cross-country skiing Archives : Tranquil Trekker

Cross Country Skiing is Hard! Be Persistent!

This post is a glimpse into the ongoing process of the Tranquil Trekker learning to cross-country ski…

Most articles I’ve read about cross-country skiing call it the “easy” winter sport. You never hear about people having terrible accidents on cross-country skis. “It’s something even a beginner can do!” they say…these are LIES I tell you, filthy, dirty LIES! 😮😉

Cross-country skiing is HARD!!!

The Trekkers have been cross-country skiing for several years, though we usually only get out a few times each winter. (Life is busy! We’ve also had such warm winters the last few years it’s hard to keep the snow around–at least snow that isn’t sticky or icy, that is powdery, and actually fun to ski in…have I mentioned how much I hate climate change? 😡)

This could explain why I’ve struggled so much to grasp the techniques of the sport. I read somewhere that you have to ski 10,000 kilometers to become skilled at cross-country skiing (it was a Canadian talking. 😝 For those of us living south of the border, that’s over 6000 miles!) We’ve probably skied less than 100 miles so far, so we’ve got a little ways to go. 😅

We’ve pretty much done all the stuff you’re supposed to do to learn to ski. We’ve watched various videos on Youtube, we’ve talked to the “experts” at several sports shops and equipment rental places. (To be fair, we haven’t taken an actual class, I can’t quite bring myself to do that. I don’t need five-year-olds skiing circles around me to humble my skiing ego. The bruises and sore muscles I acquire every time we go out take care of that just fine, thank you…Also, comparing my skill to that of a five-year-old is probably insulting…to the five-year-old! 😝)

An example of what frustrates me so much when all these experts make skiing sound so EASY… “The snowplow technique is an easy and effective way to stop yourself that even beginners can employ.” Will someone please tell me how I’m supposed to do this with six inches to a foot of snow on top of my ski? Or at the very least, with a six-inch lip of packed, icy snow surrounding the lane my skis are in?! They don’t tell you THAT in the videos! 😝

The trainers also say things like, “if you fall, just get your skis under you and roll back up!” Uh-huh, again, how do I do that when I can’t even see where my skis are under all that snow? And when I can’t get any leverage, because every time I try to push myself up my arm sinks into the powder up to my shoulder? Also, I have weak ankles that are “supinated”, meaning they tend to bend outward and I put most of my weight on the outer edge of my feet so I roll my ankles easily and frequently…this causes lots of problems. 😝 (I’m just saying, my lack of skill may not be ENTIRELY my fault, 90% my fault, tops. 😉)

I think a lot of these “experts” and trainers are used to cross-country ski resorts, where the trails are groomed and the terrain is fairly flat. They aren’t guiding people in the backcountry, through the secluded (albeit GORGEOUS) national forest, where hills can be steep, turns tight, and you may have to break your own trail.

Cross-country skiing is easy! (NOT!)

This sport is, supposedly, easy to master. People don’t usually even wear helmets when engaging in it. They aren’t needed, you aren’t going that fast. You hear people say, “if you can walk, you can ski.” This may be true for some people, but, on a normal day, my feet don’t–usually–slide out from under me (each going an opposite direction) due to their waxed or fish-scaled bottoms. 😝 I do believe the saying is true regarding snowshoeing, I just think skiing takes a bit more finesse.

Let’s just be blunt here, I pretty much suck at skiing. Yes, that flailing spider monkey you see SLOWLY making their way down the hill, the one you pray doesn’t hit you…the one you wish would just get out of the way…or the one you just want to avoid entirely…yeah, that’d be me. 😇 I’m the one who, when on skis, falls over…WHILE STANDING STILL…on flat ground!…because I had the audacity to turn my head to look in another direction. 🙄

For those who aren’t familiar with the Eagle Cliff area where we usually ski, it has some groomed trails. (The area is run by volunteers so sometimes you have to be patient for them to finish with the grooming and plowing at the trailheads.)

