Nordic Skate Skiing Vacation

It's winter ski vacation season at The Home Ranch and the famed champagne powder of North Routt county has covered our meadows and hills. Our groomer has done its work and our 30 km of freshly groomed trails are waiting for your skis. In other words, its time to skate...ski, that is.

When The Home Ranch opened 30 years ago, we were one of the premier destinations for cross country ski vacations in the West; and back then that meant everyone was Classic skiing. But in the past few years we have noticed something new on our trails: guests dressed for speed, skating instead of striding, and making some of us Classic skiers seem, well, Classic.

So Classic as we are, we know that a new sport is on the rise and we have jumped on board to support it and encourage its growth. Our guides have been trained in the latest skate skiing techniques, and even the dogs that sometimes follow us on the trails have had to learn how to move faster.

Local Legend and head ski guide Mike Braal, with his extensive knowledge of our amazing, varied, and accessible terrain, has just received a fresh Nordic Skate clinic, and his guides are encouraging our guests to try skate skiing. We have the latest in skate skiing equipment available to our guests and we are ready to help you learn to skate, improve your skating, or just eat your powder.

Equipment

We offer our guests the use of our top of the line selection of Fischer and Salomon Nordic Skate Skis.

Fischer Skis

A reinforced Power Edge ski chassis and tail protectors make the ski exceptionally durable, and Air Channel construction maximizes the ski's strength without adding weight. A World Cup Pro base and Ultra Finish base grind make gliding from foot to foot an absolute breeze.

Salomon Skis

World Cup level ski with the power distribution camber provides high stability, great rebound energy and fast straight line acceleration. Warm Camber adjustment has shorter glide surface to reduce friction and improve acceleration.

Boots

We provide our guests with Top of the Line Salomon Boots.

The Technique Of Skate Skiing (From Wikipedia)

"Skate skiing involves a decisive weight transfer onto one ski angled and then the other, supported by the inner edge of the ski on the snow, which looks similar to an ice skater. As in classic skiing, transferring weight completely from one ski to the next is essential to learning to skate. Those who have learned to ice skate or rollerskiing may find ski skating technique easier to learn than classic skiing.

Skate skiing can be done either with skis specifically designed for skating or 'combi' skis for both skating and classic styles. Similarly, specialized skating boots or combi boots can be used. Skate skis tend to be shorter and stiffer than those used for the classical technique, and the poles are longer. Neither fish scale skis nor grip wax are used."

Ski out of the front door of any one of our eight charming cabins or six lodge rooms onto 25 km of diverse terrain and perfectly groomed Nordic trails

Technique

Skate skiing involves a decisive weight transfer onto one ski angled and then the other, supported by the inner edge of the ski on the snow, which looks similar to an ice skater. As in classic skiing, transferring weight completely from one ski to the next is essential to learning to skate. Those who have learned to ice skate or rollerskiing may find ski skating technique easier to learn than classic skiing. The free technique in XC skiing is not to be confused with freestyle, which describes ski sport where the competitors compete over a mogul course and by performing aerial gymnastics such as spins after launching from a short ramp in the snow.

Skate skiing can be done either with skis specifically designed for skating or 'combi' skis for both skating and classic styles. Similarly, specialized skating boots or combi boots can be used. Skate skis tend to be shorter and stiffer than those used for the classical technique, and the poles are longer. Neither fish scale skis nor grip wax are used.

Different limb-movement patterns are used for different terrain and speeds. There is no internationally accepted naming convention for these techniques.