Let it Snow!

By Jan Mares

I like snow. I get excited with the winter weather. I like to play in it. I look forward to the snow. I am grumpy in January if there is no snow. In fact snowflakes adorn my ears, my Christmas cookies, my Christmas tree, my wall décor, and even my bumper sticker. And yes my tote bag and water bottle. I like snow.

What? Why? What do I do in the snow? I cross country ski. And I like it so much I am an instructor at Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center.

I have been cross country skiing for 45 years. Yikes I am getting old. It all started with my high school team when I joined as a sophomore. And I’ve skied ever since. We wore wool knickers and our skis were very long, stiff and wooden. But we had fun.

I continued the hobby of cross country skiing into my adult life. With marriage and four children, skiing was an affordable family pastime. And it still is affordable. Recreational skiers can buy a pair of skis, boots, poles that should last many years. As a family, we were able to make memories with our sport. For example, every Thanksgiving we would go skiing in the morning before our holiday dinner. We also entered a fun festive relay race on New Year’s Day. Some snowy fun. My son and I have also skied under the light of the full moon. The light from the moon made the snow sparkle. Wonderful memories!

As the children grew older I was able to volunteer for the high school team. I learned to coach. I learned more technique teaching skills. And I enjoyed watching young adults learn a lifelong sport.

So what is so fun about cross country skiing? No, it isn’t like running through knee high snow! With proper technique (HINT): Take a lesson or two – cross country skiing is quite enjoyable.

For me I enjoy the outdoors. In the winter, skiing lets you experience the outdoors. Skiing excites the senses. I can hear the birds in the bushes and the river flowing in the distance sounds calm. I can feel the wind playing with the tassel on my hat. I can notice the scent of the pine trees. I can smell the fire in the wood stove that will warm me afterwards. The trees are beautiful with the snow on the branches. The red fox is a stunning contrast against the white snow. And when I am done skiing, there is the awaiting taste of hot chocolate!

There is no traffic in the woods. A chipmunk or two. My knees enjoy the smooth gliding motion of skiing versus the pounding of the pavement. The snowy conditions are a welcome sight for skiing. No slippery roads, just slippery skis.

I have learned to instruct so that I can pass along the opportunity to experience cross country skiing. I want my students to enjoy a wonderful lifelong sport. A lesson can help you get some basics in your “skill set.” This will help alleviate any fears you may have in regards to sliding around on those skinny skis. Technique. Technique. Technique. HINT: A lesson is so worth it! I have given lessons to people of all ages, shapes, sizes and abilities. All have skied away with the something new learned.

Encouragement and excitement are key in my lessons. “Nice glide. That’s it. Wow look at that poling action. Bend those ankles. Try again. Excellent. Relax. You can do it” ...are some of the statements heard as the students apply the lesson. Games on skis are also helpful with instructing. Playing a game of “freeze” tag gets you moving and stopping before you even have time to think that you are on skis. You will see me with my bag of tricks out in the lesson area. Balls, hula hoops, Frisbees, and cones are used to create a lesson full of fun. The curiosity of what we will do with all the stuff is a great motivator.

There are local areas to get out and ski on groomed trails. Cole’s Woods in Glens Falls, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, Garnsey Park in Clifton Park, Brookhaven in Greenfield Center, Saratoga National Historical Park, Fern Park in Inlet, Paul Smith’s College VIC, other state parks or your own backyard are good options. I can even call a friend and we can ski during a snow storms at night. Sometimes these places are groomed and sometimes not. These local areas keep you going during the week.

But nothing compares to a daily, well-groomed trail! Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center (laplandlake.com) near Northville does a super job at grooming and maintaining the snow. Other regional ski areas groom daily as well. Garnet Hill Lodge and Nordic Ski Center (garnet-hill.com) in North River; Pineridge Cross Country Ski Area (pineridgexc.com) in East Poestenkill; Mt. Van Hoevenberg Ski Center (mtvanhoevenberg.com) in Lake Placid; Cascade Cross Country Ski Center (cascadeski.com) in Lake Placid; Dewey Mountain Recreation Center (deweymountain.com) in Saranac Lake; and Osceola Tug Hill Cross Country Ski Center (uxcski.com) in Camden. These centers have groomed trails, lessons, rentals and more.

If racing is your interest, there are some ski clubs you can join. I am a member of the ski club Hudson United Racing Team (hurtnordicskiing.com). Peru Nordic (windbriefs.wordpress.com) is a friendly rival club. I’ll try a few races this season. NYS Ski Racing Association – Nordic (nyssranordic.org) supports the development of Nordic ski sports across the state including biathlon, cross country skiing and ski orienteering. Visit their website for membership, schedule of programs and races, list of all NYSSRA clubs and more information.

Take a lesson. Lapland Ladies Love to Ski clinics for beginner to intermediate skiers in classic technique are Jan. 25 and Feb. 8, and skate technique is February 29. Full-day clinics for women taught by women with lessons, games, lunch and a group ski. It is always fun.

Garnet Hill has group tours that meet daily at 10am and 2pm, plus classic, skate and backcountry ski lessons by appointment. Their Kid’s Club for ages 5-12 meets on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-2pm.

At Mt. Van Hoevenberg, if you’re looking to improve on your skiing skills, Snow Dogs is your best bet. This six-week program covers ski skills and builds a base for exploration and personal growth. Instructors lead this group in two different sessions, classic technique and skate skiing. It meets on Fridays, January 3 to March 1 from 10am-12pm.

Cascade hosts their popular Full Moon Ski Parties with night skiing, bonfires, food and hot chocolate. Dates for 2020 are Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and March 7. 

Dewey Mountain hosts the Tuesday Night Race Series, Saranac Lake Winter Carnival ski and snowshoe races, and the Adirondack Snowshoe Festival on Feb. 22-23 (Sunday events at Paul Smith’s College VIC).

Osceola is dedicated to the best cross country skiing possible. They offer skiing with plenty of Tug Hill snow on 40K of trails groomed daily.

With this wintery weather upon us, consider cross country skiing this season. Try a lesson. And maybe you will be asked these questions: Where were you over the holidays? What did you do after work? Where were you this past weekend? And you can answer with, “I CROSS COUNTRY SKIED!” See you out there on the snow!

Jan Mares (scrimper78@gmail.com) of Saratoga Springs has been a XC ski instructor for 12 seasons and is PSIA certified. She works full-time as a radiation therapist at Glens Falls Hospital. Jan has been married to Phil for 34 years, and they have four children, Carissa, Alicia, Patsy and Seth.