To be clear though, it isn’t unusual for us to have to break trail when we go skiing. Or, if we don’t have to actually cut a trail, oftentimes there is just a two-track ski path available to follow that was recently cut by someone else. If it was only just created, it may not be packed much yet. Due to this, we may not have the struggle of breaking through six inches (or more) of fresh powder, but we can still sink with every glide we make as the process of packing the trail is still occurring (it almost feels like walking in sand). I only stress this to make people aware, we often aren’t dealing with perfectly groomed ski trails here.

Cross-country skiing IS fun! (No really!)

Regardless of the frequent humiliation, when I am able to remain vertical, I really enjoy skiing. I like the exercise. I like the way I can glide along, almost soundlessly, through the beauty of the snow-shrouded forest, with just the *wisp-wisp* of the skis slipping through the powdery snow as an accompaniment. I LOVE seeing the adorable, little, rodent paths crisscrossing the snow as they make their way from snowbank…to fallen log…to tree…

I do feel bad, though, for the rodent whose path suddenly ends in the middle of a large area of wing-swept snow, where it’s obvious that something both much bigger than himself (and with talons) scooped him from his daily business, never to be seen or heard from again. 😳 At least it was a good day for the bird, I guess. 🤭

I enjoy watching the deer spring effortlessly through the snowpack at our approach. I always find it fascinating, “reading” the stories the forest “tells”. In the Black Hills, this often includes the large, padded tracks left in the snow by a giant feline’s paws. You can picture it stalking the unsuspecting deer herd in the meadow below, from its vantage point on a ledge high above.

Learning to cross-country ski

After several years of trying, I have finally learned to use my knees while skiing! (This technique may seem like a no-brainer, but it was a HUGE game-changer for me, so bear with me. 😉)

I’ve always known a bent-knee stance should help with control, flexibility, and looseness. Apparently, I’ve just never bent my knees enough. (It’s amazing how well things work when you do them correctly. 😝) All of a sudden I felt like I hit this sweet spot. I could finally use the angle of my knees and the weight of my body to turn (a little!) I could finally attempt the “snowplow” maneuver used for stopping (slightly!) But, for the first time, I actually felt like I had a little control (“little” being the crucial word).

I also found, the lower I kept my center of gravity, the easier it was to keel over into a fall if I felt like I was losing control. I FINALLY conquered my fear of plastering myself into the nearest tree! Now, if I feel like I’m heading towards a tree and can’t seem to turn the skis from their stubborn track, I can lean to my side and slide to a safe stop–with legs that flail a bit less. Getting rid of the fear changes everything! (Remember I have anxiety! 😉)

I recently learned a new trick…plant your heels! This helps when trying to “snowplow” to stop and can help with steering too!

The best method when cross-country skiing actually reminds me of the best method when mountain biking…stay loose! When you’re fearful or worried, you’re tense; you’re tight; your body can’t flow with the normal rises and falls of the surface you are gliding over. And if you do fall or hit a bump badly, you’re more likely to injure yourself due to your, already tight, muscles. So, this newfound ease of mine is a game-changer!

I also need to learn that I’m not really moving all that quickly. It just “feels” like I’m careening down the hill at unimaginable speeds. In the real world, I’m actually just coasting along. 😝

Be persistent when learning a new skill

For me, this has been one of the most frustrating activities we have attempted, but I FINALLY feel like I’m starting to make some progress! I think there’s a take-home lesson in this. That is, never give up. If there is something you enjoy doing, something you have your heart set on, something you want to accomplish, keep working at it, and keep persevering. You may fail MANY times, but each time is another opportunity to learn a new technique that you can implement on your next attempt. Each time you try, you get a little better, a little stronger, a little faster.

I read that the word “F.A.I.L.” can be a positive acronym for:
First
Action
In
Learning

I like that, it’s empowering. It helps us to recognize that sometimes failing to do something the first few times–or the first few hundred times–we try it doesn’t have to be a negative experience. It pushes us beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone. We can use it to make ourselves better. Oftentimes, I find failing at something, and thereby having to work hard and be resourceful to achieve it, actually benefits me more in the end than if I had just, easily, succeeded on the first try. Those difficult experiences are how we learn!

