Whenever another parent tells me they’ve never been skiing, I recommend they try cross-country skiing. It’s easy to learn and relatively inexpensive. Also called Nordic skiing, it’s said that if you can walk, you can learn to cross-country ski.

The traditional classic style is easiest to learn and has a relaxed pace, making it best for beginners and families with varied fitness levels. Skate skiing is faster, more strenuous, and requires different gear and a different type of groomed trail.

You can become acquainted with the basic technique by watching the 13-minute video on REI’s YouTube channel called “Classic Cross-Country Skiing for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started,” created in collaboration with Professional Ski Instructors of America.

If your family is willing to give it a try, here are four steps to make that happen.

1. Ensure you have proper base layers and outerwear for winter weather.

Every family member needs waterproof outerwear and other winter clothing to stay warm, dry, and comfortable. Visit the Spokane Nordic Ski Association (SNSA) website for a list of essentials.

The key is to dress in layers—you’ll get warm while skiing, but get chilled when you stop and rest. Be fully prepared.

2. Make an easy plan for where to go.

The younger your children, the easier you need your first day to be—meaning less drivetime, maximum fun, and a way to warm-up and get dry. Cold, unhappy kids are an adventure joy-kill.

For max simplicity and ease, I recommend visiting a Nordic ski area that offers rentals on-site.

• 49 DEGREES NORTH NORDIC CENTER: rentals, lessons, and 25K (15 miles) of trails; pass required.
• MT. SPOKANE STATE PARK NORDIC SKI AREA: Fitness Fanatics rental trailer is located near the area’s Selkirk Lodge and trailhead for 60K (37 miles) of trails; Sno-Park Permit and special groomed-trail sticker required.
• SCHWEITZER: rentals from the Demo Center, located in the Village; 32K (20 miles) of trails; pass required.

3. Rent gear in town and ski at a local park.

If there is snow in town and you don’t want to drive to a mountain, rent gear at a local shop and visit a park with (or without) groomed trails. Shop employees can help figure out the sizes you need, and SpokaneNordic.org also has tips for fitting XC ski gear.

• SPOKANE: Daily rental packages are available from Fitness Fanatics and REI. Spokane Parks & Recreation groom trails at city parks (no fee required to use) as well as Riverside State Park—see my.spokanecity.org/recreation/outdoor/groomed-trails. Or head to any local snow-covered field in a park and break your own trail.
• NORTH IDAHO: Ski Shack in Hayden and the Tri-State Outfitters and Vertical Earth stores in Coeur d’Alene rent XC gear. Groomed trails are available at 4^th of July Recreation Area, Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (start at trailheads in Heyburn State Park or in the cities of Kellogg or Wallace), and Priest Lake.
• PERMITS REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC LANDS: Find out the requirements to park at your chosen trailhead.
• For Washington public lands, in most cases you will need a state parks Discover Pass or Sno-Park Permit and Groomed-Trail Sticker.
• For Idaho, a Park N’ Ski permit is required for the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, Priest Lake State Park, Priest Lake Golf Course, 4th of July Pass Recreation Area, and Palouse Divide (permit also valid in Oregon).

4. Before you leave home…

Prepare a backpack with a stash of hand-warmers, snacks, water bottles, and extra, dry clothes for the trail. Bring a thermos of hot water to make hot cocoa on the go, whether you drink during a rest-stop along the trail or leave in your vehicle to enjoy upon return.

Nordic Ski Lessons

If your family enjoys Nordic skiing and wants more, then consider taking lessons. Spokane Nordic Ski Association (SNSA) offers private and group lessons, a Nordic Kids program, and also partners with City of Spokane Parks & Recreation and Fitness Fanatics to offer weekday evening lessons in town. SNSA also hosts an annual Winterfest, every January, offering inexpensive lessons.

Additionally, Schweitzer and 49 Degrees North offer Nordic ski lessons.

Find more stories about cross-country skiing in the OTO archives.

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Because learning to ski and snowboard well is a life-long progression, and no matter how good you or your kids are, there’s always something to learn from an expert and things to improve on. Kids and adults of any age and ability level can benefit from taking lessons.

Here are some different options from local Ski the NW Rockies association resorts—remember to reserve and schedule your lessons in advance.

First-Time Multi-day Group Lessons

One of the most popular programs for adults or kids (7 and older) who have never skied or snowboarded before is the EZ 1-2-3 package. Available at all four Ski of the NW Rockies association resorts (49 Degrees North, Silver Mountain, Mt. Spokane, and Lookout Pass), the program includes three days of rentals, lift tickets, and lessons.

