Silence is Golden
Steven Krcmar
PUBLISHED
Mammoth Magazine – Winter 19/20
Mammoth Blog – Jan 2, 2025
CATEGORY
Snowshoe and cross-country ski your way to adventure
One of the first things you notice is the silence, a lack of sound that’s somehow different than just an absence of noise. The blanket of snow that covers everything also mutes everything, making the sounds you do hear — like children laughing or an eagle taking off from a nearby Jeffrey pine — pop like neon paint on a virgin white canvas.
Don’t call it quiet; call it a foundation of fun.
“Disneyland doesn’t have anything on us. We’re the happiest place on Earth. As you explore Tamarack, your troubles just slide off your back,” says Nordic ski director Dave Schacht.
Less than 10 minutes from the Village — you go underneath Eagle Express (Chair 15) on Lake Mary Road on the way to the snowshoe and cross-country ski center — the breathtaking vistas are different than what you see on the mountain.
With 20 miles of groomed trails, Tamarack is perfect for exploring on cross-country skis or snowshoes. Rent a pair of skis from the yurt at the trailhead and set out on an adventure, following grooves in the groomed snow that flatten the learning curve for beginners.
Sliding on a pair of planks is the HOV lane to clearing your mind, because cross-country skiing can be a great workout, a soul-restoring moving meditation or both. If you really want to test your physical mettle, take a skate-ski lesson. This is the type of skiing you see in the Olympics; it’s totally exhilarating.
Or rent a pair of snowshoes — modern styles are easy to use and slightly more sophisticated than those vintage models you might see hanging in condos — and get ready to slow the pace and take in all the beauty.
“You’re a little slower on a snowshoe. You don’t have to pay attention to exactly where you’re going; you can smell the roses and look around a little bit more. Conditions change so regularly. You can see different things. You can slow down from the rat race and take a look,” says Schacht.
Want to explore more? Go for it. “You’re not going to get lost, because you’re leaving your own breadcrumbs in the snow [with your tracks],” he continues.
Don’t be intimidated: If you can walk, you can snowshoe.
With Tamarack open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., some folks get out there first thing for the fresh corduroy. Others hit the mountain for a few turns in the morning and then head to Tamarack in the afternoon. Others make a day of it, exploring for an hour or two in the morning before popping into historic Tamarack Lodge for a sandwich, the soup du jour or a bowl of bison chili by the fireplace and eventually going out for a little more.
If weather has some of your fave lifts on hold, give Tamarack a call. “Even when the weather is foul, we have areas that are sheltered by trees,” says Schacht.
For many, Schacht included, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. is prime time for some adventure followed by the setting sun.
“You can’t miss with the time you come, as long as you come,” he says.