Regarding skiing, I just have A LOT of learning to do! 😉

What experiences do you have with cross-country skiing? Tell me about them in the comments!

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Conquer Lengthy Trails in Small Portions

In this post, I discuss how to build your self-confidence by “connecting the dots” and finishing portions of trails you haven’t conquered in the past.

Today I’m going to discuss the incredible feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing a lengthy trail in small, manageable portions, regardless of how many tries, trips, or years it takes to achieve that goal. 😁 Below I outline several different trails we’ve done sections of in the past and have finally “connected-the-dots” on.

Willow Creek/Rushmore Trail (Trail #5)

We completed the Willow Creek/Rushmore trail (Trail #5,) all the way to where it meets up with the Harney Trail {Trail #9, the hard way up Black Elk (formerly Harney) Peak}.

This is really just a connector trail and not that big of a deal (though it’s a nice trek with lovely views). It’s just such an accomplishment when you complete these various routes.

The Willow Creek/Rushmore Trail was one I’ve been wanting to do for years. Every time we’ve hiked the difficult Harney Trail (Trail #9), we’ve always used the Willow Creek turn-off as a bit of a landmark to watch for. So, to finally connect the two was such a delight!

This accomplishment was especially exhilarating as it was already getting snowy up that way and some of the knee-deep snow was a challenge to hike through–we hadn’t taken snowshoes that day as the lower elevations didn’t have any snow and we didn’t know how much we’d be encountering.

Eagle Cliff Trails in the Black Hills

After numerous tries throughout multiple seasons, we finally completed several sections of various trails in the Eagle Cliff area.

We’ve enjoyed parts of these trails in previous years–sometimes skiing, sometimes snowshoeing, sometimes mountain biking–but we’ve never fully connected them all. In the past, we failed to complete the entire loop as we’ve always turned around due to being tired, being cold, or losing the trail.**

This time, however, we started with the Hamburger Snowshoe Route (who comes up with these names?! 😝); took that to Lily Park Trailhead; then continued on to the Holey Rock Trail. We then looped back to the Bratwurst Ski Trail and brought that all the way back to our starting point–not to worry, we stayed off the ski trails. 😇 (Another group had, kindly, already blazed a snowshoe trail alongside the main road that we were able to follow. 😁)

**As much as we love the Eagle Cliff area, we’ve frequently lost our trail up there. This has occurred both in the summer and the winter months and has actually been worse in the summer (the tall grasses don’t do much to suggest a trail. At least in the winter, there are, oftentimes, other tracks to follow!) Fortunately, we’ve never gotten lost to the point of being in trouble, we were always able to retrace our steps and find our way back. Sometimes too, we’ve been able to spot the valley we were seeking from a ways off and reach it via off-trail routes.

I do believe some of this was due to poor signage, the old maps were difficult to read and often sun-faded, or they were an inaccurate match with the current trails that year. The new ones seem far more clear. The trail blazes on the trees also seem to be closer together and better-marked now. It could also be that we’re finally getting comfortable with the area as we’ve completed so many of the trails.

Related posts: Cross-Country Skiing at Big Hill, Spearfish, SD; Winter Activities at Eagle Cliff

To Conclude

The point to discussing all this is that, if there is a difficult or lengthy trail (or set of trails) you’re interested in, but they seem too challenging or long for you to accomplish in one sitting, complete them in sections! It still counts as mastering the entire monster, even if you don’t do it all in one try!
Start from one end and try to make it halfway. Then, on another occasion, start from the other end and make it halfway again. You just finished the entire thing, even if you only ever did half a section at a time!

I have a few other, personal examples of this in relation to local trails. The Trekkers are aiming to hike the entire, 111-mile-long, Centennial Trail that traverses the length of the Black Hills. We also want to bike the entirety of the Mikelson Trail, the 109-mile-long, graded, gravel path that spans the Hills, from north to south. It follows an old railroad grade, leftover from the Gold Rush days of yesteryear. It’s taken us more than a decade, but so far we’ve completed over half of the Centennial Trail and almost the same amount for the Mikelson.