Adult & Kids Camps

Several local resorts offer skill-building camps that also have a social element. Examples include Mt. Spokane’s Ladies Day Clinics and Park Club for skiers and snowboarders ages 9-17 who want to work on their park skills., February 11, 2022

Private Lessons

All local resorts offer private lessons, and some mountains like Silver Mountain also offer semi-private group lessons where a small group of your friends can take a lesson together.

Multi-Week Lesson Programs

Take your pick of multi-week group lesson programs for kids or adults from your favorite local resort. This is a great way get better by committing to multiple weeks of skiing or snowboarding.

Learn about additional lesson options at Ski the NW Rockies resorts.

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5th Grade Ski/Ride FREE Passport

This popular program helps get 5th graders out on the slopes for free. The passport provides three free days at each of the participating ski areas with a parent/guardian present (49 Degrees North, Lookout Pass, Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain, and Loup Loup Ski Bowl).

To participate, parents need to submit an application with a $20 processing fee at 5thgradeskipassport.com and check their email for the passport. Print the passport or pull it up on your phone at the ticket office to receive a lift ticket. Please note blackout dates for each resort listed on the passport website, which include but may not be limited to Saturdays and holidays.

Some of the participating ski resorts also offer discount rental gear and lessons as part of the 5th grade passport program. More info: Skinwrockies.com

EZ Ski/Ride 1-2-3

The EZ Ski or Ride 1-2-3 programs makes learning to ski or snowboard for the first time affordable and easy. And both kids and parents can sign up! All four Ski the NW Rockies association resorts (49 Degrees North, Lookout Pass, Mt. Spokane, and Silver Mountain) are offering a three-visit package to first-timers at an incredible price that includes three lift tickets, three rentals (boots, poles, skis or snowboard), and three lessons.

Three Simple Steps: Pick one of the three ski areas, call the ticket office at the resort and purchase your EZ SKI 1-2-3 package, and then follow their instructions to schedule the lessons. More info: Skinwrockies.com/ez-ski-ride-123

Lookout Pass Free Ski School

Over the past 81 seasons, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation area on the Idaho/Montana state line has been offering its Free Ski School. Since that first year, the ski resort has introduced over 78,000 kids to the winter sports of skiing and snowboarding.

The program is available for boys and girls between age 6-17 who want to learn to ski and ages 7-17 for snowboard lessons. The lessons range from beginner to advanced, so there are lessons for all abilities and kids can move up levels as the season progresses.

While the lessons are totally free and a lift ticket is not required to ski or snowboard during the lessons, rental equipment is not provided and a season pass or day ticket is required for kids who want to continue skiing or riding after the lesson and on non-lesson days.

Rental equipment can be reserved and paid for at the Lookout rental shop, or kids can bring their own gear. Parents should also pre-purchase any season pass or lift tickets if desired. More info: Skilookout.com/famous-free-ski-school

Sponsored by Ski the NW Rockies Association.

Read more stories from the Family Winter Sports Guide 2021.

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Spokane, Wash.

Things were quieter than normal in Mt. Spokane State Park’s Nordic Ski Area last year. The trails were still full of skiers seeking a cure for cabin fever, but Spokane Nordic Ski Association’s (SNSA) lessons, races, and gatherings were mostly canceled. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the organization, however, as a year without events gave SNSA time to plan for the future and expand their offerings to members and the Spokane community.

The pandemic presented two pressing needs: the ability to learn virtually and schedule flexibly.

That’s why, for the first time ever, parents will be able to decide if they’d like to enroll their children in the full seven-week Nordic Kids program or select individual lessons a la carte. SNSA has also started building out a virtual learning center for their members, complete with how-to videos, articles, weekly wax advice, and more.

Last year brought on another big change when beloved coach George Bryant retired. SNSA knew it had big shoes to fill, so the group brought in Jason Jablonski.

Jablonski’s background is diverse and impressive. After getting his Bachelor’s degree in Education from Central Washington, he spent three years as a professional triathlete and another five years as a professional mountain biker before starting his coaching career. He’s spent the last 18 years coaching cross-country skiing, in addition to serving 8 years as the coach of team USA’s Junior Mountain Bike Team.

If you or your family are interested in learning more about the programs and teams that Jablonski coaches, or any of SNSA’s other Nordic ski related events, you can learn more at SpokaneNordic.org.

An SNSA Membership ($40 for individuals, $60 for families) is required to sign up for any of the SNSA lessons and teams, including Nordic Kids, Transition Team, Junior Race Team, Adult Lessons, and Master’s Ski Club.

