Tag Archives: Snow Mountain Ranch

Whiteout!

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It all started a couple nights ago. We’d gone to Happy Hour at a nearby XC resort with the other volunteers, and afterwards we stepped outside into a world of swirling snow.  It was a harrowing drive back with huge snowflakes flying at us, illuminated by our headlights.  The car was stifling inside with the defroster pouring out heat, still unable to keep up with the ice forming on the windshield.  It wasn’t a long drive but it sure felt that way, and we were greatly relieved when we crept down the entrance to Snow Mountain Ranch.

DSCN0119For the last two days the wind has been relentless. The new snow on the ground is easily whipped into deep drifts and obliterates the surrounding scenery. With gusts up to 40 mph yesterday it wasn’t a day for outdoor recreation. In fact, the wind shut down the entire Nordic ski trail system, wiping out the trails and tracks. The groomers will be a starting from scratch to recreate the trails and set new track.

When I woke up this morning, all I could see from my window was white. Since it was my day off, I’d signed up for a snowshoe hike. It didn’t look like the kind of weather I wanted to venture out in, and I was saved the embarrassment of wimping out on the event by having the organizer cancel it. Apparently he agreed with my assessment of the weather.

Despite that grim start to the day, the sun has come out. It’s quit a tease, making it look nice outside and tempting to reconsider some outdoor activity. But the wind continues to howl and snow blows horizontally outside the window. One look at the distant mountaintops reveals what could be coming our way – more snow and clouds. For now, I’ll continue to hang out by the fire in the lodge.

According to volunteers who have been coming here for years this weather is unusual. It does get plenty windy here, but these strong winds for such a long duration are not the norm. So we can hope that they will subside. It’s been a challenging winter everywhere this year. I guess here in the mountain valley that means wind and whiteouts.

XC Skiing Mountain Style

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The bulk of my cross-country skiing experience has been in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s UP.  I have to say, I think we have some great trails and beautiful settings in our neck of the woods.  So I was very curious to see just how different it would be to ski out in the Rocky Mountains.

Snow Mountain Ranch is nestled in an expansive valley up in the mountains above Denver.  They boast 100 kilometers of ski trails right on campus, and a world-class Nordic Center.  It didn’t take me long to begin exploring.   I think what surprised me most was that many of the trails are out in the open in the base of the valley.  Used to skiing on heavily wooded trails, it’s a different feeling being so exposed.  Unfortunately, the openness is largely due to the advances of the Mountain Pine Beetle, which has decimated the trees in this area of the Rockies, leaving wide open patches everywhere.  Sadly, it is a native bug normally held in check by cold winters, but milder weather over the last decade has allowed it to flourish and kill most of the pine trees.

After the devastatingly cold winter in Duluth this year and record-breaking string of sub-zero weather, it feels like spring out here with temperatures reaching the 40s during the day.  I have piles of warm ski clothes I don’t need – not that I’m complaining!  But with the temperature swings come high winds, and they blow without mercy down the empty valley.  Skiing on the flats feels akin to skiing uphill against the resistance of the wind.  The wind does a number on the trails, scraping any new snow off the top and creating drifts in unexpected areas.  Fortunately, they do groom frequently, and given the chance, I follow the most recently groomed trails.

DSCN0111But the openness does have its compensation in the form of amazing scenery.  Everywhere I look I see mountains, many of them snow covered beauties off in the distance.  The views are spectacular,   particularly when the sun shines and radiates off the snowy mountain tops.  That’s definitely a scene we don’t see out in Minnesota.DSCN0113DSCN0115

 

 

 

Personally, my favorite trails are still those in the woods.  By definition, leaving the valley means a long ascent up the mountainside, but even by a Minnesotan’s standards the grade is reasonably gradual.  Normally I would expect to fly up those hills, skating at a good clip, but at 8,705 feet above sea level the altitude puts a definitive check on my aerobic capacity.  Once at the top, I enjoy winding through both pine and deciduous forests and ultimately making my way back down again.

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Perhaps I’m biased, but I have to say that I don’t think Colorado has that much over Minnesota in its XC ski trails.  But to be fair, I’ve only sampled one trail system so far.  And there is a lot to be said for the sunny mild days and towering mountain scenery.  Maybe I should call it a draw.  And ski for another three weeks, just to verify my first impressions of mountain skiing.

Our new home away from home

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We had a short drive to get to Snow Mountain Ranch today, coming from Loveland, Colorado.  With no snow in sight, and the car thermometer recording 60 degrees as we traveled through Denver, I admit to having qualms about all this.  Could it really be all that different up there in the mountains?  It didn’t look like it as we began our ascent into the hills.

photo 2Fortunately, the higher we went the more the temperature dropped and the snow mounted. We saw snowboarders and back-country skiers on the roadside.  I began to breathe more easily again.  Although it was a balmy 40 degrees when we reached Snow Mountain Ranch, the high snowbanks were reassuring.

We were given a quick tour of the extensive grounds and facilities at the center, leaving us  eager to explore it all.  It didn’t take long to settle into our room.  While small and bare bones, it has a marvelous view of the mountains and is conveniently connected to the main lodge.

DSCN0094 DSCN0095With a free afternoon, we did the only sensible thing – head for the ski trails!  We started at the Nordic Center to get our ski passes and met the first of many friendly fellow volunteers.  They went out of their way to make us feel welcome. This was starting to feel really good.

We planned a short reconnaissance ski, checking out the trails, snow conditions and terrain for the first time.  Rich and I skied together, not pushing ourselves and just enjoying the newness of it all.  We have three full weeks to explore all 100k of trails after all.  We did find that the altitude took its toll – I was quickly winded on the uphill climbs and confess to having to stop to rest along the way.  Hopefully our bodies will acclimate before long.

It’s all still so new to us, but we’re already convinced we’re going to like it here.  Good thing as this is our home away from home for the next three weeks.

The Latest Adventure

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Just four and a half months since we cycled to the end of our Grand Gaspé Cycling Tour, we are on our way to another new vacation experience. This time we have loaded up our cross-country skis and are headed for the Rockies. Although we won't be self-propelled between destinations this trip, we will be “self-supported” during our stay.

Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center

With retirement comes plenty of free time, and an incentive to conserve funds. So when we heard about the volunteer opportunitites at Snow Mountain Ranch, a Nordic Ski Center run by the YMCA of the Rockies in Colorado, we didn't hesitate a moment before filling out the application. When the call came to say we were “hired” we were thrilled. We've never skied in the Rockies before, and are unlikely to spend the big bucks to go there, so it was the perfect solution.

It's a sweet gig indeed. For three weeks we will work as volunteers for 28 hours a week, in exchange for room and board, and access to 100 kilometers of mountain ski trails. They are putting Rich to work in IT, doing a PC upgrade on all their computers. I chose a more leisurely pursuit – working in the craft shop, helping others with their projects. The remainder of the time we are free to enjoy the amenities of the center, most notably the ski trails. For a couple of XC skiing enthusiasts, what could be better?

We have it on good authority that they treat their volunteers well, as they are the life blood of the operation. And in fact most of them return year after year. Some stay the entire winter, but newcomers like us are encouraged to try it out on a shorter term basis. I'm sure they will be checking us out as much as we are them. The staff accomodations are reported to be 60's style motel rooms – right up our alley having spent night after night in budget motels on our cycling trip. And someone else will be doing the cooking – sounds good to me.

We check in tomorrow afternoon. Let the adventure begin!