Weekend of Nordic Skiing! February 1st and 2nd, 2020

It is hard to explain to people that don't love cross country skiing as much as me, but being outside somewhere on my Nordic skis gives me so much joy and happiness.  It's like my heart belongs on the trails and in the mountains.  I feel like Maria from the Sound of Music!

My Happy Place!  - Devil's Thumb Ranch 2-1-2020

My love of being in the outdoors seems to expand to any sport that included gliding and moving forward actually!  It's made me understand adult figure skaters more since they are so passionate about skating and can't get enough of it.  Being on skis gives me that same sort of high, but of course, I still like to skate even though I've done it for over 50 years!

Anyway, my sweet husband Dan took me to BOTH Devil's Thumb Ranch (near Winter Park) and also to Eldora Ski Area (near Boulder) this weekend.

I skied from the moment I got there until the places closed.  I think if I'd had more light I would have even skied longer.

At Devil's Thumb, I should have worn my skating skis since my "hike" would have been shorter, but I had a wonderful day venturing into the hills on my metal edge nordic skis on a black trail that was described "For Experts Only" and skiing down.

I headed out on Blue Extra, went up on Swindler, did all of Double Pole, the hiked up Disco and Lactic Grand.  I knew "what goes up must come down" and ended up skiing down a really steep hill on Lactic Grand.   Then I skied down Wesley which was still black but easier and then took the Sawmill Loop back to Blue Extra which took me back to Ranch Walk and to the Nordic Center.  It was a great five hour adventure!

Devil's Thumb - I climbed up this hill and skied down the other side.  The down part was so fun!

We would have been there earlier, but we have discovered that the traffic going into the mountains from Denver on I-70 on Saturday morning is always bad.  We left at 5:30 am from Larkspur and didn't arrive to Snow Mountain Ranch until 10:30 am.

Even though it took a long time to get there, I really loved my day at Devil's Thumb.  The Saturday before, we did not arrive at Devil's Thumb until about 12:30 pm, so I ran out of time, but did take Ranch Walk to Monster Cookie and Black 10 and down Meander.  Then after a brief rest, I headed on Blue Extra and then went up and down Coyote and then took went on Meadow and Blue Extra to part of Left Field and then headed back to the lodge.  My two times at Devil's Thumb were good and I hope to go back again.

At Eldora, I went up 17th Avenue and the went to Snow Cat and skied down the alpine trail. I then hiked to the top of 17th Avenue and went down Deadman’s Gulch to Zarengo Loop. After Zarengo Loop, I did Jenny’s Loop. Then I hiked up Deadman’s Gulch. I cut across on Jaszure and Gandy Dancer and the went down 17th Avenue. I then changed to my skating skis and hiked back up and went down Annie B’s and did the Buckeye Basin blue loop and skied down Mill Iron and Sawmill and Dixie and then went back down 17th Avenue. It was so beautiful and fun!

The drive to Eldora is way shorter than Devil's Thumb and the two nordic ski areas are very different.  Devil's Thumb is very spread out and even though there are hills, the are miles of flat open spaces.  Eldora is really on a hill and so the trails take you up into the hills.  I like both places, but I may like Eldora better.  The word "cross country" may not be appropriate for Eldora since there is much more a feeling of climbing and descending there and those who go there feel like they are in the woods and mountains.

Also, Eldora is right next to alpine skiing so some of the trails take the user onto the alpine runs which is really fun.




I also met a “kindred spirit” on the trails in Eldora on Sunday. Liz a speech pathologist from the Denver area wants to meet me at different Colorado nordic centers and also downhill ski with me at Ski Cooper. All I did was ask her to take my photo and we became instant friends!

People you meet on Nordic trails tend to stop and talk.  They are interested in hearing about your day on the trails and why you Nordic ski.  They like being out in the wilderness and seem to really enjoy hiking.

I like being able to go miles and miles while gliding and I absolutely love hiking up because I get to ski down!  I don't have to be in lift lines or on chairlifts ao I get the spend the entire time moving.

Liz - An Outdoor Person Who I Met at Eldora - a "Kindred Spirit" - We plan to ski together in March 2020!

At Devil's Thumb I met two couples.  One of the couples, Lou and Lorraine, were on vacation for a week from Pennsylvania.  Apparently there was not enough snow in P.A, so they had spent a week at YMCA's Snow Mountain Ranch. The other couple I met, were from the Denver area and were new to cross country skiing.  The week before they had nordic skied for the first time in Eldora, and had reserved an Airbnb for the weekend and were trying out Devil's Thumb.  We met on the most wonderful green trail, Double Pole.  At Eldora, I met a few groups of friends who were just enjoying being out in the wood together.  That is part of the fun too...just all the friendly people I meet while skiing.

I find that each time I'm nordic skiing I can't help but feel like I am on a mini-vacation.  Yes...it's one of my passions!