With routes that are quite lengthy, numerous trailheads often split them up into more manageable sections. Completing one several-mile section every few months is far simpler than attempting an entire 25-mile trail all at once.

We’ve even split up single sections before. There is a 14-mile portion of the Mikelson trail that we’ve just never been able to finish all at once. We HAVE completed it using the “halfway method” mentioned above, starting from each direction, though.

This technique is also a good way to keep your spirits and enthusiasm up. It’s much easier to stay motivated if you’re not trying to psych yourself up for a crazy excursion, but instead, a fun, shorter, one-day outing.

With this post, I want to stress that you don’t have to be a marathon recreator. It’s perfectly reasonable to be more of a “sprinter”, who feels a five-mile outing is a perfectly acceptable definition of a “full day”. When you’re out on the trail you aren’t competing with anyone or anything else (with the exception of Mother Nature, of course). Your only rival is yourself. So, don’t compare yourself to others. The only thing that matters is that you’re improving your skills, your strength, and your health–both mental and physical–along with it.

The other caveat is, of course, that you’re having fun! As long as you’re getting out, connecting with the natural world, working off the steam of any built-up, negative energy, and you’re accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself, that’s the only thing that’s really important.

You’ll find achieving goals is also quite the confidence booster, as you’re pushing yourself and meeting challenges. (If you are the marathoner-type person who can go out and accomplish 20 miles in one sitting, mad points to you too! 😉)

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and accomplish some goals and in the process, boost your confidence by finishing what you start!

Have you conquered lengthy trails in small sections? Tell me about it in the comments!

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Hike at Gay City State Park in Connecticut

In this post, I review a wonderful State Park in Connecticut.

I’m going to take a diversion from my typical “out West” posts to write about a park we used to enjoy in New England when the Trekker In-Laws lived there. Gay City State Park is located in Hebron, Connecticut. It’s easily accessible from, I-384, Route 6, or Route 2 off of Route 85, just follow the signs.

Gay City Ghost Town in Connecticut

The park actually encompasses an old ghost town, though few remnants remain other than the foundation from the old mill. The town was originally known as Factory Hollow, though with many of its inhabitants sharing the last name of Gay it was renamed to Gay City upon its sale to the state.

There is also an aged cemetery on-site, where you can still read the inscriptions on some of the gravestones. Please be respectful of this historic location and the final resting place for these individuals.

What you will see at Gay City State Park

The park offers miles of hiking trails (which are easily convertible to cross-country ski and snowshoe trails in the winter months); a small, scenic lake; a beach, a campground, picnic and swimming areas, and opportunities for a host of other activities. The trails also connect to others outside the park boundaries that venture into other local, recreation areas. For further info, you can visit the website.

Gay City State Park is fairly ordinary compared to those we’ve visited in the Western US, but it’s a place we always enjoyed and tried to visit whenever we were in the area.

The trails are easy in difficulty, wide, and fairly free of roots and rocks. None are much longer than five miles–although you can combine various trails for longer treks-so they’re ideal for families.

Your trek takes you on a stroll through an old forest comprised of mostly deciduous trees dressed in the leafy clothes of the current season. Only the sound of the babbling brook that parallels much of the trail, the wind in the trees, and the call of the birds flying overhead accompany you.

The area is highlighted by the fieldstone walls that are iconic in the New England countryside. It’s an opportune place to enjoy the lovely fall colors this region is famous for. We usually visited in early winter, enveloped in the tranquil “swish, swish, CRUNCH” of fallen leaves underfoot, from which a nutty smell wafts with each step.

The most recent time we were there was lovely! It was cold (around 18 degrees), but it was sunny, with little wind. As it was the first day in about five that we had seen the sun, we had just recently driven 1800 miles across the country and we had countless, delicious holiday meals weighing us down, it was nice to be able to get out and stretch our legs a bit.

