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Mountain Folklore: Start kids young at cross country skiing

As with almost anything in life, the sooner you begin working on skills the sooner you begin to become proficient. Taking yourself, your children or your grandchildren into the great outdoors for recreation at any time is a wonderful thing that can yield a vast array of benefits.

Immersing yourself and others in an environment that exudes an outdoor lifestyle amps up the experience even more. So it goes with the winter sport of cross country skiing. If you can walk, you can cross country ski. And when you cross country ski, you are rewarded with a full-body workout at whatever level you choose to power up to while also benefitting from experiencing nature in its winter splendor.

Getting as far away from a city or an environment that produces noise pollution is part of the recipe for your transformation from winter hater to winter lover. Out in the wild, where the only sounds you hear are those of the forest, you’ll begin to shed some of the burdens of day-to-day cares and worries we all carry.

You’ll hear the sound trees make as winds brush branches and tree trunks together in a rhythmic progression from less intense to more intense and then back again. You’ll feel it, too.  You’ll hear animals as they interact in their environment. After awhile, in the quiet, your ears might even become keen enough to hear the rustling of a mouse as it scurries under leaves or snow.

You will tune in to the now of where you’re at instead of having to endure moment after moment of noises inflicted upon your ears by manmade sources with no regard for your personal space. As you glide along, you’ll become aware of the rhythm of your own body and heartbeat and how it fits into the music of the outdoor environment.

It’s a fascinating, beautiful and revealing experience, and even after as little as a half-hour of active participation, you’ll sense major benefits.

Did you know that Norway is the all-time leader in Winter Olympic medals, and that no country has more gold medals in winter sports than Norway? A crude way to explain this is that in Norway, they tongue in cheek say they if you’re old enough to “wee,” you’re old enough to ski.

Almost from the time a child can walk, he or she is placed on cross country skis and begins what is often a lifelong connection to winter sports and the outdoors.The photo that goes with today’s story was hanging in the ski shop at Crystal Lake Ski and Outdoor Center when I visited a few weeks ago. In the photo, we see a 2 1/2-year-old Norwegian child setting out on a cross country ski adventure.

You and your kids and grandkids can experience the same sort of fun at Crystal Lake Ski and Outdoor Center because it’s the perfect place to go to get away from it all; and by that I especially mean the noise pollution that infiltrates our everyday lives.

Located in Plunketts Creek Township, Lycoming County, Crystal Lake Ski and Outdoor Center offers visitors the opportunity to come for day trips or enjoy multiday escapades. Living is easy in their rustic cabins, surrounded by forest, trails and areas of several lakes.

I traveled to Crystal Lake as a volunteer to help on their ski patrol of trails and assist people to get properly geared up in their rental shop. Wanting to make the most of my first experience at the center, I stayed for three days and two nights over a weekend and enjoyed a first-rate experience in a wilderness environment.

As an avid downhill or alpine skier, I find peace and solitude and a way to throttle back to a lower gear when I’m out cross country skiing. If staying in a 100-year-old log lodge with rustic furniture and stone fireplaces with the opportunity to relax at night by playing cards or a board game is something you find appealing, that was the life I led for the weekend I lived at Crystal Lake.

I absolutely loved helping families as they came to the rental shop to get fitted for boots, skis and poles. The sport’s gear is simple and straightforward to use, and within minutes almost everyone who has never tried to cross country ski before is up and moving down the trails.

With about 19 miles of groomed trails, ranging from flats around the lake to steeper slopes heading up to or down from the scenic mountains that surround the lake, Crystal Lake is without a doubt a must-visit location for winter activities that can bring families closer together.

Soloists can meet others who share their love for winter and the outdoors. I went alone and met many wonderful people, including Louise McCormick, an 81-year-old cross country ski instructor from Danville, Mountour County, who makes regular trips to the lake and mountain facility to ski and teach skiing.

Just listening to Louise’s stories about outdoor adventures is worth the price of admission, and if you really want the full treatment, be sure to ask for her by name if you book a ski lesson. You’ll be in excellent hands.

I was also lucky enough to meet and hang out with Vinnie, the new puppy in the lodge. Vinnie’s job is to meet and greet people and be friendly, and he’s off to a brilliant start. Vinnie and I shared some quality time by the wood-burning stove in the lodge as we worked together to welcome visitors and get them set up for a day out on the trails.

Crystal Lake Ski and Outdoor Center is always eager to welcome new volunteers, so if giving of your time while helping others to enjoy winter in the outdoors is something that resonates with you, sign up to be a part of their team. I think you’ll find the place to be a truly relaxing home away from home.

Dave Kline is an award-winning writer, photographer, show host and producer, singer-songwriter, travel guide and community advocate. Reach him at davesmountainfolklore@gmail.com.


Source: Berkshire mont

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