Side Roads Cross-Country and Snowshoeing Getaways by Jim Elder Cross-country ski and snowshoe trails and resorts can be found in every snowbelt state and province. Obviously, there are more of them at or near the major downhill ski centers. That means the Northeast, Lake States, Rocky Mountains, and West Coast. From the hundreds of options, Jeep Destinations has picked, admittedly arbitrarily, several you might have overlooked or that might not show up in the tourist guides. Lassen Volcanic National Park California and Nevada are home to many famous resorts. But the "sleeper" is Lassen Volcanic National Park, east of Redding, California. There you can ski and snowshoe on marked and unmarked trails that range from easy to expert, on white snow next to black lava. Lakes, cinder cones, steam vents, high mountains and deep snow make Lassen Volcanic National Park truly a winter hot spot. The location and the weather extremes common there make a well-provisioned and equipped four-wheel drive vehicle a wise choice. Call 916-595-4444 for more information. Bohart Ranch, Montana The best-known Montana winter resort areas are Big Sky and Whitefish. Bridger Bowl, near Bozeman, is less famous but a powder-skier favorite. Near Bridger Bowl is the Bohart Ranch, strictly a skinny ski and snowshoe operation. There are 25 kilometers of groomed trails, for track and skate skiing. Bohart is a day-use area -- no lodging. Nearby Bridger Bowl and the town of Bozeman offer bed and board. Bohart Ranch can be reached at 406-586-9070. Chena Lakes, Alaska After the devastating floods that hit Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1967, the Corps of Engineers built an extensive levee system upstream on the Chena River. The project also created the 2,000-acre Chena Lakes Recreation Area, a four-season camping, fishing, boating, hiking, biking and wildlife refuge facility. Winter opportunities include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, dogsledding, and ice fishing. Call 907- 451-2695 for information. Kaibab Lodge, Grand Canyon The north rim of the Grand Canyon is mostly closed down in the winter. The spectacular beauty of snow on the red and brown canyon landscape was a best-kept secret, until cross-country skiers and winter hikers discovered, then shared, the wonders of winter on the North Rim. Call the Kaibab Lodge at 520-526-0924 for information on roads, weather and accommodations. Gunflint Lodge, Grand Marais, Minnesota No shortage of downhill and cross-country ski destinations in the Lake States. One of the most remote and most interesting is the Gunflint Lodge near Grand Marais, Minnesota. At the Gunflint, guests can use 110 miles of ski trails, 10 miles for snowshoeing, and ride dogsleds. There are 17 cabins, ranging from two-person cozy to 14-bunk togetherness. The Gunflint Web site is www.gunflint.com and the phone number is 800-328-3325. Many resorts are now on the Internet, as a search will prove. For starters, these three Web sites will provide comprehensive cross-country ski and snowshoe information. www.xcski.org www.xcskiworld.com www.gorp.com/gorp/ activity/skiing/ski_cros.htm Your library, or local bookstore, should have The Essential Guide to Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing in the U.S. by Charles Cook (Owl Books, 1997) This book is as current and complete as any for this fast-growing recreation industry. Copyright © 1999 Jim Elder. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Backcountry On Skinny Skis and Webs   by Jim Elder "The most recent membership list for the Cross-Country Ski Area Association included 207 resorts and inns in North America offering cross-country ski facilities." Enjoying fresh snow. Photo courtesy of Redfeather Snowshoes. In the snowbelt states, backcountry four-wheeling goes into hibernation each winter. Unplowed roads and trails are beyond the capabilities of even the most sophisticated drive-train systems. Chaining up the wheels, shoveling and winching are considered recreation by only a few diehards. Not that four-wheel drive takes the winter off. The truth, of course, is that four-wheel drive often becomes a daily necessity -- for work, commuting, errands and travel. Freezing rain, snow, ice, blizzards -- these are the driving conditions that confirm the wisdom of owning a four-wheel drive vehicle. But there is more to winter than driving safety and security. There is recreation. Downhill skiing has been a high-profile winter sport for 50 years. Many of the better-known ski resorts can be reached via roads that are regularly plowed and sanded. Four-wheel drive is seldom needed. Except when major storms overtax the local highway crews. Those are the times you enjoy short lift lines. The tour busses arrive late or not at all. In the 1960s, snowmobiling grew from a Minnesota/Quebec infancy into a multi-million dollar sport. And 4x4 vehicles were part of this growth. What better way to tow snowmobile trailers