What we’re about
The Colorado Front Range Cross-Country Ski Club is a member-supported, nonprofit recreational club, and a community of friends that share a passion for cross-country (a.k.a. nordic) skiing.
Our group activities primarily consist of ski tours on winter trails and in the backcountry, outings at (groomed trail) nordic centers, and participation in competitive events. We also organize clinics related to cross-country skiing, social events, and hut trips. Group activities are geared to multiple skill and fitness levels. Club members are known as "nordorks."
For more information about the nonprofit and its services for members visit our website: https://www.coloradofrontrangecrosscountryskiclub.org/participate/
Please be aware that the group has a strict "no jerks and no assholes" policy that will be enforced by removing any jerks or assholes from the group.
Also note that this is not a singles group, and as such people of any "relationship status" are welcome. It also is not an age-specific group, and as such you should be comfortable with (gasp) spending time with other adults who might be older or younger than yourself.
To be a member your profile must include a first name you use and a reasonably identifiable photo of yourself.
Anyone who "no-shows" to an event more than once may be removed from the group.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Mitchell Creek (intermediate-level tour)Needs location
If you have skied it, you know this route in the Tennessee Pass area is one of the best winter-trail ski tours there is, and a challenging one in places as well.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
We will travel as a group; you cannot go your own route. All attendees are required to know the length and elevation gain of the tour; you can obtain that information on this map, which you must examine.
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an intermediate level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”).
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wbWy5hBvF2ebTBXn9
... which is the parking area at the Tennessee Pass trailhead.To attend you must agree to 3 basic guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer. Please understand that these guidelines are based on repeated experience and are meant to make the tour better for everybody.
- If you are faced with a decision regarding where to go next (due to e.g. a junction, or an obstacle, or the disappearance of the trail), you must always, without exception, stop, wait, and consult with the organizer before proceeding.
- The organizer will decide when we "move out" after any stop.
- The organizer will be in the lead and set the pace at the start of the tour.
(There is more detail on the reasons for these guidelines here:
“3 guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer”)You are required to bring a warm, insulated (e.g. "puffy") jacket with you. There are several circumstances in which this item will be useful if not essential:
- during lunch or other stops, to stay warm once you stop moving;
- while skiing, if conditions are colder than you anticipate;
- if you have an immobilizing injury far from the trailhead, to reduce the risk of hypothermia (which can kill you).
More generally you must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
We will be ascending to an altitude of over 10,000 feet; if you are unfamiliar with the potential effects of recreating at altitude you should familiarize yourself with this before the tour.
Note the group will be stopping for lunch, meaning sitting down and eating.
For this sort of outing toothpick track skis (fun as they are) will not be effective. There are ski shops that offer rentals of metal-edged / touring nordic skis. Please message the organizer if you have any questions about equipment.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
- Tennessee Pass Nordic (experienced-beginner event)Needs location
This is a great nordic center, with fun trails, solid grooming, scenic woods, cool people, really good food, and some fantastic views of the Sawatch Range. Bring snacks and then we can have a late lunch at the nordic center.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. If you do not complete the waiver within 24 hours of signing up for this event you will be removed from the event. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
We will travel as a group; you cannot go your own route.
All attendees are required to know the length and elevation gain of the tour; you can obtain that information on this map, which you must examine.
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an experienced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”), and you will be challenged by the route.
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/keB842BKFApmN3iS6
... at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center; we will meet on the back deck. If you need to rent equipment be sure to arrive a little bit earlier.In general you must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
We will be at an altitude of over 10,000 feet; if you are unfamiliar with the potential effects of recreating at altitude you should familiarize yourself with this before the event.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
Not open - XC Ski Climbing Clinic (classic skis, winter trails)Brainard Lake Winter Lot, Ward, CO
Steep or just steeper climbing is often under-appreciated from a skills and technique standpoint, and yet we spend a fair amount of time doing just that on cross-country skis. Over the course of about 3 hours we'll work on a couple slopes on Lefthand Reservoir Rd at Brainard, one steeper than the other, and then try a trail section or two on the CMC Trail to make things a bit more challenging. Note that this is "winter trail" type terrain and not groomed terrain.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. If you do not complete the waiver within 24 hours of signing up for this event you will be removed from the event. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
There are some basic tips to remember, and different techniques that you can use, as climbing gets steeper and you start slipping. Ultimately it's about using the grip zone or edges on your skis effectively to get up a slope in the most efficient way possible, meaning without becoming exhausted. Long and short is you don't always have to go straight to the herringbone (which apparently is called the "fish legs" in Norwegian/Swedish, I recently learned).
Here are some things we will try:
- Posture & foot position
- The ski stomp
- The quicksteppah
- The Quasimodo
- The herringbone
- The sidesteppah
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an experienced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”).
If you're still struggling to stay up on your skis or to get down easy hills then this event just won't be right for you. Also note that if you are a very experienced XC skier then signing up for this event will simply take a spot away from someone who needs the practice/coaching.
For this sort of outing toothpick track skis (fun as they are) will not be effective. There are ski shops that offer rentals of metal-edged / touring nordic skis.
This is a useful general video to check out beforehand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdvUibe750kAlso it might be helpful to check out the section on "Grip Technology" in the Cross-country (aka nordic) classic ski selection guide on our member platform.
And lastly please be sure to read:
- Coney Flats (advanced-beginner level tour)Needs location
One of the primo cross-country ski routes in the northern Front Range: a 6.6 mile out-and-back tour along picturesque Coney Creek Road to the start of the Beaver Creek Trail. Along with some wonderful forest scenery there a number of fast and fun trail descents on the return route.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
We will travel as a group; you cannot go your own route. All attendees are required to know the length and elevation gain of the tour; you can obtain that information on this map, which you must examine.
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an advanced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”), and you will be challenged by the route.
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7DRe6vBeBypxGNod7
This is at the road closure for Coney Flats Road, at Beaver Reservoir.To attend you must agree to 3 basic guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer. Please understand that these guidelines are based on repeated experience and are meant to make the tour better for everybody.
- If you are faced with a decision regarding where to go next (due to e.g. a junction, or an obstacle, or the disappearance of the trail), you must always, without exception, stop, wait, and consult with the organizer before proceeding.
- The organizer will decide when we "move out" after any stop.
- The organizer will be in the lead and set the pace at the start of the tour.
(There is more detail on the reasons for these guidelines here:
“3 guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer”)You are required to bring a warm, insulated (e.g. "puffy") jacket with you. There are several circumstances in which this item will be useful if not essential:
- during lunch or other stops, to stay warm once you stop moving;
- while skiing, if conditions are colder than you anticipate;
- if you have an immobilizing injury far from the trailhead, to reduce the risk of hypothermia (which can kill you).
More generally you must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
Note the group will be stopping for lunch, meaning sitting down and eating.
For this sort of outing toothpick track skis (fun as they are) will not be effective. There are ski shops that offer rentals of metal-edged / touring nordic skis. Please message the organizer if you have any questions about equipment.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
