My wife and I are both Alpine skiers. This year we decided to take an extended weekend vacation and try some Nordic skiing.
We are looking for a nice nordic ski center with decent accomodations,food and instruction and rentals.
Where should we go???
Btw we are on the East coast so prefer North East.
Thanks for the help.
Check out Lake Placid. We cross countried there in 2000. Don’t remember the details but I’m sure they can help.
If you’re flying, Maplelag, MN has been great for me. Little pricey for the midwest, but awesome accomodations, great trails, and very secluded. 25 person hot tub, 3 different types of saunas (dry indoor, steam indoor, and outdoor wood furnace - and they occasionally cut a hole in the ice), massuse on hand, the owner of the resort is an avid skier and biker (won Chequamagon at least once).
10 years ago, the resort burned down and he basically used the insurance money to build the ultimate resort with a Nordic flare. They feed you breakfast and dinner for sure (I think lunch too)… not a continental breakfast… the owner and his wife usually prepare the meal themselves for all the guests. GREAT FOOD and good for for skiing all day.
If you feel like heading west, check out Royal Gorge. Stay at the Rainbow Lodge. Top notch trails and instructors.
My wife and I just spent four nights at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Colorado. Very nice area, excellent grooming, very good Nordic Center. Easy drive from Denver Int’l. Highly recommended. High elev. is an issue though. Base is 8600’.
Having skied at possibly most of the resorts in the northeast, I’d say look north to Canada- Mont Saint Anne. It’s been voted the 2nd best resort in North America, after Royal Gorge, I believe. Certainly the best in the “northeast.”
Right now the conditions can’t be beat (just got back from a week there)- beautiful trails and terrain (although being a beginner you may not get to use their entire trail system). They rent good stuff from what I could gather- not just slow touring gear. Can’t comment on their ski school, although I would assume they have some pretty competent teachers. I would also assume they speak english since most people are bilingual up there.
You’re right next to their downhill trail system, so you could do a day or two there for a break. Additionally, Quebec city isn’t too far and it has a very cool european feel to it.
For an awesome Nordic ski adventure, book yourself a remote Yurt on a night with a full moon and ski in during the night. Many guided tours come with a gourmet chef who will actually haul in the food and drink for you. These tours are usually booked solid this time of year, you have to make reservations early.
My fav place to XC ski is Harriman State Park in Idaho. Not exactly North East but if you ever get out west you’ll have to check it out. The park is less than an hour’s drive from West Yellowstone, another great place to ski. I think Yellowstone is limited in the winter but I think they have guided tours to some of the parks attractions. Nothing is prettier than Yellowstone in winter.
We skiied in just about every place in the NY-New England area. Some places that you might want to consider are:
Lake Placid-there is nothing like skiing in and out of an Olympic stadium, there is a luge that you can try, and there is a speedskating oval available at night. I consider Lake Placid a sports area for persons with ADH.-this place never stops!
Craftsbury-a very classic ski area, very quiet, just the opposite to Lake Placid.
St Anne-a bit of a drive, beautiful terrain, some decent food and very nice accommadations near the trails-I hate driving to the trails.
Check these out. definitly take a skate lesson as you will learn to skate faster and with better technique-think swimming! Have a great time as you are in for an absolutely wonderful experience.
Jackson, New Hampshire is great. Lots of variety in trails. Skating or Classic, take your pick. Plenty of accomodations. So “Quaint New England” its almost cliche.
I don’t know where you are, but I like the Domain Ste Bernard network at Mont Tremblant. It is fabulous. Stay at the Grand Lodge, which has the trail network come to its doorstep, or drive 5 min to the main XC ski start area. As someone else mentioned, you can also go to Mont Ste Anne. Stay near the base of the downhill resort, and there are a couple of XC ski trails that start from there, but the preference would be to drive to the main XC ski lodge around 7K away in Ste. Ferriol Les Neiges.
Closer to home, you can stay in my city (Ottawa), and XC ski daily in Gatineau Park (200K of trails), and you can also skate or speedskate on the Rideau Canal (8K long).
