Winter Trails

41 Site Now Listed, More Coming

2010-11-12T16:20:00.002-05:00

41 National parks, nordic centers, city parks and BLM locations have signed on so far this year to host a Winter Trails event. Winter Trails is on track hit a goal of 80 locations around the country working to introduce snowsports to those that avoid the out of doors during the winter months. Winter Trails is scheduled for Saturday, January 8.

Winter Trails Day offers children and adults new to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing for free, and to discover the great fitness and social benefits with these easy-to-learn winter sports.

Winter Trails programs and activities vary in size and scope, as each venue chooses a program that will introduce these sports to their communities. Each Winter Trails event is run by a local organization or business.

For more information or to learn about hosting an event, please visit www.wintertrails.org or e-mail reese@rdbevents.com .

NYC Hail and Snow

2010-11-09T05:44:00.002-05:00

New York City saw some early snow, hail and sleet yesterday, the day after the NYC Marathon. While workers were dismantling the finish structure, the familiar sound of hail and sleet turned to a light covering of snow. Very exciting.

Winter Trails Online Registration Goes Live Nov 1

2010-10-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

The Winter Trails online registration goes live on November 1. Attendees will be able to pre-register for Winter Trails events allowing them to move quickly through the on-site registration and get to the trails far quicker. Those who want to participate in a Winter Trails event simply need to fill out the registration form posted on the Web site, print out the completed form and bring it to the Winter Trails event of choice. Adults will need to fill out the form for children under the age of 18.

Winter Trails events offer free snowshoeing and/or cross country skiing to children and adults on January 8, 2011. Nearly 100 venues in North America will host a Winter Trails event including snow resorts, Nordic Centers, national and state parks, and other public lands. All will be posted on the www.wintertrails.org site as they are announced.

Snow in Many Parts of the Country

2010-10-26T09:19:00.003-04:00

Winter is coming. There is snow in many parts of the country with the Killington area of Vermont and Summit County, CO getting the most. A few of the Alpine areas are opening meaning snow on the ground at lower elevations can't be far off.

Get ready for snowshoeing and cross country skiing!

WT Event Sites

2010-10-05T09:35:00.003-04:00

Looking for a Winter Trails event site near you? Check the website at www.wintertrails.org for a listing as of today. We are updating the listings every day as they come in.

Liberty Mt. (PA) Winter Trails Draws Scouts, Special Olympics

2010-01-10T10:20:00.006-05:00

Church groups, scout troops and special Olympians were among the crowd at Liberty Mountain resort in Pennsylvania who turned out for the 15th annual Winter Trails day there. Children and adults Participants came from the Keystone state, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia for a free day of snowshoeing and to take the President's Challenge Clinic on outdoor winter activities. In addition to the actual snowshoe demo, clinics covered nutrition and hydration for winter activity, basic conditioning exercises, how to dress and winter hiking. Even Snowball the Tiger, a Snow Monsters character and a mascot at Liberty, came out to enjoy the day and mingle with the crowd.

The Liberty venue was one of 90 Winter Trails sites scheduled for 2010. Most took place January 9. Most included snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The Estes Park, Colorado Winter Trails is set for January 16. It is snowshoe-only. Since it began 15 years ago, Winter Trails has introduced more than 125,000 children and adults to snow sports. January is Learn a Snow Sport Month.

Winter Trails is this Satruday

2010-01-07T10:46:00.001-05:00

Winter Trails is this Saturday, just 2 days away. Here in the office we are still getting last minute site updates and just listed a new site in Buffalo, NY. We are at 90 sites now, very cool.

We also have great snowshoeing and cross country skiing conditions in every area of the country. I have spoken to most of the event sites and manufactures reps in the last few days and they are all ready for a great event.

If you are still looking for a location near you, please visit our website at www.wintertrails.org for a listing of event sites and more. As many of you are new to snowsports, there is some great information on nutrition and proper dressing.

Hope to see you out there and Happy Trails!!

Several New Affliate Sites Just Added to Winter Trails

2009-11-12T11:09:00.002-05:00

Several new Winter Trails Affiliate sites just listed on the Winter Trails website. Check it out and check back often as many more are coming soon.