There was just enough snow to make the scenery beautiful, but, as it was powdery, nothing more than hiking boots was needed to trudge through. I was impressed by how many hearty souls we saw out with us, including cross-country skiers and fellow hikers.

Below are a few pics from our trek. Thanks, as usual, to Mr. Trekker for a few of these!

A white, snowy expanse of a frozen lake is surrounded by leafless trees. Long shadows of trees and two people cover the lake surface. — Shadow Trekkers!

If you’re looking for a fun, outdoor activity in central Connecticut, check out Gay City State Park!

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Winter Fun at Eagle Cliff Ski Area

In this post, I discuss winter activities available at the Eagle Cliff recreation area, near Lead, South Dakota.

The Eagle Cliff ski area is located on national forestland just outside of Lead, South Dakota. Much like Big Hill, it is a great place for winter recreation (though it provides outdoor leisure opportunities year-round.)

Where is Eagle Cliff?

The Eagle Cliff ski area is located around 10 miles west of Lead, South Dakota on Highway 85, just west of Cheyenne Crossing and the southern mouth of Spearfish Canyon.

Snow-covered hill covered in both pine and leafless trees on a cloudy day — The Winter Wonderland at Eagle Cliff

What are the Eagle Cliff trails like?

Eagle Cliff is comprised of a series of 21 trails with multiple trailheads and over 27 miles of possible trail combinations. While this area is open year-round it is primarily used for winter recreation.

Eagle Cliff is available for mountain biking and hiking in the summer but is not maintained at all and tends to become extremely overgrown. When we’ve biked there in the past the grass has reached my knees or higher (while on the bike) in some locations.

You can make a multitude of loops connecting various trails in this area. Watch for the signs the many forest inhabitants that live here leave behind in the snow, including mountain lion tracks/scat. Once we were able to surmise where a big cat had traveled through the fringes of the trees to stalk a herd of deer in the meadow below.

Mountain lion tracks in the snow — “Here kitty kitty”!

The Eagle Cliff trailheads are Dead Ox, Raddick, Bratwurst, Lily Park, and Sunny Meadow. My personal favorites are Raddick and Sunny Meadow. I especially like a loop made by taking the Raddick Gulch Trail to the Roller Coaster Trail loop. This route is less than four miles in total length and it incorporates undulating hills and a beautiful landscape.

This area is fully forested and doesn’t offer much by way of views, but as it’s protected from the wind, it is usually warmer here and the snow blankets the trees providing an iconic, winter landscape.

View down a hill over a snow-covered open area surrounded by tall pine trees — This is near Raddick Gulch looking down into the valley where we saw evidence of a mountain lion stalking a herd of deer

Sunny Meadow is–as its name suggests–an open meadow, perfect for skiing or snowshoeing in the winter and biking in the summer (just watch out for the cows and their “leavings” in the warmer months 🤥). This is an absolutely beautiful area with open, rolling hills surrounded by national forestland. Because it is so open, this expanse can be rather windy and chilly in the winter, and due to lack of shade the sun beats down unmercifully here in the summer, so plan accordingly. The only complaint I have regarding this beautiful space is that it is near snowmobile trails (though fortunately they aren’t allowed in the ski/snowshoe area) because their noise tends to shatter the serenity of this snowy landscape.

These are, literally, my favorite places in the Hills for winter sports. Unfortunately, a few years ago, they closed these areas for snowshoeing (my favorite winter sport). They are now only open for cross-country skiing and Raddick Gulch is a bit too steep for my menial XX-skiing skills. This was because there were issues with snowshoers messing up the ski trails. This is why we can’t have nice things! 😒 (FYI snowshoeing is only allowed off of the main, Eagle Cliff trailhead. There is a large parking lot and a sign for it. 😀)

What activities can you enjoy at Eagle Cliff?

