Recreation ~ Cross-Country Skiing

To experience skiing in its purest and certainly oldest form, you need only don a pair of cross-country skis and kick and glide your way through Hawk's serpentine network of snow-covered trails. For thousands of years, dwellers in northern climes used simple wooden skis to get swiftly from one winterbound location to another. In more recent years, however, cross-country skiing has been transformed from a mode of transportation to a popular sport.

As an alternative to downhill skiing, it substitutes the fun of exploring the backcountry and moving across wilderness terrain for the thrill of speeding down it, all the while providing an aerobic workout superior to almost any other recreational activity (downhill skiing included). More than just "the other way to ski," cross-country does wonders for your spirit as well.

A Vintage Sport

In a world where everything has to be "new" and "hot" to get the latest buzz, and trends last about as long as the time you will spend at this Web site, it's nice to know that some things don't change - like the joy and beauty of cross-country skiing in Vermont. Cross-country isn't hot like riding (a.k.a. snowboarding), or hip like blading. It's simply as good as it ever was - in fact, even better, like a vintage wine that keeps improving with age. And when it comes to drinking it all in, there's no better place than Vermont, where the sport took hold in the 1960s, and has been refined ever since.

Hawk is Not Your Typical Touring Center

Hawk jumped on the bandwagon early, establishing a trail network throughout our 1,200 acres in the mid-1960s that expanded over the years to provide cross-country enthusiasts with a variety of terrain. Whether your intent is to glide quietly through the apple orchards flanking the Black River, or to aggressively telemark 2000 feet down the mountainside from the Ledges, Hawk is guaranteed to have what you're looking for in our winding, circuitous trail network. Ability levels aside, the virtues of cross-country haven't changed in 40 years. It's still all about getting away from it all; exploring the white-draped wonders of the natural world; free-heeling high adventure in the peaks and romps in the powder; and getting off the beaten tracks for a workout that refreshes body and soul as few other sports can.

Explore the Winter Wonderland at Hawk from a Unique Perspective

Once outfitted, a variety of terrain will be awaiting you - beginner, intermediate or advanced trails - assuring you that you will never tire of the vast assortment of territory that you can cover on skis at Hawk. So, whether you are a seasoned cross-country tourer, or so new to the game that you think that "telemarking" is the latest addition to the ever-expanding Internet lexicon, Hawk's recreation staff will get you gliding in short order. The entire Hawk trail network is at your disposal just minutes (or seconds) from your Hawk inn room or villa.

For more information about cross-country skiing at Hawk, or to make reservations, please call (802) 672-3811.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.

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