over icy roads, into and out of snow-covered parking areas? The winter recreation phenomenon of this decade, however, has been cross-country skiing. Once a fringe sport attracting only racers, diehard winter outdoor enthusiasts and ski mountaineers, "skinny skis" have become mainstream. Cross-country skiing originally meant breaking trail in deep, icy or crusty snow. It meant learning the witchcraft of waxing -- choosing the right wax or combination of waxes for the temperature and snow conditions. Or it could mean attaching "skins" (mohair or sealskin strips) on the skis to climb in snow. The development of "waxless" ski bottoms made these chores obsolete, except for competition. Micro-steps or fishscale patterns molded into the ski base provided climbing traction, yet ran free on level or downhill terrain. About the same time, manufacturers began offering lighter skis and poles and improving bindings and boots. These new skis were narrow, based on racing ski designs, and not suitable for deep or unpacked snow. Clubs, local recreation departments, state agencies, and finally resorts began grooming trails for the growing numbers of cross-country skiers. The stereotyped skinny-skier was a young, low-budget male who slept in his van, ate granola for breakfast and trail mix for lunch, and wore old sweat suits. Then savvy resort owners realized that modern cross-country skiers were often families who had spent several hundred dollars on their equipment and were willing to pay decent rates to stay in first-class resorts or cozy country inns and dine in restaurants featuring a good wine list. The most recent membership list for the Cross-Country Ski Area Association included 207 resorts and inns in North America offering cross-country ski facilities. Add facilities that are not CCSAA members and there are at least 300. This does not include the hundreds of local, county and state trails that are not adjacent to a resort. All provide marked and groomed trails. Most add instruction, ski shops, lodging and meals. Special attractions include hayrides, sleigh rides and parties. At least one inn features a working sawmill, another an orchard and dairy farm, and several are on working maple orchards. (The breakfast pancakes at those inns are not served with supermarket syrup.) Along with cross-country skiing has come a small but growing interest in recreational snowshoeing. No yesteryear trapper, rancher or mountain miner would believe that people can willingly put on "webs" and go out in the deep snow for fun. Snowshoes, too, have gone high-tech. A few purists still use the traditional heavy, bulky wood-and-rawhide models, but light alloys, flexible plastics and precise-control bindings have made snowshoeing almost as easy as walking. What is the appeal? What draws people away from the fire, the TV and the pub to enter the snowy woods and frosty air? Downhill skiing is easy to understand, especially with modern lifts, gondolas and trams to get one up the hill. Skill rewarded with satisfaction, some danger and the rush that comes with gravity-powered speed -- downhill skiing is fun! Cross-country skiing has its moments of gravity gliding, but the skier must match all the downs with ups, assuming that skier wants to return to the starting point. And many urban trails are flat. But they are not slow, unless one wants to poke along, enjoying the fresh air and scenery. Thanks to a short learning curve, even beginners soon master the kick/glide or the "ski-skating" fundamentals and find they can move along the trail with less effort and at a higher rate of speed than jogging. Cardiologists claim that cross-country skiing is one of the best heart sports. Many orthopedic experts consider this sport superior to jogging, running and even swimming for total body fitness. The smooth gliding motion is easy on our overworked knee and hip joints, yet skiing exercises the body more completely. Injuries are rare, and then mostly minor. Perhaps you gave up, or never began, downhill skiing for any number of reasons -- the high cost of lift tickets, expensive equipment, crowds and long lift lines, distances to resorts, acrophobia, or all of the above. And perhaps you now have more time for recreation, need more good exercise, or just want to get out into the woods or mountains for fresh air. Rental skis and boots are widely available. Try skinny skiing a few times, enough to get past the awkward period and into the comfortably coordinated one. Or sign up for a nature snowshoe outing. Park and recreation agencies sometimes furnish snowshoes for beginners or for those without their own "webs." Those cross-country ski and snowshoe resorts, inns and trails are usually not found next to the freeways, however. That means they are Jeep Destinations, especially when the roads to those destinations are slick or deep with snow. Isn't that why you bought a four-wheel drive? Copyright © 1999 Jim Elder. All rights reserved.