The Uncompahgre Nordic Association debuted a new network of cross-country skiing trails on the night of Jan. 6, welcoming about 60 people from the greater Montrose area to inaugurate the freshly-groomed tracks beneath the light of a full moon. Well, at least, until the weather set in.

“The full moon didn’t come out because we had a pretty good snowstorm up there,” said Gary Shellhorn, president of the newly formed association.

So instead, volunteers placed tiki torches along the trails, located in the Uncompahgre National Forest, and wrapped trees with battery-powered lights to supplement attendees’ headlamps. After completing their laps, the locals huddled around a bonfire pit and in a warming tent with a cup of hot cocoa or a bowl of chili to cap off the evening of night skiing.

While the concept of nighttime Nordic skiing is hardly new – Shellhorn recalls his first time going in Lake Tahoe in the 1980s – Colorado groups are increasingly hosting formal events to make the sport more accessible and raise awareness about their organizations, many of which are funded by donations.

Unlike nighttime downhill skiing, which is available at several resorts in Colorado, few cross-country areas have floodlights to illuminate the terrain. That’s why many organizations wait until a full moon when the moonlight reflects off the white snow and offers skiers a different way to enjoy familiar landscapes, said Christie Aschwanden, executive director of the Grand Mesa Nordic Council.

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