Cross-Country Skiing and Bicycling in Fargo, North Dakota: May 2013

The swish-swish of my skis sliding over the snow, the freshness of the crisp winter air as I breathe deeply in rhythm with my strides, and the brightness of the low winter sun in the distance—these are some of the secret pleasures of getting out on my cross-country skis each winter.

“But isn’t it cold?” people ask, shivering at the very thought. Of course it is, but there are some tricks to dealing with the cold that I’ve learned in 35 years of skiing. In fact, I usually finish a ski as warm and sweaty as if I’d just played a game of basketball in the gym. Plus, I’ve gotten my daily dose of sunshine, which is important for Vitamin D production, especially in winter. Touring around the trails also invariably lifts my spirits and helps me acclimate to the season. Cross-country skiing gets the heart thumping and is an important part of enjoying winter and establishing lifelong habits of good health.

Cross-country skiing is a great family activity. My parents—natives of North Dakota and Minnesota—taught me how to cross-country ski when I was eight years old. I have fond memories of looking for Easter eggs on skis during an overnight ski trip in Utah and watching the Northern Lights from the ski trails in Alaska. My two sons were born in Fairbanks, and I made sure to get them out on skis as soon as they could stand up.

When I was thinking about relocating to my birthplace of Fargo after 40 years of living out west and north in Alaska, I made sure to bring my skis with me for the job interview, so I could check out the cross-country skiing. The trail system next to the Red River of the North made a great impression, as did the collegial professors in the English department at North Dakota State University, who accompanied me on the ski trails.

During my first winter back in Fargo, I discovered that the Fargo Parks department has a dedicated trail maintenance crew that does a top job of maintaining three separate trails along the river to serve different users: the plowed bike path for walkers and winter cyclists, the smoothly packed trail for skate skiers, and finally, on the trail closest to the river, the set tracks for classical cross-country skiers.

In addition to the trails by the river, there is also a trail system at Edgewood golf course, where the Prairie’s Edge Nordic Ski Club and the Fargo Park District (www.fargoparks.com) hold ski lessons and fun races. While my children took lessons with more experienced skiers, I volunteered to help the newer skiers learn to ski. One of the great joys in my life is to introduce people to the wonderful sport of cross-country skiing.

Another highlight of last winter was taking my sons on their first moonlight ski by the river. They were surprised that they could see well enough to navigate the trails and were amazed to see their shadows on the snow. One of the most exciting outings was a trip to Maplelag, a cross-country ski resort in Minnesota, where my younger son made it to the bottom of “Suicide Hill” without falling—a big boost to his confidence.

It was a sad day during the spring flood, when I saw an ice floe with two parallel ski tracks float by my house, because then I knew the ski season was really over! To make it through to the next ski season, I began writing a proposal for an after-school ski program at Clara Barton elementary school. I’m looking forward to another fun winter of cross-country skiing with family and friends. (615 words)