – and many great programs and events. Visit: deweymountain.com. 

The ADK Cascade Welcome Center is a year-round outdoor recreation and information center. The 12-mile trail network is groomed for classic skiing and snowshoeing. The lodge also is a full-service ski shop with rentals. ADK members can ski for free, and day passes and season passes are available. Visit: adk.org. 

The vision of High Peaks Cyclery owner Brian Delaney, Scotts Cobble Nordic Center came to fruition last year with a newly repurposed 10K community XC trail system on the Craig Wood Golf Course in the town of North Elba. Once a small downhill ski area, the new Scotts Cobble features lighted, dog-friendly trails for day or nighttime cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and sledding – with rentals available. 

Scotts Cobble hosts weekday after-school programs, and upcoming events include a Nordic Demo Day on Jan. 20 with Fischer ski reps and more, a Full Moon Ski Party on Jan. 26 with lighted skiing, a bonfire, and “This is Telemark” film with NoCo Kneedroppers – spreading the stoke of tele skiers! There will be another Full Moon Party on Feb. 23 featuring the new Kikkan Randall film. The clubhouse serves as a lodge with restroom facilities and lights have been installed along the 10K trail system. Visit: highpeakscyclery.com.

The Paul Smith’s VIC, operated by Paul Smith’s College, just north of Saranac Lake, offers XC skiing and snowshoeing, a ski school, snowshoe and ski rentals, a café, and access to the Jenkins Mountain Open Woods Ski Zone. Visit: paulsmithsvic.org.

In Tupper Lake, the James Frenette Recreational Trails connect the Tupper Lake Golf Course to Big Tupper ski area. The six main groomed trails offer a variety of terrain and scenic vistas, and lighted night skiing. Visit: tupperlake.com.

Inlet and Old Forge – Inlet offers miles of free, groomed trails for classic and skate skiing at Fern Park (22K), Inlet Golf Club (3.5K), and Limekiln Lake Campground (3.5K). Fern Park has some climbs and descents, plus 2K that are lighted until 10pm. More info: inletny.com. In Old Forge, McCauley Mountain Ski Area has 2.5K, 5K and 7.5K of cross-country ski trails. Depending on conditions, the trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing. More info: mccauleyny.com.

Other Opportunities – For those interested in racing this winter, NYSSRA Nordic offers races for all ages and abilities, beginner to expert, including Club Series, Points Series, Junior National Qualifiers, NYSSRA Nordic Championships, and a Youth Ski Festival. NYSSRA also sponsors several Bill Koch Youth Ski Leagues for children to learn the sport, with programs in Clifton Park, Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Old Forge, Tug Hill, and others in western New York. More info: nyssranordic.org.

The inaugural ADK Tour de Ski, a new exciting XC race series had a great turnout with all levels and ages of skiers for the first race at Mt Van Hoevenberg on Dec. 16. It features six venues and multiple distances so you can race (or tour) hard and spend a day or weekend in the spectacular Adirondacks. Upcoming races are Frenette Trails in Tupper Lake on Jan. 14, Dewey Mountain in Saranac Lake on Jan. 20, Scotts Cobble in Lake Placid on Feb. 10, Cascade in Lake Placid on Feb. 25, and the Paul Smith’s VIC in Paul Smiths on March 10.

Winter fun is here, now get outside and ski!

Alex Kochon (alexkochon@gmail.com) of Gansevoort is a freelance writer, editor, and outdoor-loving mom of two who enjoys adventuring in the Adirondacks.