I used to think “why try Nordic skiing when you can downhill??” That is until I got to try it out at the Breckenridge Nordic Center in Colorado. Stay with me, because I know this sounds crazy, but I REALLY liked trying it out. One of the biggest reasons was that it doesn’t matter what is happening on the mountain tops. Amongst the trees, it is silent, calm and relaxing. I’m not giving up downhill skiing anytime soon, but I found it so fun to discover another way to enjoy the outdoors in winter. The Breckenridge Nordic Center is a fantastic place for newbies, like me. In this post, I’ll talk about trying cross-country/Nordic skiing for the first time and why you should perhaps add it to your list of things to do in Breckenridge, Colorado.
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Get the Gear and the Pass – Breckenridge Nordic Center
If it’s your first time, it’s probably best to start out at a Nordic Center to be able to rent the appropriate gear and start in track with trails that have marked levels of difficulty, rather than simply going out into the wild. The Breckenridge Nordic Center is inside a handsome and enormous log cabin. There are rentals available, tables for picnicking, and a fireplace for lounging. From the single building, you cannot tell with the trees, but there is an extensive network of trails that unfold in the neighborhood and park just beyond the trees. In addition to rentals, you’ll need a pass to use the trails (or are they called runs here?), just like a ski area.
Learn Nordic Skiing
Once you’ve got the gear, the pass, and a positive attitude in place, you can decide if you’d like to take a class to get the basics down. You have the option of taking a group class, a private lesson, or have a friend show you how to do it. We had the third option, with a friend showing us the general tricks, helping us get the rhythm, and how to slow down when you’re in the tracks or outside of the tracks. The tracks are two parallel lines indented into the snow. The Nordic Center creates these tracks with a snowplow to perfectly fit cross-country skis. I loved being in the tracks whenever I could because they helped keep me straight and not sliding around.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, can’t wait to do it again
- Intensity: Warm base layer, vest, beanie
- Location: Breckenridge, Colorado
- Cost: Adult Pass $25/day, Ski Rentals $23
- Restrooms: Inside the Nordic Center
- Timing: 2+ hours, depending on your stamina for trying something new
Highlights:
- Gliding on top of the snow through meadows
- Comfortable boots and light skis!
- Being out in nature solitude in winter
- Full-body workout
Lowlights
- Can get pricey if you are renting the gear each day
Runs at the Breckenridge Nordic Center
Just like any ski area, the Breckenridge Nordic Center has a series of runs at different levels of difficulty. There are signs letting you know the name of the run and difficulty level. If you’ve never skied before, here is a quick explanation of the different symbols:
- Green circles are the easiest and typically the flattest.
- Blue squares are intermediate with an increased slope during part of the run.
- Finally, black diamond and double black diamond are the hardest and steepest runs.
Our friend led us on his favorite runs for newbies. But the Nordic Center also has a map that you can reference while you’re out on the runs. My favorite areas were along a wide meadow. There, we could clearly see the runs in Breckenridge ski area. Also, the mountain tops and it also had a good potential to see wildlife. Our other favorite run was “Baby Doe.” This is a super short run that meanders through the forest and back up to the lodge. We loved it because we felt secluded in nature while on the run and also because your name was so badass.
My First Time Nordic Skiing
My form wasn’t perfect, but I’d say I picked it up pretty quickly. I found it best to jump in and get the feel for it being on the skis, using the poles, beginning to glide, and eventually, getting the rhythm down. The rhythm I am talking about is the motion of jogging forward while utilizing your poles. It’s easier to get the hang of it on the flats.
Even though we’ve only been doing it for two days, on the second day we did attempt a black diamond run, with some success, however, both Mike and I both fell while trying to go downhill and under a bridge. Even though we felt like were getting the hang of it, but it’s good to realize that we still had a lot to learn. We tried to stay out of the way of more expert cross-country skiers. There were some skiers that were flying uphill with bravado.
Although I recommend that you learn from someone more advanced, I’m happy to share some of my takeaways from my first time Nordic skiing:
- If you’re going downhill too quickly, the best way to slow down is by doing the “snowplow” or “pizza”, where you create a triangle with your skis in front of you
- When going downhill on the tracks and want to slow down, you take one foot out off the tracks and use it like a half snow-plow to slow
- To go up a steep hill, I found the best method was to “duck-walk” with feet with skis pointed outward to use the edge to make small steps
- Your poles should be an assist and not the main source of your forward momentum – I was definitely was over-relying on them the first day and not relying on the sticky scales
Main differences to Skiing
If you ski or snowboard, you’ll likely have a bit of an advantage being used to being on slippery boards in the snow. However, there were a couple of major differences from skiing:
- The skis feel as light as air. Do they even weigh anything? They are crazy light compared to my normal skis. And there are two types of cross-country skis that you’ll see at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. First, the classic skis and skate skis. You’re gonna want to get the classic version. It has little scales that allow you a bit of control while learning and to grab when you go uphill.
- Your heels are free – Freedom! With the ability to lift up your heel, it’s almost like a jogging motion, rather than shifting weight to turn. Combine that with the lighter than air skis, and you feel like you’re floating along.
- Your weight is shifted differently – Since you’re not primarily going downhill, my posture on the Nordic skis was far more vertical. Your upright and extending the leg forward instead of keeping them together at all times, so it was a different vibe altogether
- Less control – although primarily on flat ground, there will be some hills that you’ll need to traverse, I found it hard to dig into an edge and be able to control the super light skis. However, I’m sure the more you do it, the better you will be at controlling them.
- Comfortable boots! Wow, wow, wow! The ankle-high boots used for cross country skiing or comfortable to walk around town in. There’s nothing like the incredibly structured plastic of downhill ski boots.
Making a Day of It
If you live in Breckenridge, it seems like a no-brainer to get a season pass and the gear so you can dip in and use the runs on any given day. However, if you’re only visiting, I recommend making a day of it:
- Pack a lunch
- Take a lesson in the morning
- Take a break with a snack and water
- Try skiing on your own
- Take another break with lunch
- Go out on your own one more time
This is not a speed-demon type of sport. So, take it at your own pace with lots of breaks in the lodge to rehydrate and plan out your next set of runs. Or, if you’re having a blast like we were, go multiple times over a couple of days. We paired our Nordic skiing with other activities that we were already doing throughout the day. When it got too windy or snowy on the mountain, we jumped in the car and headed to the Nordic center.
Overall Thoughts: Breckenridge Nordic Center
Nordic skiing on our first real day in Breckenridge was probably the PERFECT way to help our bodies acclimate to the high elevation of the town. It also got me used to being in ski boots, on skis, and out on the snow before jumping into downhill skiing. With the relaxed pace of Nordic skiing, it was fun to do as a group and learn with my travel partner, Mike. If you cannot tell from the photos, we had a blast.
- Downhill skiing at Breckenridge Ski Area
- Exploring Winter Art at the Ice Castles Colorado
Have you gone cross-country/Nordic skiing? If so, where did you go and did you like it? I’m super excited to try Nordic skiing again but think I want to go to another center with groomed runs. Perhaps somewhere exotic like Norway, Sweden, or Finland?? Let me know in the comments where I should try next!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
