What we’re about
The Colorado Front Range Cross-Country Ski Club is a member-supported, nonprofit recreational club, and a community of friends that share a passion for cross-country (a.k.a. nordic) skiing.
Our group activities primarily consist of ski tours on winter trails and in the backcountry, outings at (groomed trail) nordic centers, and participation in competitive events. We also organize clinics related to cross-country skiing, social events, and hut trips. Group activities are geared to multiple skill and fitness levels. Club members are known as "nordorks."
For more information about the nonprofit and its services for members visit our website: https://www.coloradofrontrangecrosscountryskiclub.org/participate/
Please be aware that the group has a strict "no jerks and no assholes" policy that will be enforced by removing any jerks or assholes from the group.
Also note that this is not a singles group, and as such people of any "relationship status" are welcome. It also is not an age-specific group, and as such you should be comfortable with (gasp) spending time with other adults who might be older or younger than yourself.
To be a member your profile must include a first name you use and a reasonably identifiable photo of yourself.
Anyone who "no-shows" to an event more than once may be removed from the group.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- WE ARE ON: Wuritz Ditch Road, Tennessee Pass I (advanced-beginner tour)Needs location
The nordic season is on, and we are starting in the Leadville area, which has nearby terrain that is often an early-winter nordic snowbowl. Wuritz Ditch Road is in such an area, and the snowfall so far indicates it should be skiable after Thanksgiving. It is a dirt road that is accessed in summer for hiking, dispersed camping, and gravel cycling. Our travel distance should be about 4-5 miles with a stop for lunch at our turnaround point.
Note there is another club ski on this same route on Sunday.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. If you do not complete the waiver within 24 hours of signing up for this event you will be removed from the event. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
We will travel as a group; you cannot go your own route. The length of the tour will depend on conditions and the inclination of the group; we will have lunch at our turnaround point. A lengthier version of this route is found on this map, which you must examine.
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an advanced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”).
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7H5DGRZSGidDhKvQ7
(at the "Crane Park Trailhead" -- we will need to load into fewer cars carpool to the actual trailhead nearby given limited parking there)To attend you must agree to 3 basic guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer. Please understand that these guidelines are based on repeated experience and are meant to make the tour better for everybody.
- If you are faced with a decision regarding where to go next (due to e.g. a junction, or an obstacle, or the disappearance of the trail), you must always, without exception, stop, wait, and consult with the organizer before proceeding.
- The organizer will decide when we "move out" after any stop.
- The organizer will be in the lead and set the pace at the start of the tour.
(There is more detail on the reasons for these guidelines here:
“3 guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer”)You must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
We will be ascending to an altitude of over 10,000 feet; if you are unfamiliar with the potential effects of recreating at altitude you should familiarize yourself with this before the event.
For this sort of outing toothpick track skis (fun as they are) will not be effective. There are ski shops that offer rentals of metal-edged / touring nordic skis.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
- WE ARE ON: Tennessee Pass Nordic II (experienced-beginner event)Needs location
The nordic season is on, and we are starting in the Leadville area, which has nearby terrain that is often an early-winter nordic snowbowl. Tennessee Pass Nordic Center is close to such an area, and the snowfall so far indicates it should be skiable by Thanksgiving, which is their usual opening date. We will ski the trails we can, take in their lovely views, and optionally take a break in the middle to enjoy their excellent and affordable food.
Note there is another club ski at this same location on Saturday.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. If you do not complete the waiver within 24 hours of signing up for this event you will be removed from the event. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
Our route will depend on trail conditions will be discussed in the comments section as the date approaches.
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an experienced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”).
