Nordic Skiing, aka Cross-Country

Now that we finally have some snow, let’s talk about Nordic skiing.

Although I grew up Alpine skiing (aka downhill) and even raced on the Schweitzer ski team in my youth, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really come to embrace the serenity and aerobic challenge of Nordic skiing. And I am particularly obsessed with skate skiing. As opposed to downhill, which involves chairlifts and going down mountains at relatively high rates of speed, Nordic skiing (or as my kids like to call it, “uphill skiing”) does not rely so much on gravity and therefore tends to be a more continuous aerobic type of exercise.

Within Nordic (aka cross-country or simply XC) there are two main styles: classic, which involves two parallel tracks and basically follows a movement pattern similar to walking or running, and skate, which involves a wider groomed track that allows for more side-to-side motion similar to ice skating. Both are done on groomed ski tracks, but they require different gear and skiers use different lower-body movements to propel themselves forward. 

For those of us passionate about Nordic skiing, the benefits are obvious. It’s quieter and less crowded than Alpine, and it’s a great way to get out in nature, like taking a tree bath in winter. Because of the continuous nature of the exercise, it’s not only a great cardio workout but you rarely get cold (this is my wife’s favorite aspect). In fact, I am usually peeling off layers once I get going. And since you are going slower on less steep terrain it doesn’t hurt to fall.

And did I mention affordability? For only $120 you can get a season parking pass for your vehicle at Mt. Spokane State Park so your whole family can Nordic ski all winter for less than just one day of downhill skiing for one person.  

As for gear, the local ski swaps are a great way to get all your equipment for very little. The Spokane swap generally has a much larger selection of Nordic gear than the Coeur d'Alene swap, however. Fitness Fanatics in the Spokane Valley also has a ski swap solely dedicated to Nordic gear. You can also buy or rent equipment from them, either at their store or up on the mountain at Mt. Spokane State Park Nordic area. 

The closest place to cross-country ski is Fourth of July Pass, just a 15-minute drive from Coeur d’Alene, and most of the local ski resorts have some areas designated and groomed for Nordic skiing. But Mt. Spokane State Park is by far the best place to XC ski locally with over 37 miles of groomed trails for both classic and skate as well as a youth program, racing team and a dedicated bunch of volunteers that help put on fun events, like the Langlauf and the Loppet.

This week, I took a lesson with Dave Yadon to improve my skate skiing technique. Dave has been a certified ski instructor since 1973 and has been giving Nordic lessons exclusively for the past 10 years. Although I didn’t master any of the skills that we worked on, it’s amazing how incorporating a few tips (kindly given) really helped me glide along faster and easier. And despite the frigid temps (it was 1⁰ F when we started), we stayed warm and enjoyed a beautiful blue-sky day on the mountain leading to a few “Mary Moments” when we stopped just to appreciate all the beauty and feel a sense of gratitude.  

THE GOOD: When you get into a good rhythm, gliding along in the peaceful stillness of winter’s beauty, alone or with friends, it is a Zen-like moment of transcendence.

THE BAD: I don’t love waxing my skis all the time for the different snow conditions, but it does make quite a difference. (I now know I should’ve used Black Graphite wax in these cold temps — oh well!)

THE NITTY GRITTY: If you’re curious to give the sport a try, now is the perfect time to start!  Spokane Nordic Ski Association’s Winterfest is this Sunday, Jan 21. Discounted ski lessons, treasure hunt on skis, free snacks and hot ski waxes are all available (for information and to register go to www.spokanenordic.org/winterfest).

Dr. Emry is a family physician and partner at Ironwood Family Practice in Coeur d’Alene. Exercise Explorer MD will appear every other week in The Press and Dr. Emry can be contacted via email exercisexplorermd@gmail.com. © 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license.

    Dr. Geoff Emry