Snow coming for Colorado this weekend, get out there.

http://www.wintertrails.org/wintertrails.php?section=event

What is Winter Trails?

2009-11-10T10:29:00.001-05:00

Winter Trails is an event where children and adults can try snowshoeing and/or cross country skiing FREE at more than 100 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Winter Trails 2010 is set for January 9, 2010. Venues will be posted later in the year so check back for updates. The 2009 Winter Trails took place January 10, 2009, and the Estes Park, Colorado on February 14, 2009.

Winter Trails is an initiative of SnowSports Industries America.

Each Winter Trails event is run by a local organization or business. If you have questions about the location nearest you or if you have a group you wish to bring, please contact the venue directly for details.

Winter Trails, now in its 14th year, offers entire families or groups of friends, regardless of age, an opportunity to get outside in the winter and enjoy a day on snow. Both snowshoeing and cross country skiing provide exercise, a chance to enjoy nature and they involve a minimal to modest learning curve.

The size and scope of Winter Trails events vary from location to location. All provide the necessary equipment and assistance and many include short nature hikes and other activities. Most offer both snowshoeing and cross country skiing but a few offer one or the other. The Event Sites section on this site lists details about all Winter Trails locations and is updated weekly up until the January events. However, locations will be added until the date of the event so check back weekly for additions.The site also includes practical information about getting started and how to dress.

Backpacker Magazine Joins Winter Trails

2009-10-07T12:42:00.003-04:00

Backpacker Magazine has joined Winter Trails as its newest sponsor. Please join us in welcoming them.

15 Years of Winter Trails

2009-07-24T13:46:00.008-04:00

You might know that in 2010, Winter Trails will be celebrating it's fifteenth annual Winter Trails Day! We can't wait, and our fifteenth year will bring some exciting giveaways, online registration to make things more convenient, and of course, free snowshoeing and cross country skiing!

These are some of our favorite pictures from past events:

Estes Park, CO

Liberty Mountain, PA

Estes Park, CO

Here's this years press release for more info! Mark your calendars for January 9, 2010-- and sometime in February for the Estes Park event-- dates coming soon.

Also..we polled our Facebook fans and want to know what you think: which is harder, snowshoeing or cross country skiing?

What to Wear!

2009-07-13T12:35:00.005-04:00

Perhaps the main factor that prevents people from enjoying the outdoors in the wintertime is the cold. Feeling cold is extremely uncomfortable- but just throwing on a coat doesn't make you dressed for the weather! If you dress correctly, you might not even notice the chilly temps, and remember that snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are great aerobic activities that will warm you up..and have you breaking a sweat in no time.

Here's a quick guide of how to layer up for the weather:

Wicking layer: This is the layer worn next to the skin. Look for thermal underwear made of a synthetic fiber that has "wicking" power. As participants perspire, the fibers will wick (move) moisture away from the skin and pass it through the fabric so it can evaporate.
Even though it's cold, snow sports will make participants sweat — especially if they are cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. This is why the wicking layer is very important.

Insulating layer: This middle layer includes sweaters, sweatshirts, vests and pullovers. The purpose of this layer is to keep heat in and cold out, which is accomplished by trapping air between the fibers. Popular insulation materials include fleece and wool.

Protection layer: The exterior layer serves as the guard against the elements of winter. It should repel moisture from snow, sleet or rain; block the wind, and let perspiration escape to the outside to evaporate. Some jackets and pants are shells (no insulation), some include built-in insulation, and others have zip-in insulation layers. Choose your protection layer based on temperatures and snow conditions in your area or where you like to vacation.

Headwear: Up to 60 percent of the body's heat can escape from an uncovered head-- so don't forget your hat!

Sunglasses and goggles: Snow, because it is a reflective surface, makes ultraviolet (UV) rays stronger. On sunny days, sunglasses are essential to protect the eyes. On flat-light days or when it's snowing, goggles are vital.

Gloves and mittens: Look for gloves and mittens that use waterproof/breathable fabrics. Mittens, in general, are warmer than gloves, but offer less dexterity. Consider the type of activity when choosing between gloves and mittens. Gloves for cross-country skiing tend to be lighter-weight to allow for extra movement and a higher degree of perspiration.

