My family really likes cross country skiing. My children’s first experience on skis was downhill but that’s been on the back burner for several years. Cross country skiing is my kids’ preferred winter sport and they have several friends who share their enthusiasm for it.
One thing I have learned through the years of cross country skiing with my children, as well as coordinating a ski club (a non-competitive, just-for-fun group), is choosing a trail that suits the ability of the kids I’m skiing with on the trail. Taking the features of the area in to consideration is important as well because I want to make sure the kids have fun and stay interested in skiing once we’re on the trail.
My family has never been focused on how much mileage we cover. When the kids were younger we simply needed an open field and a small hill to keep everyone entertained. Now they are middle schoolers, stronger skiers and have a more vocal opinion about the trails we choose to visit. And although the girls tend to make the final decision about where we go skiing, it’s my job to present the options in a way that will appeal to them, and to their friends.
LITTLE HILLS ARE FUN
Our ski group has skied the Mountain Division Trail in Standish together more than a dozen times in the past several years and it’s still a favorite destination. There is a small hill about 1/2 mile from the trail head the kids dubbed "the favorite hill" several years ago because we typically linger at it to play silly games. We have spent multiple afternoons on this one hill skiing through hula hoops (read my blog for more about this hulahoopski). Our ski group is capable of covering more mileage now but when the kids were younger, this made for a great afternoon of fun for all ages.
THE BIG HILL THRILL
Cross country skis are not designed like downhill ones and there is less control with more narrow skis that don’t lock-in the heel of your foot. But as my children will tell you, that doesn’t mean you can’t go down a hill on them. Quite the contrary. These days my kids will deem a trail exciting if it has at least one big hill. A trip to Five Fields Farm in Bridgton this winter offered a special treat with the biggest hill they’ve ever skied down on their "skinny skis." I disgraced myself by choosing to fall down on said hill when I felt I was going too fast for my own comfort level. But the kids did several runs up and down it, quite competently, and clocked their speed at 17 miles per hour with our GPS unit. If you’re unfamiliar with cross country ski speeds, for an average ability skier (i.e., a non-racing type) this is quite fast, hence a big thumbs up from my the kids on that trail system’s "thrill factor."
GET TRAIL ADVICE
If you’re family is new to cross country skiing, you’ll likely want to avoid hills. Typically trail systems will identify novice trails based on the lack of hills and fairly level terrain. Twin Brooks in Cumberland has a groomed open field track and is a great place for new skiers to get comfortable on their skis. Riverside Golf Course in Portland also offers groomed trails on level terrain.
Many cross country ski centers that charge a trail use fee can be worth every penny of their fee for people new to the sport. These centers typically have a detailed map and someone familiar with the trail system to explain options and offer suggestions based on ability and features to ensure your family has an enjoyable experience on their skis.
MULTI-USE TRAILS
Many of the free cross country ski trails options around the state are "multi-use" trails. This typically means that you’ll share the trail with snowmobiles. If you’re going on a trail you know will have snowmobiles, talk to your kids about how you’re going to handle the approaching vehicles. My family skis in a single file on one side of the trail we know has regular snowmobile traffic. In all the years we’ve been cross country skiing, only twice have we ever had a snowmobiler race by us. They are generally a curteous lot and will slow down when they spot a skier. A little common sense and a chat with your children about what to do is all that’s needed to share the trail and have an enjoyable afternoon on the trail system.
FAMILIAR PLACES ARE NICE
This winter the kids’ ski group decided to challenge themselves to cover more mileage on the Mountain Division Trail with a loop around the Otter Ponds and on to the shores of Sebago Lake. Now a bit of distance and a scenic view appeals to them. It’s easier for me to plan a trip on this trail system because I’m familiar with it and know what to expect. If you’re considering taking your kids someplace you’ve never been to, it might be helpful to go on your own first, even to simply walk around a bit to get a feel for things. I took the kids to a trail our first year skiing that I was unfamilar with and found a semi-steep (but very steep to us as novice skiers) hill at the trail head even though the trail was rated for novices. If I’d known about that intial hill though, I would have prepared my kids by telling them we would walk down that hill before putting on our skis. Instead, I had a couple of nervous kids nearly in tears before we even got out of the car. It took some fast talking on my part to explain our walking plan but the rest of that afternoon was spent having fun on some nice level terrain.
SNACK BREAKS
I’ve found it’s a good idea to identify natural stopping points when skiing with kids before anyone actually needs a break. Sometimes that’s a picnic table and/or bench on the trail, or a body of water to watch people ice fish. Typically trails that charge a fee to ski on their trails have some special amenities. During a trip to Beech Hill in Wayne a couple of years ago the kids discovered a warming hut on that trail system. They ate their snack inside, placed a few pieces in an in-progress puzzle and then went back out to ski. They stopped back at the hut multiple times to do the same thing before we headed home. They still talk about how much fun that skiing (and warming hut) adventure was.
ALL ABOUT THE KIDS
I asked our group of cross country ski friends why they liked skiing and what they looked for in a trail. Here’s what they had to say:
"I like cruising on the trails, enjoying the scenery and finding new hills to go skiing down."
-12 year old girl
"I like going distances and if you go on the right trail, you can go on forever."
-10 year old boy
"I just like cross country skiing because it’s easier than going hiking and you can go faster. And I like the hills. You can go really fast on them just like it’s downhill."
-13 year old girl
"I like the fresh air and the scenery and the exercise."
-12 year old girl
"It’s different from just walking and it’s really fun when you get together with a group. And we still get to go fast down hills."
-14 year old girl
"I just like how you just go and all the sudden something cool turns up, like a huge lake like this one (Sebago) and it looks really pretty."
-7 year old girl
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, February 2010
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