Finding My Way to Winter
How Nordic Skiing Changed My Perspective about My Least Favorite Season
Winter has never been my favorite season. Sure, having snow on the ground through the holidays makes everything more magical, but after February 1, I’m ready for spring. I think that’s partly because I didn’t grow up doing snow sports. As the daughter of two native Southern Californians, my outdoor adventures were more about camping, hiking, and lazy days at the lake. Once winter rolled around, my activities moved indoors—except for the occasional sledding trip or the rare one or two times a year I’d attempt snowboarding with friends.
In my 20s, I started opening myself up to winter a bit more after marrying into a ski family. Kyle and I took up snowshoeing, which I loved because it extended my hiking season and gave us an excuse to take our snow-loving dog out on adventures. We even bought season passes for a few years and hit the slopes more than my typical once-a-year outing. But I never fell in love with skiing or snowboarding. I enjoyed the time outdoors with friends, but I was terrified of getting hurt, hated the speed, and was usually ready to head home after about five runs.
As the years went on, my anxiety around downhill sports grew, and I found myself dreading ski days. Add in the ever-rising cost of lift tickets, and the appeal wore off even more. Ironically, I now live closer to a ski resort than I ever have—and my desire to participate reached its lowest point… until this year.
This winter, I decided to give it one last shot by trying something different: Nordic skiing. I rented a set of classic skis from our local Nordic club, hoping this might finally be the winter sport I could get excited about. As a runner and hiker, I was drawn to the cardiovascular challenge, and I liked the idea of moving through the mountains at a faster pace than snowshoeing. Plus, over the past year, I’d noticed more and more friends getting into Nordic skiing—and it turns out this trend isn’t just local.
According to Outside magazine, Nordic skiing has been on the rise, like many outdoor sports, since 2020. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the number of cross-country skiers in the U.S. grew from 4.85 million to 5.32 million.
After just a couple of outings, I was hooked. The workout, the scenery, the ease of entry—it all clicked. I’ve never been drawn to sports that require tons of expensive gear or sky-high participation costs, and that’s what I love about Nordic skiing. I can wear my regular winter hiking clothes, and all I need beyond that are skis, poles, and boots. I can pay to access groomed trails at my local ski resort (for a fraction of the price of a lift ticket) or explore plenty of free, dog-friendly areas.
This winter, I spent multiple evenings a week doing laps on a service road, with Rue trotting happily alongside me. We’d enjoy the quiet of the mountains, occasionally watching the resort’s groomers at work up on the slopes. It felt peaceful, satisfying—and exactly what I’d been searching for.
For the first time in my adult life, I actually got excited when a snowstorm hit in March. And this is the first winter in years that I didn’t feel the urge to escape to Mexico for a couple of months.
As it turns out, winter isn’t so bad when you find the right way to enjoy it.
New-ish on the Blog
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