Spokane Nordic Ski Association, Transition Team (left) // Photo: Chris Sharman; Adult Nordic ski lessons (top right) // Photo: Barbara Jackson; Nordic ski race (bottom right) // All photos courtesy Spokane Nordic Ski Association

Find more stories about the Spokane Nordic Ski Association in the OTO archives.

Read “Cross-Country Skiing For Kids” from the Family Winter Sports Guide (Nov.-Dec. 2020 issue).

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She has attended fancier clinics with après and yoga, but she loves Rippin’ Chix because of the small group numbers and no frills.  “It draws more people who are serious about skiing. That’s all they are there to do. They’re not there to be wined and dined. They are there to learn to ski better.”

Last year Klein attended with her daughter-in-law, who is an intermediate skier. “She had a great time, and it gave her a lot of confidence.”

And Klein also found what she was looking for: a challenge. “In the group I was in, I was just barely hanging on for my life. All the women in my group were all from Canada, all 50-ish, all really good skiers.”

Kristin Wenzel from Spokane was also up from the U.S. When asked what she wants to learn from the weekend, Wenzel isn’t sure. Like all of us, she wants to get better, and like a lot of us, she isn’t sure precisely what that means. It’s hard to know how you want to improve if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong.

That’s the magical element of these camps. A good instructor can tell you want you’re doing wrong, but a great instructor can suggest incremental changes that allow you to feel what it’s like to do it right. She gives you mantras to remember in a context that will make the small corrections stick.

Wenzel started the day skiing, in her words, like an “action figure.” Her legs were rigid, and she was stiff through the shoulders. As she traveled down the slope, her skis and body pointed to one side of the slope. When she initiated a turn, her head, hips, and shoulders, and skis all pointed to the opposite slope.

At the end of the first day, Wenzel and I debriefed in the sauna at the Adventure Hotel, which was lit up by the world’s smallest disco ball. She was starting to feel looser and found it easier to keep her chest pointed downhill.

“I was impressed,” she says. I liked it a lot. Going into it I was worried about how you could actually get $500 worth of information in 2 days.” But the download of information and opportunity for practice and correction was so helpful that “even if I had to go home right, now I wouldn’t be mad,” she says.

The full endorsement for the camp came after day two. “At the end of the day, even though skiing much harder terrain, I felt equipped to just go with it…Lines that I normally wouldn’t have picked to ski, I was choosing them and feeling good about how they went.”

On the calendar right now are Alta, Utah on Feb. 11-12 and March 20-21. The dates for the British Columbia-based camps are Jan. 16-17 at Whitewater, Feb. 8-10 for Backcountry Snowcats, and Feb. 21-23 for a ski touring camp at Journeyman Lodge. It’s hard to say if the border will be open by then, but if it’s not, consider saving for next year’s camp.

Summer Hess plans to attend an avalanche rescue course with the Selkirk Powder Guides this winter.

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The EZ Ski or Ride 1-2-3 deal is only available for true “first timers” of any age who have never skied or snowboarded before. Find more program info and each mountain’s ski school phone number to call and reserve your package in advance at Skinwrockies.com/ez-ski-ride-123.

Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area (Mullan, Idaho)

Includes three all-day lift tickets. The first two days start on the beginner chairlift, while day three includes an all-mountain lift ticket. The graduation gift for completion of the Learn to Ski or Ride in 3 Days program is a very special rate for a season pass for the rest of the season that includes daily rental equipment. Packages are available for ages 13 and older for $149. A similar package is available for ages 7-12. Lessons should be available every day Lookout is open.

49 Degrees North Mountain Resort (Chewelah, Wash.)

49’s three-day lesson package includes three days of rentals, lift tickets, and lessons for $199. Lessons and rentals need to be scheduled in advance as available through the 2021 season. Students must be at least 7 years old to register. Once the program is completed, participants are eligible to purchase a season pass at a discounted rate.

Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park (Spokane, Wash.)

The EZ Ski or Ride 1-2-3 Package at Mt. Spokane for first-time skiers or snowboarders ages 7 and up is $179 this season. The group lessons must be scheduled along with rentals in advance and are available at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekends. First-day lessons are held on the beginner lift (Chair 5) and can progress to other lifts and terrain if participants are able. True first-time students who complete the program can also purchase a discount season pass for the remainder of the season for just $129.

Silver Mountain Resort (Kellogg, Idaho)

For only $135, first timers can register in advance for three days of skiing or snowboarding, rentals, and lessons at Silver. The lift tickets are good for the Prospector lift, and the package is available for ages 7 and older. Lesson times are 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. but are not available on Saturdays or holidays this season. 

