In this Issue
January 2005

Nordic Nomad
By Tim Kane

Tim Kane

Pro Nordic Centers Within Driving Distance If you desire rentals, lessons, and a more controlled environment where ski patrols, well marked and professionally groomed trails, and warming huts and lodges to eat lunch and warm the toes exist, then you may want to consider the following ski touring centers that are within a two-hour driving distance one-way from Brookfield. Windblown Cross-Country Ski Area Routes 123 & 124 New Ipswich, New Hampshire www.windblownxc.com (603) 878-2869 Fabulous skiing! Prospect Mountain Cross-Country Ski Center Route 9 Woodford, Vermont www.prospectmountain.com (802) 442-2575 Prospect Mountain maintains 30+ kilometers of trails. When the snow begins to fall, the trails are expertly groomed for both skate and classical cross-country skiing. Most trails have tracks set on either side with a wide skating lane in the center. There are also special snowshoeing and classical skiing trails. Trail difficulties range from beginner to extreme expert. There is an extensive backcountry trail system which extends from Prospect's trails through the Green Mountain National Forest. Bucksteep Manor 885 Washington Mountain Road Washington, MA www.bucksteepmanor.com 413-623-5535 Turn of the century 400-acre estate, now an inn and conference center. Located in the heart of the Berkshire Hills. Butternut Cross Country Route 23 Great Barrington, MA butternutxc@aol.com 413-528-0610 The perfect choice for families who want to combine cross country with downhill skiing. Ideal for a weekend getaway in the Berkshires. Maple Corner Farm 794 Beech Hill Road Granville, MA 413-357-6697 Explore this 500-acre family farm. Scenic trails for all abilities through fields and forest. Professionally groomed for traditional and skating. Close to Springfield and Hartford. Northfield Mountain XC 99 Millers Falls Road Northfield, MA www.nu.com/Northfield 800-859-2960 With easy access from Boston, Hartford and Worcester. Northfield offers grooming, outstanding trail design and a friendly staff. Trails for all abilities. Notchview Reservation 83 Old Route 9 Windsor MA 413-684-0148 Traditional xc skiing on a 3,100-acre reserve. 2000-foot elevation means better snow. Wide variety of scenic trails through forest and field. Trail side shelters. Stump Sprouts 64 West Hill Road Hawley, MA www.stumpsprouts.com 413-339-4265 Hand built lodge, fireplace, cozy bunkrooms, recreation room, magnificent vistas, sauna, real home cooking, vegetarians accommodated, high elevation. Open year round for weddings, retreats, and reunion. Weston Ski Track PO Box 426, Weston, MA www.ski-paddle.com 781-891-6575 Snowmaking on the banks of the Charles River provides skiing and snowshoeing 20 minutes from downtown Boston. Skate and classic, novice or experienced can enjoy until 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and until 8 Friday and Saturday. XC Resources http://www.xcskimass.com/conditions.shtml http://www.nhliving.com/xcountry http://www.vtliving.com/xcountry

Greetings fellow cross-country skiers, and those who have thought about the recreational sport but never gave it a chance. With a little prodding and support here, I hope to expose you to a sport my wife Danielle and I simply cherish.

I generally ski an average of 30 outings per snow season so there will be plenty to talk about online each week as conditions change, and more in-depth in each print edition of The Citizen. Each time I ski a new location, I will log an update online.

Everyone says you need a strong six inches of snow to make a go of it on cross-country skis. I say baloney. The three inches of heavy, wet granular we received just before Thanksgiving didn’t deter this Nordic Nomad from strapping on the rock skis, and taking a quick whirl around the beaver pond out back. Later that fall day, I journeyed over to the new rail trail on the Southbridge/Sturbridge line at Westville Dam for part 2 of the adventure. You definitely had to look out for branches and rocks, but because the snow was dense, and my weight is down 40 pounds from last winter, I didn’t sink in as much. It really wasn’t that bad. Actually, the best place for lean snow cover conditions can be found at area public golf courses, if management will let you on, of course.

There’s nothing like a good old nor’easter to liven up the spirits of dormant cross-country skiers. The weather guy warned us to be prepared for about 70-80 inches of snowfall, with more moderate temperatures this season. I’ll take it since we barely got 50 inches last year, with weeks of below arctic temperatures.

Locally, state parks and conservation areas really offer great opportunities to hone your skills as a beginner, or explore a more challenging back-country adventure (my favorite pastime).

Free Places to Ski
The quickest commute and most expansive free area next to Brookfield is Wells State Park on Route 49 in Sturbridge. The park is a relatively safe, easy place to kick into the winter season. Since hiking is a real popular pastime at the 1,400-acre state park, skiing and snowshoeing work perfectly on most of the 10 miles of trails here. There are four main systems at Wells for winter-time use, including Mill Pond Trail, North Trail, Mountain Road Trail, and South Trail. A popular route leads to the scenic vista at Carpenter Rocks from which the eastern section and Walker Pond can be viewed. Some of these trails are used by snowmobiles, which makes for great grooming when there’s enough snow. Otherwise, I advise you to bring your rock skis.

Some of the best skis last year came on local, un-groomed, isolated, free open space areas. Conservation forests such as Barre Falls Dam, Brookfield’s Wolf Swamp Wildlife Management Area, Douglas State Forest, Westville Dam (especially with their revamped Grand Trunk Trail and two additional footbridges over the Quinebaug River), and Nipmuc State Forest in Union, Conn. were all memorable adventures.

Tip of the Month
Wear bright colors. Don’t dress like a deer. It’s hunting season out there still, especially on state land. Be sure to let out a good holler every couple hundred yards to announce your presence.

Tim Kane is the editor of the Worcester Business Journal, and former executive editor of the Southbridge Evening News and its five sister weeklies. He has been an avid cross-country skier and outdoorsman for most of his life. Email him your best places to ski tips at tdkane@charter.net.