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/keB842BKFApmN3iS6
(at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center; head to the back deck)In general you must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
We will be at an altitude of over 10,000 feet; if you are unfamiliar with the potential effects of recreating at altitude you should familiarize yourself with this before the event.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
- WE ARE ON: Wuritz Ditch Road, Tennessee Pass II (advanced-beginner tour)Needs location
The nordic season is on, and we are starting in the Leadville area, which has nearby terrain that is often an early-winter nordic snowbowl. Wuritz Ditch Road is in such an area, and the snowfall so far indicates it should be skiable after Thanksgiving. It is a dirt road that is accessed in summer for hiking, dispersed camping, and gravel cycling. Our travel distance should be about 4-5 miles with a stop for lunch at our turnaround point.
Note there is another club ski on this same route on Saturday.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. If you do not complete the waiver within 24 hours of signing up for this event you will be removed from the event. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
We will travel as a group; you cannot go your own route. The length of the tour will depend on conditions and the inclination of the group; we will have lunch at our turnaround point. A lengthier version of this route is found on this map, which you must examine.
To participate you must have an intermediate level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an advanced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”).
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7H5DGRZSGidDhKvQ7
(at the "Crane Park Trailhead" -- we will need to load into fewer cars carpool to the actual trailhead nearby given limited parking there)To attend you must agree to 3 basic guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer. Please understand that these guidelines are based on repeated experience and are meant to make the tour better for everybody.
- If you are faced with a decision regarding where to go next (due to e.g. a junction, or an obstacle, or the disappearance of the trail), you must always, without exception, stop, wait, and consult with the organizer before proceeding.
- The organizer will decide when we "move out" after any stop.
- The organizer will be in the lead and set the pace at the start of the tour.
(There is more detail on the reasons for these guidelines here:
“3 guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer”)You must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
We will be ascending to an altitude of over 10,000 feet; if you are unfamiliar with the potential effects of recreating at altitude you should familiarize yourself with this before the event.
For this sort of outing toothpick track skis (fun as they are) will not be effective. There are ski shops that offer rentals of metal-edged / touring nordic skis.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
- Rainbow Lakes Road I (experienced-beginner tour)Needs location
This is a scenic dirt road in the Indian Peaks area; in the summer it leads to a campground and a set of small lakes (really ponds). The route is friendly to relative beginners and a good place to starting getting comfortable with ski touring. There is enough early-season snow to make this road skiable, though note that early-season conditions can be potentially suboptimal and hazardous. Our total distance out-and-back will be about 4 miles. Photos of current road conditions are available on our member platform here. By the date of the event the road should be closed to cars.
In order to participate in this event you must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.
You must also complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. If you do not complete the waiver within 24 hours of signing up for this event you will be removed from the event. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers.
We will travel as a group; you cannot go your own route. All attendees are required to know the length and elevation gain of the tour; you can obtain that information on this map, which you must examine. As mentioned we will ski about 4 miles, which can be a bit shorter or longer depending on our inclination and the conditions.
To participate you must have a basic level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an experienced-beginner level nordic skier (see “Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels”).
If you have any questions about your ability to do the tour from a fitness or skills standpoint just message the organizer directly. If you cannot finish the tour then getting back to the trailhead is your responsibility.
Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8gNM92bNZwnBe49j8
This is the parking at the South Sourdough Trailhead; we may need to walk about 1/4 mile to where we can put skis on.To attend you must agree to 3 basic guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer. Please understand that these guidelines are based on repeated experience and are meant to make the tour better for everybody.
- If you are faced with a decision regarding where to go next (due to e.g. a junction, or an obstacle, or the disappearance of the trail), you must always, without exception, stop, wait, and consult with the organizer before proceeding.
- The organizer will decide when we "move out" after any stop.
- The organizer will be in the lead and set the pace at the start of the tour.
(There is more detail on the reasons for these guidelines here:
“3 guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer”)You must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.
For this sort of outing toothpick track skis (fun as they are) will not be effective. There are ski shops that offer rentals of metal-edged / touring nordic skis.
Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.
All attendees must be signed up here as Meetup members, which also means minors cannot attend the event. If the tour is full, exceptions can't be made to add more people. Dogs are not permitted on the tour.
Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.
And lastly please be sure to read:
