Glide Through The Snow with Cross-Country Skiing

Photo by jodyo.photos

A form of Nordic skiing developed thousands of years ago by Scandinavians, who used boards and poles to help them traverse the winter snow. By the 1800s, cross-country skiing was a recreational hobby. Kincaid Park in Anchorage is considered the preeminent area to try this fun sport that is suitable for all ages. The park has 60km of winding trails through 1,600 acres of park. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is 11 miles and connects Kincaid Park to downtown Anchorage and the website of the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage has a list of over 167km of local ski trails.

In Fairbanks, there is the Birch Hill Recreation Area which has over 40km of groomed trails that are maintained by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks. The trails range from beginner to advanced and there are even 10km of lighted trails until 9:30p.m. Also, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Trail System has 15km of groomed trails, much of it lighted. Visit the website of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks for more information about local trails and events.

There are numerous places in both Anchorage and Fairbanks to rent ski equipment, and if you are out and about on one of the trails, don’t be surprised if you see locals skijoring, which is being pulled by a dog while you ski!