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Want to explore Colorado’s mountains without ski resort lines? Check out this guide to the state’s budget-friendly ski option.

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Ryan Spencer

Joe Kusumoto/Town of Frisco
A family skis at the Frisco Nordic Center. Nordic skiing is a family-friendly activity that can get all ages out on the snow.
Joe Kusumoto/Town of Frisco

Every year, the sport of downhill skiing draws thousands of tourists from all over the world to Summit County’s famous ski resorts: Keystone, Breckenridge, Copper and Arapahoe Basin.

But another form of skiing — Nordic skiing, which is sometimes called cross-country skiing — is both easier to learn and lighter on the pocketbook, costing a fraction of what a lift ticket and rentals cost at any major resort.

Far less crowded than the ski resorts, Summit County’s Nordic centers offer another way to experience the mountains, with more solitude but just as much excitement. Frisco Nordic Center manager Pete Swenson said that Nordic skiing is ideal for those who have never tried a snowsport or are just visiting a snowy climate for the first time.

“Nordic skiing is probably the most accessible kind of skiing for someone who hasn’t done any kind of skiing before,” Swenson said. “For someone who wants to try a snow sport, it’s a great place to start.”

Nordic skiing — which is named after the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland, where the sport originated — looks a lot like downhill skiing. Skis, poles and boots are still the main gear anyone looking to try out the sport will need.

But whereas ski resorts are notorious for crowds, Nordic center trails are comparatively quiet.

Breckenridge Nordic manager Grant Johnson, who grew up cross-country skiing in Summit County, said that peacefulness is part of the joy of the sport.

“I love Nordic skiing because it is a great way to get a total body workout while being out in nature in our beautiful Summit County,” Johnson said. “Anybody can do it, from children to seniors. It is a sport you can do for your whole life, especially if you want to get a little more solitude than the ski mountain. It’s also a bit more affordable.”

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What you need to try Nordic skiing for the first time

For beginners, the best way to get started in Nordic skiing is to rent gear from a Nordic Center, Swenson said. At Summit County’s most popular Nordic centers — the Frisco Nordic Center, the Breckenridge Nordic Center and Gold Run Nordic Center — cross-country ski rentals for adults start at $25 and include skis, boots and poles.

“If you’re on vacation, it’s much easier to rent,” Swenson said. “We have everything from entry-level waxless skis to upper-level skate equipment. So, I encourage people to rent. It gives you a sense of what level to get into the sport at.”

Day passes at the Nordic Centers also start at $30, paling in comparison to the cost of a lift ticket at a major ski resort. The low price tag is part of what makes Nordic skiing a great outdoor activity for families.

“We’re family friendly,” Swenson said. “Nordic center trails are flat and a very safe first-time experience on skis.”

While the basic equipment for cross-country skiing looks a lot like the equipment for downhill skiing, Johnson noted that the clothing for Nordic skiing can look a little bit different. Anyone who wears a down-filled winter jacket while Nordic skiing is sure to find themselves sweating. So, he said he recommends lighter, more athletic clothing.

“As far as the gear goes, it’s skis, boots and poles, just like downhill skiing, but when it comes to clothing, that’s really where it is set apart from downhill skiing,” Johnson said. “Because your body creates a bunch of heat, we always recommend a lot of lightweight and stretchable materials that allow a full range of motion for Nordic skiing.”

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The basics of Nordic skiing

While Nordic skiing can be a physically demanding activity, especially at 9,000 feet of elevation in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, it is a low-impact sport, which means it’s easier on the body and joints than activities like running, Swenson said. The fluid, gliding motions of Nordic skiing come naturally to many people because they are not dissimilar from the motions of walking or jogging, he said.

Compared to downhill skiing, Johnson said the risk of falling is lower with Nordic skiing, and the sport can be easier to learn, in part because beginners start out on flat ground — not on a mountainside with gravity to contend with.

“For most beginners, we’re not trying to go up hills,” Johnson said. “We’re going to practice a glide-and-kick motion, just trying to get around and feel what the motion is. Some people pick it right up, for others it’s a little more challenging. All in all it’s more like a walking technique, so most people pick it up pretty quickly.”

Swenson and Johnson both recommend beginners take a lesson to get started, especially because learning the right technique from the start will make the sport more enjoyable in the long run.

In Nordic skiing, there are two techniques, Johnson said, the classic technique, which is what most beginners learn, and the skating technique, which is more advanced. Starting in a flat area, a Nordic ski instructor would teach a beginner the “glide-and-kick” motion of the classic technique, he said.

“Right foot forward, left foot backward, alternating sides,” Johnson said. “Your feet and arms are going in opposite directions as you’re doing this motion. You kind of bend your knees and glide forward slowly.”

Gliding into adventure

Within one or two lessons, someone who has never touched skis before is usually ready to head out on their own to explore the trails and beautiful views that Summit County’s Nordic centers have to offer. 

Beginners will want to start out on “green” trails, but like downhill skiing there are multiple tiers of difficulty, with blue representing medium difficulty and black representing a trail that is for experts only.

“As far as here in Summit County, the big three Nordic centers are Gold Run Nordic Center, Breckenridge Nordic Center and Frisco Nordic Center,” Johnson said. “They all have great views. But here at Gold Run Nordic Center we have an amazing, wide-open area with fantastic views of the Tenmile Range. It’s just breathtaking.”

As skiers advance, Summit County also offers plenty of opportunities for cross-country skiing outside the groomed trails of Nordic centers. Many people also Nordic ski on the recpath between Frisco and Breckenridge.

For many, Nordic skiing is a rewarding way to experience Summit County’s views and perhaps even catch a glimpse of wildlife.

“People will stop, take pictures, soak it in, like ‘Wow this is beautiful. It’s peaceful.'” Johnson said. “Sometimes you’ll see wildlife, even in the wintertime, moose in the distance, coyotes in the distance, or a fox. It’s really just about being out in nature and enjoying the surroundings.”

For more information on Nordic skiing in Summit County, visit TownOfFrisco.com/things-to-do/frisco-nordic-center/, BreckenridgeNordic.com, and BreckenridgeRecreation.com/rates/locations/gold-run-nordic-center

This story previously published in the 2024 winter edition of Explore Summit magazine.

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