Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Cross Country Skiing: Twin Brooks

The diversity of groomed trails - from the open field track to the wooded trails - made for a fun cross country skiing adventure at Twin Brooks in Cumberland this past weekend. We parked at the trail head on Tuttle Road and explored the trails in that area. There is another trail head on Greeley Road but we didn't make it over to that side because we had so much fun on this end of the trails. A_XCSki_TwinBrooks1_blog.jpg The wide field track was a great way to practice our skate skiing skills and enjoyed the open space to pick up speed while doing it. A_XCSki_TwinBrooks2_blog.jpg Then we veered off the field and enjoyed a nice trek through the wooded trails. Dogs are not permitted on the trails near the Tuttle Road trail head (skiing competitions are held here) but are welcome on the Greeley Road side. A_XCSki_TwinBrooks3_blog.jpg The wooded trails were more narrow and required us to ski in a line behind each other to allow for passing skiers. A_XCSki_TwinBrooks4_blog.jpg There were some hills on the trails but they were small and we all thought that beginner skiers could manage them without too much trouble. Of course my kids loved them, especially because it didn't require much effort for them to climb and ski down a second time. A_XCSki_TwinBrooks5_blog.jpg TRAIL REVIEW Trail: Twin Brooks, Cumberland Length: approx. 10 kilometers of looping trails. Getting there: There are two trailheads for Twin Brooks trails, one on Tuttle Road and the other on Greeley Road. Grooming: Yes. Parking: Yes. Fee: $2 suggested donation. Equipment Rentals: None. Bathroom: None. Ski Level: All Dog-friendly: Dogs not permitted on Tuttle Road trails to keep competition trails open for skiers but dogs are welcome on Greeley Road side trails. Kid-friendly factor: GOOD Kid Rating: Both girls gave this trail 4 stars (on a scale of 1-the worst to 5-the best). 11-year-old: I liked the ski trails and they were nicely groomed. I liked skiing through the forest. 10-year-old: I liked the pretty trees covered in snow in the forest and I liked going down all the small hills. I liked the classic ski tracks in the field. The trail was a little too narrow in the woods so we had to watch out for other skiers. We sometimes had to wait for other skiers to go by so we could ski next to each other. Photos from the trail: On the trail at Twin Brooks Directions to Tuttle Road trail head:
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