One of the best, and my favorite, ways of navigating Montana’s winter wonderland is Nordic skiing, or as it is more commonly known, cross-country skiing.

On Jan. 2, I visited the Glacier Outdoor Center in West Glacier for its Fourth Annual Glacier Nordic Day and open house, hoping to learn even more about the winter sport I so enjoy. The event offered attendees free access to their more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) of groomed Nordic ski trails, as well as snowshoeing, half off on ski rentals and skijoring demos (more on that later). The event drew approximately 500 attendees, according to employee Alex Vandevoort, and gave families a chance to explore the outdoors and enjoy the snowy terrain. 

Many of you, I’m sure, love downhill skiing and snowboarding, and I agree, I do too. But Nordic skiing is the perfect complement for that wintertime activity, and has benefits that you don’t get from the downhill version of the sport. One: It’s cheap, and many places are free to use. In today’s economy, spending money just on gas can be a lot cheaper than the $50 and $60 lift ticket prices you find at your favorite ski hill. Two: It’s terrific exercise. The full body motion of cross-country skiing works many of the same areas that an elliptical machine in the gym would, but you’re also outside. The uphill and downhill work your legs, arms and stomach and out on the trail, you’ll work up a good heart rate in no time. Three: It’s easy to do close to home. As long as there is snow, you can literally cross country ski anywhere, including from right outside your front door. So far this season, I’ve skied the groomed (meaning set ski track) areas in Lakeside on the road up to Blacktail Mountain and in West Glacier at the groomed trails owned by the Glacier Outdoor Center. Open areas can also be a nice place to ski as well.

“A big draw is that it’s not quite as busy as alpine skiing, and it’s more affordable,” Vandevoort said of Nordic skiing. “People like that they can bring their pets with them, and that there’s a slower, more natural feeling being out there.”

In addition to the on-site groomed trails, the center offers guided cross-country and snowshoeing trips into Glacier Park itself. Vandevoort said these excursions are popular because it is a different way to see the park, and the guides are knowledgeable about the history, wildlife, flora and fauna of the park.

When I visited the Glacier Outdoor Center, I tried the two different variations of Nordic skiing: classic and skate. Classic skiing is the traditional way you have probably seen before: the legs parallel, gliding straight forward and backward, poling one at a time as you power forward. Skate skiing is a whole different motion, but is much like it sounds. Using a skating motion, with your skis in a “V” position, the skier pushes off one leg at a time while double poling, powering themselves forward at a much fast pace than classic Nordic skiing. Skate skiing takes more practice and skill, but is more of a full body workout, and can be rewarding if you work long and hard at it.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the open house was the skijoring demonstration. Skijoring is Nordic skiing, usually on skate skis, while you are attached to your dog, which should pull you. I watched Billy Carroll, a raft guide in the summer at the center, demonstrate the sport with his 2-year-old black lab, Jameson. They whipped around the track at a high rate of speed, with Carroll taking longer strides and only instructing Jameson with verbal commands like “left” and “right,” and encouraging the dog when he made the right action.

“By day two, he was pulling faster than I could hold on,” Carroll said of training Jameson to skijor. “The key is giving him positive reinforcement. Your dog wants to do it anyway, so you just need to get excited when he pulls.”

Once I’d watched a little bit and gotten the gist of it, Carroll insisted on me giving it a try. I strapped in, nervous about putting my life in the hands of a puppy I’d just met that day. I hooked up to Jameson, and hollered, “OK, Jameson, let’s go!”

He started to run forward, but about 10 feet down the trail he turned abruptly left, hoping to get back to his owner. The sudden stop sent me onto my backside, uninjured but dazed, unsure of whether I would ever get it down. Once I had his attention, we started again, and Jameson really got into it, pulling at full speed and leaving me barely able to hang on. It was exhilarating, and a whole new perspective on skiing. The sensation is that of being pulled by sled dogs, but rather than sitting motionless in a sled, you are participating by moving yourself forward in harmony with the animal pulling you. By the end of the day, both you and your animal will be tuckered out, and would have participated in something together that can strengthen your bond with your dog. It’s fun and really a great activity, and like I mentioned, cheap.

I hope you get a chance this winter to give cross-country skiing a try. Gear is cheaper to buy or rent than downhill skiing equipment, and is readily available in the area. Like any outdoors activity, follow any marked signs or instructions about the area you will ski. Make sure you have permission to ski on any private property.