Where to cross-country ski in Colorado to find affordable fun, great views

2 years ago 349

When Todd Lodwick was increasing up successful Steamboat Springs, it was a no-brainer that helium and his 3 brothers would articulation the venerable Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, which has produced much than 80 Olympians since its inception successful 1914.

And, fixed the costs associated with alpine skiing — whether for recreation oregon contention — transverse state skiing was the affordable mode to go.

“It was the cheapest of the sports that were offered astatine the Winter Sports Club,” said Lodwick, who grew up to go America’s lone six-time wintertime Olympian. “To enactment 4 boys successful a sport, transverse state skiing is simply a reasonably inexpensive mode to acquisition the outdoors.”

Now Lodwick, 45, is successful his archetypal wintertime arsenic Nordic manager astatine Snow Mountain Ranch, which is portion of YMCA of the Rockies. Located 14 miles northwest of Winter Park successful Grand County, Snow Mountain has astir 75 miles of groomed trails erstwhile afloat open. And it lone costs $25 for a time pass.

“You spell to an alpine resort, they’re $200,” Lodwick said. “Our rentals are $25. That is simply a immense gully erstwhile you person a household of six radical who privation to acquisition the outdoors. It’s a precise amusive spot to acquisition the outdoors astatine a reasonably inexpensive cost.”

That’s existent astatine astir of the state’s cross-country destinations. Only 10 miles eastbound of Snow Mountain is Devil’s Thumb Ranch, a rustic, upscale edifice and spa that charges lone $30 for non-guests to skis its 75 miles of terrain. Devil’s Thumb and Snow Mountain are the state’s largest cross-country destinations.

Then there’s Aspen Snowmass, wherever the non-profit Aspen Nordic Council maintains a 56-mile web of trails successful the Roaring Fork Valley that is escaped of complaint to ski. Elsewhere successful the state, astir Nordic centers complaint $20 to $32 for a time of skiing.

Cross-country skiing is wide regarded by sports physiologists arsenic a large cardiovascular exercise, strengthening arms and legs with minimal interaction portion expanding cardiac output, lung relation and improving balance. It’s besides beauteous casual to learn.

Lodwick won a metallic medal astatine the 2010 Winter Olympics, a twelvemonth aft becoming a two-time satellite champion successful the athletics of Nordic combined, which is simply a dual lawsuit combining cross-country and skis jumping. He was coaching astatine the nine successful Steamboat that launched his vocation past outpouring erstwhile helium heard Snow Mountain Ranch was looking for a caller Nordic director. He was beauteous definite “six-time Olympian” would beryllium an eye-catching enactment connected a resume.

“I deliberation it was bully for the Y,” Lodwick said, meaning YMCA of the Rockies. “I play that paper successful precise tiny circles. Is it an earned privilege to usage that card? Yes. But that didn’t travel without hundreds upon thousands of hours of training, getting to the occurrence that I had. This is simply a cleanable accidental to instrumentality the Y to the adjacent level and usage my name, usage what I person done for the Nordic community.

“I deliberation it’s going to bring immoderate clout to what the Y is doing present astatine the Nordic center. It has been a large Nordic center, don’t get maine wrong, but I’m taking it to the adjacent level.”

Already helium has widened trails and added way signage. He wants to amended an country for backcountry skiing and has large plans for improving the Nordic halfway lodge.

“They gave maine the state to make a skis store that had a existent Nordic knowing and consciousness to what a Nordic halfway should be. Instead of conscionable skis, it’s an atmosphere,” Lodwick said. “I deed the crushed running. I wanted to person everything done for this season. I’m coming to recognize that it takes immoderate time. It’s conscionable a truly bully enactment environment, moving with immoderate large people, and they trusted what I had envisioned. It’s been a batch of fun.”

Currently Snow Mountain Ranch has astir fractional of its terrain unfastened for skiing, but that volition summation soon.

The Colorado Cross Country Ski Association sells punch passes ($150) bully for two-day passes astatine each of 9 Nordic centers. The relation besides maintains a website that provides an overview of accusation and links to idiosyncratic areas — but beryllium warned: A batch of its info is retired of day — particularly prices for way passes.

Most Nordic centers besides let snowshoeing and immoderate let fat-tire snowfall bikes. Here’s a directory of Colorado’s champion known Nordic centers:

Aspen Snowmass Nordic Trail System, 56 miles, free, 970-429-2039, aspennordic.com
Beaver Creek Nordic Center, 12.5 miles, $50, 970-754-5313, beavercreek.com
Breckenridge Nordic Center, 18.5 miles, $27, 970-453-6855, breckenridgenordic.com
Crested Butte Nordic Center, 31 miles, $20, 970-349-1707, cbnordic.org
Devil’s Thumb Ranch, 75 miles, $30 ($25 for lodging guests), 970-726-8231, devilsthumbranch.com
Eldora Nordic Center, 25 miles, $32, 303-440-8700 (ext. 68510), eldora.com
Frisco Nordic Center, 16.5 miles, $27, 970-668-2570, frisconordic.com
Gold Run Nordic Center, 18.5 miles, $27, 970-547-7889, goldrunnordic.com
Grand Lake Nordic Center, 21.5 miles, $20, 970-627-8008, grandlakerecreation.com
Keystone Nordic Center, 12 miles, $20, 970-496-4275, keystoneresort.com
Mount Massive Ski and Snowshoe Trails, 10 miles, $10, 970-640-4811, leadvillecrosscountryski.com
Snow Mountain Ranch, 75 miles, $25, 888-573-9622, snowmountainranch.org
Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, 16.5 miles, $20, 719-486-1750, tennesseepass.com
Vail Nordic Center, 10.5 miles, $20, 970-476-8366, vailnordiccenter.com