11 hours Ago
AT BEAR NOTCH Ski Touring on Route 302 in Bartlett, a warming hut features a pool table. Vintage snowshoes hang on the wall. A toy black bear clings to a post made from a tree trunk.
Slow cookers are filled with soups of the day. A ski-loving dog named Suzie wags as you come through the door. When this cross-country ski center opened 30 years ago, “We were the only ones that had snow, so we gave people free skiing,” said John Garland, who owns and manages it with his brother, Doug.
“The original donation box is out on the railing.” What you don’t spot immediately is the 45- to 55-kilometer network of groomed trails that meander through woods and meadows, up a hillside and beside the Saco River on a sprawling parcel that was once the Garland family’s dairy farm. “We went from agrarian to tourism.
It’s evolved hugely over the years,” said Doug Garland. “What we have is an abundance of scenic and simple trails for beginners, blended nicely with a group of intermediate up to black-diamond trails. It’s trails for all abilities.
First-timers can go out and shuffle their way along and enjoy it.” It’s a far cry from higher-end resorts designed to attract high-end tourists. “It’s a trip to nature.
It’s a very calm experience. You set your own path,” said Doug. “We’re definitely rustic.
We have the most pristine network of any I know.” “It’s tranquil without a doubt,” said John. “I recently spotted a barred owl on Trail 17.
A lot of people like to come first thing in the morning.” Cross-country skiing is a rolling oasis that spans early winter through early spring, depending upon ample snow. This year, there was an abundance, and most areas will stay open through March 30.
In terms of equipment and ticket prices, it’s more affordable than downhill skiing. A one-day adult day ticket costs around $20 to $25, and season passes run $200 to $250. (Next year’s passes are now at their low point.
) Many people enjoy it into their 70s and 80s. In terms of stress relief and exercise, think of it as taking a sliding jog in a quiet, pleasant, snowy place. The immersion in nature can be as slow or fast as you want it.
New Hampshire is flush with places to go, including rail trails, nature preserves and golf courses where it’s permitted. At least three downhill ski resorts — Bretton Woods, Gunstock and Waterville Valley — have networks of groomed Nordic trails. Jackson XC, perhaps the state’s largest cross-country ski center, offers 100 kilometers with 65 to 70 km groomed, plus snowmaking on a golf course loop.
Mount Washington Valley Ski Touring offers 30 km of groomed trails linking Intervale, Kearsarge and North Conway center. Great Glen Trails in Pinkham Notch, at the foot of Mount Washington Auto Road, attracts locals, active seniors (the median age is 68) plus families who come for an outing that works for most ages and abilities, manager Nate Harvey said. The sport comes in two different forms with slightly different equipment: track skiing, which is mostly for touring at your own pace, and skate skiing, which provides a cardio workout.
“It’s a different motion, a faster-paced style of skiing,” said Harvey, who is known as “Nordic Nate.” “You can cover more distance faster. It’s hard to skate ski at a slow heart rate.
You have to be pretty fit and have good technique. 100%, it’s worth a lesson.” Harvey, who is also a downhill skier, brings his dog on dog-friendly trails — an option at many cross-country ski areas.
He said, compared with downhill skiing, ski touring is “more peaceful, tranquil and relaxing, especially when you can ski through a powdery forest after a snowstorm.” Great Glen Trails has 25 kilometers of groomed trails, including the Mount Washington Auto Road, which caters to fat bikes, snowshoers and cross-country skiers during a one-day challenge in February. There are 25 kilometers of ungroomed trails for skis and snowshoes, with 16 open to dogs.
Great Glen holds Nordic Meisters, which is believed to be the nation’s longest-running citizens cross-country ski race. In early March, Karen Eisenberg of North Conway, an instructor at Great Glen, demonstrated the basics of track skiing: kicking and gliding, and shifting your weight for balance and efficiency. She led a skier across a stream and into the woods on a patchwork of trails with names like Great Grumpy Grade and Fuzzbottom Brake, pointing out animal tracks leading into the woods, including a slide made by otters.
Snowy Mount Adams and Mount Madison towered in the distance. “It’s my favorite sport that I do,” she said. “I can go places comfortably on skis that are quiet, not busy, and just enjoy being out there.
Exercise and seeing what’s out there in nature — it’s kind of nice to do both at the same time.”.
