Cross-country Ski at Deer Valley

Howells Outdoors

Adventure is my middle name...actually it's Keith.
Joined
Sep 26, 2012
Messages
444
My wife and I connected with the Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club (www.cmnsc.org) to try our luck at cross-country skiing. We went up to the Deer Valley Winter Recreation Area on the Dixie National Forest.

Originally posted on: www.mountain-dude.blogspot.com


LOVE IT!!!

A little bit on the Deer Valley Area.

It is located just over 20 miles east of Cedar City on HWY-14. The Ski Club and the Forest Service have worked really hard together and about 5 years ago they got the 1,300 acres set aside as a non-motorized winter recreation area. There are great loop trails and views of Navajo Lake and the surrounding forest. Try to navigate through their website to find the information on the trails, you probably won't find it anywhere else (not even on the FS website).

Parking is scarce. The snowplow turn around is the best place, but it's also where the snowplows turn around. Then there is the area that is plowed out for snowmobiles at the turnoff for Cedar Breaks, but it's several miles away (one of the loops swings down that way).

Cross-country skiing really is the best way to get out in the winter and see the landscape. I guess I'll start with how much exercise I got doing this.

It is a workout. but it isn't like any other time I've gone to workout and it isn't fun. I hardly noticed how much I was working, but I felt it afterwards. Seems like every muscle was being used. My arms were doing some great work helping to pull me along through the powder. My legs were pumping on the flat terrain and especially on the uphill. Want a good workout? Go ski!

Then being able to see the Dixie National Forest under the snow and get away from everyone was amazing. I've snowshoed before and thought, "How cool is this to get to travel where I want on top of the snow." Yeah, skis are so much more effective and efficient! I love being out in the winter and being able to really be free to travel where I want (except where land managers say not to).

It was pretty easy to at least go on the skis. As one of the club members told me, "If you can walk, you can ski." I was amazed at the way I could climb hills on those things, yet glide down with ease. Well done Manufacturers!

All in all, it was a great time. If anyone knows where we can get some skis of our own let us know.
 
Skied for the first times last season. I'm still no the best at going downhill on the skinny skis but with time it'll get better. I need to buy my own so i can go whenever too.
 
I did it for many years back in Germany. I love cross country skiing
Do they have groomed trails in your area? Love the groomed trails where you can really speed up and skate there with your skies.
 
Yeah the forest service grooms once a week. Sometimes after a big storm. They groom for skate skiing and tradition. There is something like 11 miles groomed
 
Awesome. I've been wanting to try XC skis as well. I definitely have enjoyed kicking around on my splitboard.
Splitboard! Fun stuff. I'm gonna use 9ne of those foe the first time soon. I'm stoked! But cross-country skiing was sooooo much fun. My wife and I are hooked.
 
let me know when you're going again. I would love to go, too.
So far I've only figured out trials at Bryce Canyon and gear rental as well. I will be there for another winter weekend in February again, but until then I would love to go somewhere else
 
let me know when you're going again. I would love to go, too.
So far I've only figured out trials at Bryce Canyon and gear rental as well. I will be there for another winter weekend in February again, but until then I would love to go somewhere else
There's a group from the club going up the 28th for a ski. We will probably join em.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
NorthwestWanderer 6 Day Eagle Cap Wilderness Odyssey | Cross Country Travel | The Highlight Highway Loop Backpacking 6
blueeyes Cross Country Skiing Pebble Creek Caribou National Forest Winter Sports 5
Yvonne Cross-Country skiing North Fork Trail, Uintas Winter Sports 10
Yvonne Cross-country Skiing at Sundance Nordic Center Winter Sports 5
H Cross country loop in the Sawtooths Backpacking 18
Vegan.Hiker Planning next summer's cross country trip... Trip Planning 22
Vegan.Hiker My Cross Country Weekend Adventure in Utah Hiking & Camping 17
stevecochranephotography Notch Mountain Trail - Mount of the Holy Cross and Shelter - Minturn, Colorado Hiking & Camping 4
lostlandscapes 9/5 - 9/7/15: Holy Cross Wilderness, CO Backpacking 21
balzaccom How did the hiker cross the stream? General Discussion 5
Cody Cross Canyon and Y Canyon via The Grabens Backpacking 11
BJett Part 3 - Tour de Canyon Country. Lower Escalante Loop Hiking & Camping 0
BJett Part 2 - Tour de Canyon Country. Swell Times Hiking & Camping 0
BJett Part 1 - Tour de Canyon Country. Cedar Mesa. Hiking & Camping 8
Bob Teton Wilderness - 50 miles of High Country - Aug 2022 Backpacking 45
Janice Cottonwood Fluff in Canyon Country General Discussion 4
LarryBoy Skin Rash in Canyon Country General Discussion 11
BJett Honeymoon Backpacking - An Intro to Canyon Country Backpacking 14
W "Cooking clothes" in grizzly country General Discussion 10
balzaccom Lassen Back country and front Hiking & Camping 1
NorthwestWanderer Backpacking Washington's Coulee Country : Barker Canyon Backpacking 5
JackBurns Needles back-country Trip Planning 0
wabenho Zion Front-country - Nov. 2019 Hiking & Camping 5
J Pahranagat Country: Big, open, room to roam Nov.9-10, 2019 Hiking & Camping 0
J Brigham City X-country Trip Planning 2
SKLund Back Country Permit Orange Cliffs Trip Planning 8
theBoreDom 4x4 and country Noobs: Introduce yourself! 3
Yvonne X-Country skiing in the Uintas Trip Planning 13
Mike Jones 2-3 NIght Back country Yosemite ideas? Trip Planning 3
Mike Jones 2 day back country hike Yosemite? Trip Planning 2
axlesteele Dogs in Utah Canyon Country Trip Planning 2
Blake Merrell 1st Time X-Country Skiing - Alpine Loop Overnighter Winter Sports 18
Kullaberg63 Ernie's Country and the Fins Trail Backpacking 11
Tater Head X-country skiing? Gear 16
Tyler Roost Country: Keg Knoll, Colonnade Arch, Moonshine Wash, Goblin Valley Hiking & Camping 1
Kullaberg63 Winter ski touring with pulk Winter Sports 3
W Gulf of Slides Ski Trail Trip Report 1/25/2022 Trip Reports 0
SteveR A Tale Of Two Passes- A Spring Ski Tour in Alberta Winter Sports 4
SteveR Birdwood Loop Ski Tour, April 14 Winter Sports 3
norwegianxplorer Ski Dogs, Norway, fun days off piste ski touring amazing conditions Winter Sports 0
Perry My First Overnight Ski Touring Adventure Winter Sports 3
MikeM Ski Mountaineering the Highland Mountains, MT Winter Sports 3
powderglut New "23"Destinations Ski Area Pass "Ikon Pass" General Discussion 1
SKLund Ski Hi Ranch footbridge Trip Planning 1
N Mammoth Mountain Skiing/Xcountry ski April Trip Planning 4
S Ski pants with full length zip Gear Reviews 2
Artemus Ski Jump Winter Sports 4
Tye Dye Twins January Backcountry Ski Tours Part 2 Winter Sports 0
Tye Dye Twins January Backcountry Ski Tours Part 1 Winter Sports 3
Howells Outdoors XC Ski at Southern Utah's Deer Valley Winter Sports 3

Similar threads

Back
Top