Winter Endurance: Tips, Tricks, Secrets of the Pros

Whether your idea of winter endurance fun is groomed track XC skiing, backcountry skiing, telemark, randonee, snowshoeing, or a bit of them all -- there’s a wonderful white world waiting for you just a short drive from home this winter. Since most RaceCenter readers have only limited time in snow country, it’s easy for the runner, cyclist, or triathlete to miss out on a ton of winter fun simply because you may not realize some of the secrets and tricks used by veterans of Pacific NW winters. Here’s four of the best insider ideas to try this winter to become your own version of a “winter pro”.‍

1.) Aim Low When The Storm Is Really Cold

Very few urban areas in the Pacific NW get significant amounts of snow every winter. Even a winter destination like my home of Bend, Oregon only sees snow on the ground roughly three weeks a year. The Cascades are definitely where the white goodness is reliable and ample.

However,  almost every winter there are 2-3 storms that will drop several inches of snow down to the 2000-4000 foot level that will actually stick around for many days at a time. When this snowy gift arrives, true winter pros always have a couple of nearby “go to” locations that they can slip off to for a quick ski or snowshoe. 

Example: When spending a year in Corvallis, Oregon, a while back, I’d keep my eyes on the summit of Mary’s Peak, which I could easily see from my favorite winter running and cycling routes. If I saw a healthy coating of snow on a clear day, I’d find the time to rally up there to do some impromptu XC ski touring. Even a short loop near the summit on a few inches of ungroomed snow would be a winter highlight as I enjoyed views from the Pacific to the entire breadth of the Oregon Cascades. Fantastic!‍

2.) Have The Right Gear For Your Needs

Nothing will make winter more enjoyable or miserable than the right or wrong gear, respectively. In this regard, snowshoers have it pretty easy as most modern snowshoes are so light and mobile (compared to 20-30 years ago) that you can do almost anything you want on one pair. For skiers, if you can’t or don’t want to have a full quiver of skiing gear for all situations, you need to make some choices.

For mostly track skiing, you are going to have the most fun on what is called “race” gear even if you rarely (if ever) hop in an XC ski event. The gear is super light and built for high performance. But if you aren’t likely to care if you have the fastest skis or latest tricks in poles/boots, the smart winter pro tip is to buy older models on closeout in spring or early season sales. You can also find good gear, often barely used, at swap sales.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you are into big mountain and backcountry adventures, you want gear built for that type of thing. Telemark, randonee, and heavy-duty backcountry gear is like driving a tractor on a freeway on groomed trails, but in the steep and deep that’s what you want.

Folks in the middle that like to dabble with all sorts of XC ski destinations are best off aiming for the light touring options almost all ski companies have to offer these days. These skis will be a bit wider than track-specific XC race gear, but much lighter and trimmer than steep/deep varieties. So you can take a spin on a Pacific NW groomed destination one weekend and then explore an ungroomed winter trailhead a week later.

Important gear note: For skiers that sometimes go out on marginal snow cover (i.e. you hit rocks, dirt, etc.) then you may want to have a pair of “rock skis” that you won’t be upset trashing a bit. Nicer poles and boots rarely take a beating in thin snow cover and snowshoes can handle a measure of non-snow situations -- so this is a XC ski-specific thing. The good news is that “rock skis” can be found very cheap at ski swaps, garage sales, and second-hand stores. Just be sure to match up bindings with your regular gear, and away you go.

3.) Know Where and When Packed Snow Is Your Buddy

Sure, some folks enjoy breaking their own trail through the winter wilderness. But most skiers, and even many snowshoers, enjoy at least having the benefit of some packed snow. A good workout is one thing, but a trudge-fest isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea.

As a coach, I’m focused on groomed XC skiing 98% of the time with athletes of all ages. But when I take time to ski for myself, I often have to take whatever situation I can get for a quick ski. Thus, over the years I’ve become a blood hound of sorts when it comes to how to find packed snow in just about any situation.

Groomed trail systems are the easiest and most obvious solution to packed snow. You show up, you buy a trail pass or donate to the grooming fund -- away you go on XC skis or snowshoes. It doesn’t get easier and we are blessed with several wonderful commercial and non-profit groomed areas throughout the Pacific NW.

Second on the reliability index would be groomed snowmobile trails. Multiple snowmobile clubs groom hundreds of kilometers of forest roads every week of the winter.  If you hit the right day and time, you’ll be hard-pressed to find better skiing (at least for XC skating) or a nicer surface for performance snowshoeing. 

There are a few keys to using snowmobile trails, however. First, some trail sections are closed to non-motorized use for safety reasons. So, always know local rules before you head out. Second, always pick low-traffic times to be out there. You don’t enjoy running or cycling on a busy road at peak traffic, so don’t make the same mistake in the winter wilderness. Peak times are the heart of weekends and holidays. If you just aim early or later or on a weekday, snowmobile trails often see less traffic than XC/snowshoe trails!

Finally, there are the oddball situations that can be really fun partly because they are so unpredictable. These would include following the track of a lone snowmobile along a forest road or onto a mountain ridge. For XC skiing, this means classic technique,  and you don’t want the snow to be too deep or the lone snowmobile won’t pack things enough. For snowshoeing, though, a single snowmobile track is a fast track to any winter destination. 

Another oddball in really low snow (8-12” or less) is to XC ski or snowshoe in the tracks left by an off road truck. Winter logging trucks are really great for this purpose as they have super wide tires and a lot of weight to pack snow. In the right conditions, these oddball situations can open up tons of ski/snowshoe routes that otherwise you would be likely to miss. Winter pros know that adventure is part of the game! 

4.) March and April Is The Magic Bonus Season

I know I’m preaching to a tough crowd on this one, but early spring is when many mountain spots in the Pacific NW really become magical when it comes to XC skiing and snowshoeing. Groomed trails will slowly shut down in spring (although Oregon’s Mt Bachelor is a notable exception, typically staying open to Memorial Day!), but ungroomed meadows, high desert, and thinned logging areas can provide insanely fun skiing down to just a few inches of snow pack. So even as you start to ramp up your typical RaceCenter miles and event calendars, a true “winter pro” will still make room for a few last trips to the white goodness in March and April.

The key to late season ski/snowshoe days is to pick a clear morning after a decently cool night (freezing and below). Winter ski pros look for these conditions to head out for what is called “crust cruising” where the top surface of the snowpack freezes enough to support your weight and you can go anywhere you like. This situation also works great for snowshoeing - think run/walking around a big rolling park where you can go wherever you like!

Clear areas (thinned forests, meadows, etc.) are best because they’ll feature smoother snow which is especially good for XC skiing. For the early spring, less snow (meaning lower elevations) can sometimes offer better crust cruising than the typically super-deep packs. In April, one of my favorite spots is the Wanoga/Meissner plateau just 15 minutes from Bend. However, you can find amazing low-pack crust cruising throughout central and eastern Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in March and April if you keep your eyes open.

Originally published in our Winter print edition.

About the Author

J.D. Downing is the coach/director of the XC Oregon organization based in Bend, OR. In addition to a 16-year track record as the Northwest’s premier XC ski race team, the non-profit 501c3 XC Oregon program offers two annual adult camp programs; dozens of annual workouts and clinics throughout the Northwest; and produces both the annual Tour for the Heart (5K fun XC ski and snowshoe event benefitting heart disease education) as well as the new XC Oregon High School Nordic Ski Invitational. Find out more about all our year-round events and how you can be involved at xcoregon.org.