The [Not So] Great Search for Cross Country Skiers (in the Backcountry)

The pandemic brought a new wave of people getting into outdoor sports in 2020 - particularly the activities that can be done without a designated venue or schedule, such as hiking or cross country skiing. With that uptick, we anticipated seeing many people in the backwoods exploring yet, when we’ve been out there, we’ve been alone. This past winter has been pretty great as far as East Coast winters are concerned. Plenty of snow and sunshine has meant a great number of opportunities to play outside.

I spoke with ski tech and fellow adventure advisor, Tim McDonough and he raised a good point: Where are all the cross country skiers? Specifically, the backcountry cross country skiers?

When you have backcountry skis, you have a plethora of options to choose from for your adventure days (or hours). If you are unfamiliar, backcountry skis are generally wider than traditional cross country skis and they also have a metal edge which makes it easier for breaking your own trails. You don’t have to wait for a trail to be groomed, nor do you need to stick to a specific location. You can explore as far as your feet will allow! (And as long as you're not trespassing, of course.)

I couldn’t quite shake the query that Tim proposed so I decided to initiate a personal mission to find some local backcountry skiers.

Spoiler alert: it did not go well.

I started at the Riverside Golf Course in Rothesay. This location felt promising as I could see fresh tracks. I strapped on my snowshoes and set out alongside the skier’s custom trail. My optimism faded with each hole as I examined the whole course - and never spotted a single skier. By the time I was done, the wind had blown the snow enough to cover the skiers tracks - as if they were never there.

Next, I headed to Dominion Park in Saint John. I heard it’s an absolute gem of a spot for snowshoeing, biking and skiing. Surely, I would meet up with an avid athlete gliding through the trees. After a couple hours of tree therapy, I was refreshed but had yet to meet a slithering soul. (I’m aware that I am reaching for ski synonyms at this point.)

While I was feeling a bit defeated, I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. I ferried over to the Kingston Peninsula as I had recently received video confirmation from Sean that backcountry skiing does indeed happen over there. Alas, that was the most success I would attain during my mission as once again, I left with nothing but rosy cheeks and cleared out sinuses from my exploration.

On a separate outing, I did make a sighting on the Kennebecasis River but they were a fair distance away, and I wasn’t wearing my glasses so it may have been a mirage.

I took to social media and asked what draws people to skiing in the backcountry. Beyond a virtual confirmation that backcountry skiers do exist, the shared consensus was a fun sense of adventure and discovery of what’s in our backyards.

The Answer (ish)

I suppose I should apologize for this anticlimactic report. To sum it all up, there may be plenty of backcountry skiers out there but the beauty of where we live is you can avoid ‘crowds’ easily, without much effort.

For those of us yet to try it, I think we all have a backcountry skier inside of each of us - waiting to break free, and break some trails. Perhaps it is like when you purchase a car. Prior to the purchase, you haven’t seen any other of its kind on the road but once you get behind the wheel, you can’t go a day without seeing others driving the same make and model as your own. Once I get some backcountry skis of my own, I’ll finally complete my search and figure out exactly where all the cross country skiers are hiding.