Although both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are available in this area in the winter, there is only one groomed ski trail. Similar to the Big Hill trails near Spearfish, this portion of the Black Hills usually receives some of the largest amounts of snow each winter. This means that even if the ground is bare in Spearfish, Rapid City, or other lower elevations, it’s a good bet that there will be snow at these higher altitudes (oftentimes, A LOT of it)–It’s not unusual to step over the top of gates in the winter that you walk through in the summer or to see the trail signs that are at eye level in summer at boot level in winter. 😮

Ski tracks down a snow-covered forest road. Pine trees line both sides — One of the old forest roads available for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing

So, if you’re looking for a great place to enjoy winter sports that is both beautiful and quiet, check out the Eagle Cliff ski area!

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Winter Activities at Big Hill, Spearfish, South Dakota

In this post, I discuss winter activities available at the Big Hill recreation area, in the northern Black Hills.

Big Hill is a recreation area located in the Black Hills National Forest that offers outdoor, leisure opportunities year-round. The prime activities enjoyed here are cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-biking in the winter, though people regularly hike and mountain bike here during the summer months, as well.

Where is Big Hill?

The Big Hill recreation area is located southwest of Spearfish, in the northern Black Hills. The easiest way to reach the main trailhead is to take Exit 8, off of I-90, for McGuigan Road. Take this south until you reach the T-intersection with Tinton Road. Turn right at the intersection to drive up the hill.

After about 8 miles, watch for a VERY tiny brown sign on the right-hand side of the road showing a hiker. Shortly after this sign, at the top of the hill, you’ll see a large parking area on your right. (The trailhead is directly across the road from the parking area). It is difficult to miss as there are usually numerous other cars there (especially in the winter).

There are other routes you can take to reach this trailhead–coming from downtown Spearfish–as well as a scenic route coming up the other direction on Tinton Road from the south (from Roughlock Falls Road). While this is a beautiful, scenic drive that I highly recommend in the summer, it should be approached with extreme caution in the winter. This portion of the road is barely maintained for winter driving and is usually at least somewhat snow-covered. We have successfully taken this route in the 4×4 truck in the winter, but it’s not for the faint of heart (though it is necessary if you want to reach the Old Baldy trailhead to enjoy winter activities in that area).

The route from McGuigan Road to the trailhead is usually maintained quite well and can often be reached using a typical, 2-wheel drive vehicle (we made our first trip there in an old Civic). It should also be noted that whether Summer or Winter, all of these dirt/gravel forest roads are dependent on the current weather and their condition can vary greatly (and QUICKLY) as the weather changes.

What is the Big Hill Recreation Area like?

Big Hill offers over 15 miles of trails formed by several different loops/routes (many follow old forest roads) that can be combined in a variety of ways. Trail maps are usually available at the trailhead.

The trails at Big Hill are very well-signed but it’s still best to have a map to help determine the best route for you (the map also indicates the difficulty levels of the various trails). The managers of this recreation area also do a marvelous job of keeping the ski trails and the snowshoe/fat bike/dog-friendly trails separate while ensuring everyone can still enjoy this beautiful area!

Big Hill tends to be one of the snowier places in the Black Hills so you can potentially participate in winter activities here anywhere from October – May (dependent on current snow conditions, of course). We’ve enjoyed snowshoeing here, as well, though there are times the snow isn’t quite deep enough so we tend to favor the Eagle Cliff area for our snowshoeing adventures.

Today, I am focusing on the winter sports available here. I will say though, this area is a must-see in the fall when the yellow Aspens are in full color.

**I mentioned the Eagle Cliff area above. It only has one groomed trail, the rest are just trails cut by outdoor enthusiasts. Big Hill offers machine-groomed ski trails that are better for practicing the fundamental drills of skiing as they are smoother.

Machine-groomed trails require FAR less effort, but I find I enjoy them less. They are more crowded and while faster, I find it’s harder to control my skis. The person-groomed trails require more effort and you’ll move less quickly, but I find the resistance the snow provides aides in control of the skis and balance. So, while the groomed trails are usually recommended for beginners, I’d say you have to decide what is most important to you; ease of effort or less fear of hurtling down a hill uncontrollably…possibly towards a tree. 😳

Warmer the higher up you go?

