Winter Wonders: Cross-country skiing

By Pete Colaizzo
Poughkeepsie Journal

Each Sunday during the winter -- favorable conditions permitting -- Miles leads a group of cross-country ski enthusiasts for a day of gliding and sliding, huffing and puffing through the hills and trails of James Baird State Park in the Town of LaGrange. After an invigorating day of winter exercise, the group convenes inside Miles' spacious motor home for snacks and beverages.

This winter has been a dream season for cross-country skiers in the area, with plenty of fresh snow and consistently cold temperatures to keep that snow on the trails. Last Sunday, Miles' group included 15 skiers. He's had as many as 20 skiers make the trip to Baird this season.

For anyone who craves outdoor physical activity in the winter, cross-country skiing is a no brainer, according to long-time enthusiasts as well as newcomers to the sport.

''It's probably one of the easiest things to do,'' Miles said. ''It's pretty easy to learn. Most people go right off into the snow and they are on their way.''

Added Hudson Valley Ski Club president Jackie Martinzek, who tried cross-country skiing for the first time this winter: ''It's not something you have to know anything about to try and be able to do. I was surprised I picked it up so fast. It's fantastic.''

For those interested in giving the sport a test run, the Hudson Valley Ski Club welcomes newcomers to their Sunday outings. The club even has extra skis for those who don't have equipment.

''They might not fit perfectly,'' said club member Bob Bennett of Port Ewen, ''but at least it gives you a chance to try it.''

Give it a test run

Steve Axelson, owner of Peak Performance Sports in New Paltz, also recommends giving the sport a trial run before making the initial investment for cross-country ski equipment. His store offers rental packages and also sells new equipment.

Lee Ferris/Poughkeepsie Journal Karen Van Wie of Catskill, front, and Jonathan Cohen of Windham ski along a trail near Dutcher's Notch in Greene County. The trail head is accessed from Colgate Lake in East Jewett off Country Route 78.

Axelson's store is also a hub for running shoes and other sports gear. Surprisingly, he said, cross-country skiing is about as inexpensive a recreational sport as there is -- even less expensive than running. Axelson estimates the initial cost of getting cross-country ski equipment as being between $209 and $259.

''For $250 or under ... that's not a bad deal when you think about it,'' Axelson said. ''At the bat of an eye, parents will fork over $400 for a snowboard rental. And runners will spend between $300 and $400 on running shoes alone in a year.''

Axelson added that the initial start-up costs for cross-country skiing goes a long way. ''The equipment lasts,'' he said. ''I don't consider it an expensive sport at all.''

Martinzek got her start in cross-country skiing at Fahnestock Winter Park in Putnam County. The park has nearly 10 miles of groomed trails, and offers rental equipment and lessons.

Martinzek has been downhill skiing for years and always wanted to try cross-country. She picked the perfect winter to do it, as the Fahnestock trails have been bustling with action for the past two months.

''It was very reasonable and a great experience,'' she said. ''They fitted me with the right size skis and poles and it was really easy. The all-day pass at Fahnestock was $16 -- you can't beat that.''

In Ulster County, Axelson listed several excellent cross-country ski venues. Among them: Williams Lake in Rosendale, Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park, west of New Paltz and Belleayre Mountain in Highmount. Further north in the Catskills, Dutcher's Notch in Greene County is a popular spot.

Sean Lockhart of Poughkeepsie makes use of many of these areas. Lockhart, an avid runner and employee at Peak Performance in New Paltz, uses cross-country skiing as cross-training for his marathon running.

''It makes me aware of how the products work and that way I can give my customers 100 percent feedback,'' Lockhart said.

While cross-country skiing is cross-training for Lockhart, it's simply a good, hearty workout for Miles and his Hudson Valley Ski Club friends. At Baird Park, the skiiers traverse the golf course as well as the hilly cross-country trails.

Bennett said an ideal day for cross-country skiing consists of brisk temperatures and a fresh blanket of snow. There has been no lack of either this season. An after a snow-swept afternoon on the trails, there's no place like home -- the motor home, that is.

''I use it as a sort of a club house,'' Miles said. ''It's got an expanded living room and it makes for a nice sitting area.''

The group shares hot chocolate, cheese, crackers and other hard-earned goodies. And the best part, Miles said, is almost anyone can do it.

''You don't have to be really athletic to do it,'' Martinzek said, ''and it's a lot of fun.''