Socks: One pair of lightweight or medium weight socks works best. Socks are made from a variety of materials, including polyester, silk and wool. Socks designed specifically for snow sports have wicking properties similar to thermal underwear, meaning your feet will stay drier and more comfortable.

For more information, check out our website here.

Did you know?

2009-07-08T14:39:00.005-04:00

46% of snowshoers are women.

You burn 45% more calories snowshoeing than walking or running at the same speed.

Snowshoeing uses every major muscle group at relatively high intensity for extended periods of time, thus requiring high caloric expenditure.

Cross country skiing burns more calories per hour than any other sport.

Cross country skiing is an ideal cross-training sport for running or biking.

Crosscountry skiing is one of the most affordable snow sport activities. A day trip costs, on average, $12 for a trail pass (for those who already have equipment) or $35 for trail pass, rental equipment and a lesson.

Check out here for more fun snowshoeing facts and here for cross country skiing facts.

Snowshoeing on Sand?

2009-07-02T13:17:00.003-04:00

We're a little late coming across this New York Times article, but it's so cool that we just couldn't resist.

It's called Sweating in Snowshoes at the Beach, and it describes three New Yorkers who were training for the 2009 North Pole Marathon. As New York didn't have snow for them to train on, they decided to run on the beach in snowshoes!

It turns out that the 2009 North Pole Marathon has already happened- on April 7, 2009, thirty-eight participants completed the sixth annual event. Competitors wore snowshoes or trail running shoes depending on snow conditions.

What do you think of a North Pole Marathon? Would you ever do it? What's the most extreme winter sport you've done? Ever snowshoed on the beach?

Summer fitness fun

2009-07-01T11:50:00.002-04:00

While we are all missing winter here at Winter Trails, there's a bright side to this whole summer thing: it lets us get back in shape for winter! Endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility are three important factors to fitness for winter sports, so here's what we focus on come summer:

Biking and mountain biking
Hiking
Running
Kayaking
Swimming

Luckily, these all let us enjoy the great outdoors just as much as our beloved winter sports do. What are your suggestions for staying in shape for winter sports? Any special tips and tricks? Do you hit the gym or stick to outside?

Winter Trails Day 2010

2009-06-29T17:18:00.004-04:00

January 9, 2010 will be the 15th annual Winter Trails Day! It might be mid-summer but plenty of venues have already announced they'll hold Winter Trails Day events at the start of next winter:

Anchor sites that are confirmed:

Sponsors for next year's event will include Atlas, MSR, Kahtoola, Tubbs, Leki, Rossignol, Grabber, and Columbia Sportswear. Get excited, and visit here for more information!

Where to go?

2009-06-29T15:48:00.004-04:00

So-- once you've decided to try out cross country skiing or snowshoeing, where exactly do you go? You may have already realized that one of the great things about cross country skiing and snowshoeing is that you can even go in your backyard if there's snow! But what if you don't own the equipment, or have never been before?

Your local cross country ski area is probably the best place to start out- you can rent equipment, learn how to use it, and usually explore a beautiful area. We like the Cross Country Ski Areas Association's resort search tool, which lists hundreds of cross country ski and snowshoe resorts and trails by state.

The Bachelorette's Snowshoe Date-- Genius?

2009-06-24T13:02:00.007-04:00

We're not sure how we feel about ABC's reality show The Bachelorette, but there's one thing we can agree on with Bachelorette Jillian. On Monday night's episode Jillian took her dates snowshoeing and exclaimed "you can do whatever you want in the snow!"

Snowshoeing sounds like a great date idea- it's easy enough to learn, noncompetitive, and you can enjoy being outdoors and active. What do you think- is snowshoeing a worthwhile date?

Mark your calendars...

2009-06-23T13:58:00.009-04:00

The 15th annual Winter Trails Day on January 9, 2010 is only 200 days away. Winter Trails events give children and adults a chance to try out snowshoeing and cross country skiing for free. They are easy to learn, great winter fitness options, and most importantly FUN!

For now check out our Web site and mark your calendars for Winter Trails Day 2010.