Content sponsored by Ski the NW Rockies Association Resorts, from the On the Mountain special section in the January-February 2021 issue.

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Outerwear coat and snow pants should be both waterproof and windproof—what’s typically referred to as being “weatherproof.” In addition, provide your kids with handwarmers; choose mittens rather than gloves, especially for younger kids; and secure the cuff or mittens or gloves either under or over jacket sleeves-cuffs. “Make sure children drink plenty of water…and use the bathroom right before lessons,” says Pardue. “Eat a good breakfast and have something warm during lunch…to heat up their little bodies.” 

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Nate Peck, a 49 Degrees North local and former assistant director of 49’s ski school, offers up some great advice for parents looking to teach their kids to ski this winter. “Focus on the experience and not the progress—the progress comes but not in the first few sessions. Be patient. If you can have fun, you can keep going. Kids will relax and learn so much faster,” says Peck. “It’s so tempting to pull your child one lift further, or one more run. We’ve done it—gone too high on the mountain, (or skied when) too windy. To a kid, success is fun.”

Logistical planning is also important. He recommends preparing a big bag with everything you might need on the mountain to maximize your child’s energy, such as meals, snacks, and “how you’re going to stay warm,” he says. Handwarmers and Hershey’s kisses have been especially helpful for teaching his own young kids to ski. Figure out what works best to encourage and motivate your kids, then do that every time you’re on the mountain.

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I am learning to downhill ski in my sixth decade of life. Over the years, I’ve made a number of failed attempts to learn. Once on Japan’s icy slopes, thrice on Alyeska Resort’s torturously steep runs, and finally in the ungroomed backcountry of Thompson Pass, Alaska. Those experiences scared me out of my wits and left me wholly uninterested in the sport.

Then, last year upon moving to Spokane, I found myself surrounded by a half dozen beginner friendly ski areas. Along with that inducement, my husband was ready to dial back his ski ambitions, my stepson (also a recent transplant) was enthusiastic about skiing, and our four-year-old grandson was game. It looked like I had a troop.

I resolved to try downhill skiing again. I enumerated the mistakes I’d made in the past: I’d been in too big of a hurry, I’d let peer pressure push me onto slopes that were too difficult, and I hadn’t taken the time to acquire basic skills. This time, I’d learn properly.

Securing ski gear was my first item of business, so I headed to REI and came away from the store with a leased set up consisting of skis, poles, boots that seemed bearable, and a helmet. Next, my group decided to kick off the season on Mt. Spokane. The area offered an easy drive, inexpensive half-day Sunday passes, and a family-style reputation. Lastly, I signed up for a ski lesson. Nervous, I set out for what I hoped would be a successful initiation into downhill skiing. 

I found my class—a half dozen “adults” of whom I was the oldest by decades. Our ski instructor showed us how to tell left ski from right, how to efficiently clip in, and how to hold our poles. He taught us to mount and dismount from the chair lift. He coached us gently down the bunny slope. Amazingly, I enjoyed it. I skied in control. I didn’t careen into other humans. I didn’t tumble from the lift. Afterward, when I met up with my family, I was pompous with success and ready for more.

We hit the beginner slopes at Mt. Spokane and 49 Degrees North another half dozen times. Each time, I took it easy, practiced my nascent skills, enjoyed quiet moments riding up the swaying lift, and delighted in family camaraderie.

Our group’s final day of the season was at 49. We yo-yoed the Chair 3 beginner slope several times. Then, as the day progressed, I grew ambitious. I wanted to go to the top.

I mounted Chair 1. At the summit, the sun shone across miles of rolling pine-covered peaks. The groomed on-ramp to the green-rated Silver Ridge flowed away and the trail disappeared into dense trees. I pushed off, nice and slow. I made a set of turns and it felt okay. The snow was corn and my edges dug in. I descended comfortably and then, midway, I accidentally ended up on an intermediate run. My heart raced, but, determined, I sideslipped my way down—not graceful, but in control. 

At the bottom, I breathed a sigh of relief, took a moment, and then continued on. I cut a beautiful set of S’s through forested trails and managed a couple of parallel turns. At the lodge, I swooshed to a stop, giddy and breathless. As my enthusiastic band of family skiers high-fived me, I was already making plans for next year.

Tabitha Gregory relocated to Spokane from Valdez, Alaska, in 2018. She runs, backpacks, cross-country skis, and is now embracing the sport of downhill skiing. 

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