Aspen Colorado is privileged to be home to one of the worlds largest groomed and maintained cross country systems. With almost 100 kilometers of trails groomed fro skate and classic skiing.
The Aspen Golf Course, which is also home to the Ute Mountaineer Cross Country Center, is a great place to start. Relatively flat and more than enough terrain ti kep you busy for hours, plus you can lounge in the CC Center on the couch and have a snack between laps or catch up with the employees on the latest gear.
Once you have mastered the golf course head out across the Marolt Space to the Aspen High School track, moderately challenging with one steep climb and home to AVSC (Aspen Valley Ski Club) some of these kids have gone on the Olympics.
Ready for a big adventure hang a right from the Marolt Space and onto Buttermilk Ski Area, climb across the ski hill and head into the woods on the other side, several breathtaking, in more than one way, miles later and you are in Snowmass. Still feeling strong head up the Terminator loop that goes straight up hill for a couple k onto the Snowmass Ski Area. Stop into the Elk Camp lodge, have a Snickers and head back for an amazing workout.
Snowmass also grooms its golf course and had a CC center of its own. You can tie this into the Owl Creek loop, which is exactly what the Owl Creek Chase does. The Owl Creek Chase has been one of Colorado’s largest, premier cross-country ski races since 1985. The challenging course from Snowmass Village to Aspen presents the very best that Colorado skiing has to offer: tough climbs, scenic views, thrilling descents and excellent snow conditions!
In addition to all these trails, Aspen is home to what may well be the most scenic groomed cross-country trail anywhere. The generous folks at the T Lazy 7 Ranch groom from their ranch all the way to the Maroon Bells for 9 gently uphill miles for one invigorating workout, thank goodness it is downhill all the way back.
There is even a annual night time party to raise money for the CC Center held on the Aspen Golf Course with food from local restaurants at various places on the course. A fun way to get out with the community at night.
So if you are ready to get extremely fit, and be outside all winter enjoying the beautiful Rocky Mountain Scenery then give cross country skiing a try.