Cross Country Skiing at The Raven Golf Course in Silverthorne
Sometimes it seems like, in the winter especially, everything is SO expensive in Summit County! Well, I’m here to tell you that there are plenty of free things to do if you know where to go.
The other day I was chatting with my neighbor about how I loved to cross country ski and he asked, “Have you tried the golf course in Silverthorne yet? I heard that they were grooming it for skiing.” It happens to be right down the street from Target, and I needed to make a Target run anyway, so I decided to check it out.
I had no idea where to start so I decided to drive to the golf course and hopefully it would be obvious. At first, I didn’t see any signs. But luckily, I spotted two skiers heading back to their car and they gave me the run down. There are two different areas; the North Course and the South Course. The South Course starts across the street and is flatter whereas the North Course was hillier and a little more advanced. Since I was closer to the North Course, I decided to go for it.
You are not allowed to bring your dog which was a bummer. Also, there are no rentals there; so, you have to bring your own skis. Snow shoeing is also permitted but you are not allowed to walk (AKA no Yak Tracks or micro spikes allowed).
I have to say that the first big downhill terrified me to the point that I almost took my skis off (I am a total wimp about getting hurt). But I made it without falling. WIN! The skiers I met were right, there was a good bit of up and down but nothing that the average cross country skier can’t handle.
The signs are not great and I made a few wrong turns. But it is easy to get yourself going in the right direction as you are sandwiched between two mountain ranges.
The view was gorgeous despite a couple of areas where you can see/hear the Highway 6 traffic. All in all, it was a great time and I appreciated the golf course grooming the trail so it was easy to slide. They even had those parallel indentations that I usually only see at Nordic Centers where you have to pay a fee.
Here are my takeaways:
PROS: great views, very few people around, nicely groomed, tons of parking, easy to know where you are, close to major hotels in Silverthorne and Frisco
CONS: no dogs (sorry Roxy!), trails are not well marked, you can see highway traffic in some spots.
I would like to go again and try out the South Course but the no dog rule is a bummer as cross country skiing is a mommy/doggy thing for me. I can’t take those sad puppy dog eyes again Hopefully, they will change that rule next year!