I'm looking for good trails to cross country ski in VA, WV, or PA. Any ideas? I'm game for either groomed or ungroomed trails. Is there any snow out there? The closer to DC the better.

Thanks for any suggestions!

checkout www.whitegrass.com however a bunch of other places have XC dskiing such as Blue Knob, Canaan Valley, Laurel among others.

Also, check out Hidden Valley in PA. They have good cross country trails, and frequently have natural snow cover. I believe they've got 10+ kilometers of XC trails open right now with powder and packed powder conditions, but you might call them to find out the latest.

The storm this weekend may be a big plus for XC skiing. There's usually not a lot of natural snow pack throughout the winter around here for XC skiing, but this year might be different.

If anyone makes a XC trip, I'd be happy to publish a firsthand report - I'm always trying to increase XC coverage on DCSki.

- Scott

You may also want to check out www.ertc.com for the Elk River Touring Center, just South of Snowshoe. Besides an inn with excellent dining, a great pub, and several rooms, the place is an excellent touring center. They have several miles of XC trails and also use Highway 150 which, with an average altitude of almost 4,000 feet, gets gobs of snow. Hwy 150 is not plowed during the winter so it becomes a 20-mile snowmobile and XC trail.

Here is a short list of XC or XC-able parks:

One of the PA DNR divisions puts out a pamphlet of XC ski trails. A good contact might be the Forbes State Forest Ranger Station in Laughlintown PA.

PA:
a) Laural Mnt St Park (Trail system adjacent Laural Mnt Alpine Area), Free
b) Kooser St Park, (Short trail, adjacent Hidden Valley Resort), Kooser is free
c) Forbes State Forest, Trail Network North of Route 31, Accessable from Hidden Valley or Kooser St Park
d) Gallazatin St. Forest (East of Johnstown PA {I have hiked/mountain biked but not skied but know that there is a trail system} Free
e) Laural Ridge St Park, off Route 653, NE of Connsleville, PA, could be a fee (I haven't been there in years, for a while they had lights for night XC, not sure if that is still going on or not)
f) Ohiopyle St Park. (lower elevation and less snow than ridges, a-e listed above are on the ridges)
g) In NW Pa, the Allegheny National Forest offers many XC trails and backcountry oppourtunities

Western MD:
a) New Germany St Park. Donatation
b) Herrington Manner St Park. Donatation
c) Deep Crk St. Park, limited trails, but (at your risk) you can ski on the lake, lake is currently frozen (1/2/01). Free

WVA:
a) Alpine Lake Resort. Fee
b) Canaan Valley St. Park Free
c) Blackwater Falls St Park Free
f) Whitegrass Fee
g) Oppourtunites in Dolly Sods/ Monagelahia Nat. Forest...might require more advanced navagation/skiing experience, skills, judgement and equipment.

For anyone interested in beginning XC skiing,
there will be lessons at Laurel Ridge
next weekend (13-14 Jan) sponsored by the
Pennsylvania Cross Country Skiers Association.
I believe the park charges $6 to use its
trails, since they're groomed by the
association. Right now conditions at
Laurel Ridge are supposedly very good,
but unfortunately, it is supposed to warm
up next week.

If you want more info, check out
http://www.nauticom.net/www/mazurb/paccsa2.htm

Dave