Ski Conditions
http://www.capcan.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16299-10170-16405-28595&lang=1
Canal Ice Conditions
http://www.capcan.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16299-10080-10081&lang=1
You won’t get the typical ski resort feel if you do this, but if you stay at the Westin, or Fairmont Chateau Laurier, you’ll be right at one end of the canal, close to lots of shops, restaurants and nightlife, and still only 15 min drive to the start of XC skiing, and also 5 min walk to Parliament and the National Art Gallery. Your 100 US Dollars will still be $115 CDN, so its still a small bargain, but not like the days when you could by $135 CDN.
Since I get to do the above pretty well daily (the skiing or speedskating), I go to Mont Tremblant, but I think if you have never been here, its better than Tremblant.
Dev
given the poor snow in the northeast this season, you definitely want to factor in the conditons wherever you go…yes, there may be snow on many trails, but it really isn’t the same thing as having a winter wonderland experience with bare roads and fields and brown parking lots…the further north the better…
No brown fields and bare parking lots here in Ottawa. Its the full winter experience :-). Same in Tremblant and Mont Ste Anne.
By the way, does anyone know if there is snow in Boulder? I will be in Longmont Colorado for work next week and I am thinking of packing my XC skis so that I can squeeze in a few sessions on snow early morning.
Dev
I personally either go to Crafstbury or Von Trapp. Both have them have lodging, rentals and lessons for both classical and skate. If you get bored at one, you could always drive to the other, but will be highly unlikely. I personally prefer Trapp because there tend to be less people and I like the trails better. But that’s me and I typically would go in the middle of the week. I’ve not been this year, so I do not have first hand knowledge of the conditions. They just had the Craftsbury marathon this past weekend, so there is plenty of snow coverage.
check here Dev www.bouldernordic.org
I will be out there till Tuesday, maybe we can ski sometime Monday?
Kurt
I was at Trapp’s Saturday and it was good, not outstanding/great, but good to very good. I also vote for Trapp’s in Stowe, VT for the OP’s question. You are truly staying right at the resort, ski in/out of your room and a whole pile of trails. if you get bored with Nordic you have the whole Stowe thing going on right next door. I would, however also strongly consider the Canadian alternatives, but if you are staying in the US, go to VT.
Give Whitegrass in Canaan Valley, WV some consideration. It’s probably the closest true nordic ski area to you.
And since you are alpine skiiers there are 2 downhill areas within 10 minutes of Whitegrass. (Timberline and Canaan
Valley). You could drive up, rent a small house or a cabin at the CV State Park, and have 3 areas at your disposal.
Don’t doubt the quality of XC skiing in WV. Right now its rocking with over a foot of new powder in the last 3-4 days.
Whitegrass is a very well run area with a great low key staff and wonderful healthy food. Check out their daily report
on the web at www.whitegrass.com
What Dev Said.
Also would throw in the Chateau Montebello east of Ottawa/Gatineau.
Personal preference is SilverStar Mountain in the interior of BC. They have world class Alpine AND Nordic skiing right there - ski right from your doorstep wether nordic or alpine skiing.
Thanks everyone…
Looks like given the snow conditions of this year we will end up in Canada either Quebec or Ottawa…
I second Fleck’s suggestion of the Chateau Montebello in Montebello, Quebec. Except not on the weekend of Feb 10-12 because it’ll be packed that weekend for the Canadian Ski Marathon.
I’d go to Montebello just because of the Sunday brunch. As a kid we’d drive up there from Ottawa just to eat. Nothing like your parents being okay with you having chocolate cake for breakfast.
Was at Silverstar and Sovereign over Christmas. The artesian water stop on the side of the road up was great but I was really unimpressed with Silverstar. (Just my opinion mind you - and given the reputation of the place for world-class athletes, you ought to take it with a grain of salt.) It seemed like half of their XC trails wind through their downhill trails. There are virtually no signs warning the downhillers to look out for the XC skiers and I felt like I was playing Frogger out there!! The worst part was when I was hit by a snowboarder who damaged my brand new skis. 
For a holiday, I’d go for a stay in Canmore/Banff over Vernon. Plenty of xc options, great scenery and also the chance for some good downhill.