Chris Yarsevich

By Alex Kochon

Residence: Greenfield
Age: 46
Family: Wife, Rachel; daughter, Anna; and son, Gavin
Occupation: Industrial Engineer
Primary Sports: Cross-Country Skiing, Running, Hiking, Mountain Biking

Ten years ago, Chris Yarsevich and his wife, Rachel, invited some friends and their kids over to ski in their backyard at their new home in Greenfield Center. They had moved there from Saratoga Springs, opting for six acres to plant roots with their four-year-old child and another on the way. Chris also liked that it was five minutes from Brookhaven Park, the public golf course he often skied on most nights after work.

An avid endurance athlete who co-founded Hudson United Racing Team (HURT) Nordic, Chris taught about eight kids to cross-country ski on his backyard trails. About a year later, with his daughter in kindergarten, he had an epiphany – he wanted to start a real youth ski program at Brookhaven.

At the time, the park’s trails were groomed by a single landowner, Steve Schriber, with his personal snowmobile and a small drag. Steve’s land abuts the park, and he groomed his trails for others to ski on as well as part of the golf course’s fairways.

Chris pitched his idea to former Greenfield Recreation Director Rebecca Sewell. “I told her I cannot run this from my yard and Brookhaven has all this potential,” Chris recalled. “I’d ski at Brookhaven every day, and my ski tracks were the only ski tracks there. It was crazy; this place has great snow, and it was untapped.”

The town went for it, and in 2017, Chris kicked off Greenfield’s first learn-to-ski program with the support of the recreation department. They purchased lights for the trails and youth Nordic skiing equipment to loan to families. Other area program coordinators, including Sean Halligan and Bob Underwood, donated equipment from the Bill Koch Youth Ski Leagues in Saratoga and Queensbury, respectively. “I had a garage full of stuff, and we started fundraising with the help of the town,” Chris explained.

Also in 2017, he started the annual Brookhaven Oktoberfest 5K Trail Run to raise money for Brookhaven Winter Park, a 20K cross-country ski and snowshoe trail system that remains free and open to the public: greenfieldny.org/community/brookhaven-winter-park.

Over the years, most of the funds raised have been through a donation box at the trailhead, Chris explained. The town has matched those fundraising efforts to purchase more grooming equipment, including a side-by-side utility vehicle, a Ginzugroomer ski trail groomer, and last year, a wide-track snowmobile.

The Town of Greenfield Nordic Ski Program peaked with about 65 children last year, 90% of which Chris estimated were outfitted with gear. “The fact that we are a free park and we have equipment to share makes our ski program very accessible to children,” he said. 

The program costs $40, which includes a seasonal rental of skis, boots, and poles for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Scholarships are available, and advance registration is required to ensure there is enough equipment to go around. Chris estimated they have enough for about 60 kids.

For Chris, the lead instructor, it’s always been a family affair, with his 14-year-old daughter, Anna, now helping and son, Gavin, 9, participating. “I guess it was partially selfish because I wanted my kids to be on skis,” he said of his motivation to lead it. “My kids have grown up doing it. Gavin’s still only in fourth grade, so he’s got multiple years in front of him, and Anna’s now on the varsity team at Saratoga Springs High School, so she kind of does it for fun.”

He also realizes that Nordic skiing isn’t the easiest sport to get into. “I think that there are a lot of hurdles to cross-country skiing because you’re only going to do it for two or three months a year, and you’ve got to buy all this equipment,” he said. “Best case, it fits them for two years. So that was one of the reasons I wanted to get equipment and keep the fees really low, so kids could try it out… then they’re like, ‘Wow, this is really fun.’” 

A lifelong skier, Chris remembered his parents taking him to Cole’s Woods and Crandall Park in Queensbury/Glens Falls to ski when he was about four or five years old. Born in North Carolina, he lived in Queensbury, outside of Syracuse, and in Massachusetts as a child before moving to Clifton Park, where he attended middle and high school at Shenendehowa. “My father worked for General Electric, so every couple of years, he would move plants and change jobs,” Chris explained.

Chris cross-country skied in high school and delved deeper into racing as a runner and Nordic skier in college. While attending RPI, he was an assistant coach for the Shenendehowa Nordic team and hiked all 46 Adirondack High Peaks (4,000 feet and higher). He helped start HURT Nordic in 2009 to support his racing and continues to ski, run, and bike in his spare time.

An industrial engineer, Chris met his wife, Rachel, also an engineer who shares many of his athletic passions, at their first job after college. They’ve been married for 15 years. Their children, Anna and Gavin, are avid skiers and mountain bikers as well.

During a snowy season, Chris skis at Brookhaven five or six evenings a week. He prefers the Red and Pink trails in the woods. He leads the Town of Greenfield’s Nordic Ski Program on Thursday nights from 5:45-6:30 p.m. from mid-December through March, weather permitting. About 40 kids came out for the first session of this winter season on Dec. 19, with ample snow for skiing.

“This program grows every year,” Recreation Director Jen Zeisler noted. “Chris is an amazing coach. His enthusiasm is contagious for getting kids active outside to enjoy our beautiful Winter Park.”

Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch agrees. “We could not operate our Nordic ski program without passionate volunteers like Chris,” he said. “Because of him, our park is accessible by all ages, not just grownups. Seeing our packed parking lot every Thursday evening is a great thing.”

About a 20-minute drive and 500 feet higher in elevation from Saratoga Springs, Brookhaven Winter Park often receives and retains more snow than surrounding areas. In addition to 20K of groomed trails for skiing and snowshoeing, Brookhaven also has an on-site restaurant and bar open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday, and a ski shop with rentals open Thursday 9am-6pm and Friday-Sunday 9am-4pm.

“It’s so important for kids to be active outdoors,” Chris said. “It’s amazing to see how quickly a child can advance from a total beginner to a proficient skier in a way that adults don’t.”

Other local opportunities for youth skiing, including national Bill Koch Youth Ski Leagues, exist in Clifton Park (Shenendehowa Nordic Club), Queensbury (Friends of Cole’s Woods/Crandall Park), Old Forge (Polar Bear Ski Club), Saranac Lake (Dewey Mountain), and Lake Placid (Scotts Cobble).

For more on cross-country skiing and ski centers in Upstate New York, check out: adksports.com/2024-12-xc-skiing-snowshoeing. 

Published with permission and contributions from Jenn Ginley, Town of Greenfield.

Alex Kochon (alexkochon@gmail.com) of Gansevoort is a freelance writer, editor, and outdoor lover who enjoys adventuring in the Adirondacks. A journalist and former ski reporter, she has covered Olympics, world championships, and athletes of all calibers. She’s the co-founder of Ride On! Mountain Bike Trail Guide and copy editor for The Orvis Company.