This area is another example of the complicated, frequently-contrasting weather you can have in the Black Hills. On several occasions we’ve experienced temps in the single digits to low teens in the lower elevations–but it can feel almost balmy with temps in the mid-twenties at Big Hill (that equates to perfectly comfortable conditions when skiing, in the sun, with little wind.) This contrasting weather is due to a temperature inversion. Put in simple terms this basically means warmer air is lighter and floats over cooler air. This makes it warmer the higher you go in elevation. (If you want a more scientific explanation you’ll have to track down Mr. Trekker. 😃)

Snowshoeing vs. Cross-Country Skiing

Snowshoeing is great fun, but it’s HARD work depending on snow conditions (this activity and mountain biking are literally the hardest workouts I’ve ever done).

Cross-country skiing, in contrast, requires far less exertion (and I’ve found that working out with an elliptical during the week is perfect training for this sport as the body motions required for both are very similar).

Anyone who can walk can snowshoe. It takes a little skill to keep from stepping on your own shoes, but once you master that, you’re golden. Cross-country skiing, on the other hand, is FAR more difficult. It requires balance, finesse, and the ability to relax and just “go with the flow”–all characteristics I SORELY lack (“sore” being the keyword as that’s often the result of my endeavors 😝).

I would also argue skiing is more dangerous as you’re moving faster and are more likely to slip/twist something when you fall (and you WILL fall). If you fall while snowshoeing, you pretty much just end up on your rump or fall to the side into a cushioning snowbank. It may be cold, but not really injury-inducing (although your snowshoe could become stuck under a buried log, as I found out at Big Hill one early, spring day…😮 )

We’ve gotten pretty good at most outdoor sports we enjoy, but with skiing, we’re still very much beginners. Standing on a thin object that’s meant to glide quickly and effortlessly does not lend itself to keeping one’s balance. Neither do skis that are as long as I am tall and stick out several feet both in front of and behind you. Not only do you have to learn how to move around without stepping on yourself (similar to snowshoes) but you have to do it while each leg is trying to slide in an opposite direction. 😝

So, if you’re enjoying a snowy weekend at Big Hill, and you see a bumbling idiot barely able to stay upright on their skis..it just might be me! 😇

The best trails at Big Hill

For beginners, I strongly recommend starting with the initial Loop A. It’s a short, groomed trail that just goes in a small circle around a meadow/forested area near the front of the Big Hill trail network. It’s fairly flat with only a few short rises and dips and doesn’t offer much opportunity for falls (though, full disclosure, I have fallen here 😝).

There is another Loop A that goes farther out. This option is also usually groomed. It’s also good for beginners once you get a little more confidence as it’s solely a “green” route–meaning it’s considered “easy”. There are a few steeper slopes, one especially on the right-hand (western) side of the loop as you’re heading out. I’ve had my worst spills in this area and though they were frightening, I’ve left without injury–so far–and haven’t even felt very sore the next day. (A surprise as I was sure my ankles were being ripped from my body when I fell. 😮 )

What will you see at Big Hill?

Big Hill is absolutely BEAUTIFUL no matter the time of year. It offers a mixture of forested and meadowy areas that contain leafless deciduous and evergreen trees, all covered in a soft blanket of snow during the winter. On sunny days you’ll frequently hear birds chirping in the trees, and the ever-present, South Dakota breeze rustling through the pines provides a respite from the deafening, snowy silence. In the fall, this area offers a warm glow with the bronze meadowgrass, and glowing, yellow aspens all standing in contrast to the evergreen trees.

This recreation area is far enough from civilization that it offers an incredibly peaceful environment. It is sullied in the winter only by the occasional roar of snowmobiles that also enjoy nearby trails–though not these exact trails. (Fortunately, they focus on the region on the other side of the road so they are usually only really heard when you are near the parking lot.)

If you’re looking for a great place to enjoy some snow sports that is both beautiful, easy to reach, and that offers fun options for everyone, check out Big Hill!

Have you tried the Big Hill Recreation Area? Tell me about your experience in the comments!

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