What could fit better with a `90s lifestyle than cross-country skiing? It has the health and fitness elements that are crucial for today`s trends. And it meets people`s desires to get outdoors and enjoy nature.
The only thing missing, this year anyway, has been the snow. ”This year has been awful,” said cross-country skier Marylyn Johnson on a recent morning. And when there has been snow on the ground, the temperatures have been too cold to ski, she lamented.
A good way for beginners to get a solid introduction to the sport is to take lessons to learn the basic techniques of turning, stopping and gliding, said Johnson, who teaches cross-county skiing for the North Chicago Park District.
Adults and teenagers can learn in one lesson, she said. ”It`s easy-just like walking.” Children ages 6 to 10 will need a couple of sessions, she said.
Although snow is sometimes in short supply, Lake County does not suffer from a lack of places to ski once the white stuff falls. The Lake County Forest Preserve District, for example, offers trails in 10 of its preserves, ranging from 1.7 miles to 9.3 miles.
The trails are at the following forest preserves (numbers indicate trail length in miles): Lakewood, 9.3; Des Plaines River Trail Corridor, 8.7; Van Patten Woods at Sterling Lake, 7.5; Ryerson Conservation Area, 6.5; Old School, 5.7; Greenbelt, 4; McDonald Woods, 3; Grant Woods, 3; Wright Woods, 2.9; Half Day, 1.7.
For more information, or to request a map and guide of forest preserve properties, call 708-367-6640.
Although many cross-country ski enthusiasts own their own set of skis, boots, poles and bindings, renting the equipment is recommended for the first few times out, until novices become certain they like the sport enough to make buying the necessary gear worthwhile. Several area park districts provide a ski rental service:
The Round Lake Area Park District rents cross-country ski equipment to be used at its Hart`s Woods location, 814 Hart Road., Round Lake. Skis, boots and poles are rented for $5. Rental hours: 9:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the Park District office.
Equipment is also rented out of a trailer set up at the park for after-hour rentals. Trailer hours: 4-9 p.m. Tuesday; 6-9 p.m. Thursday; 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Renters are required to stay within the park boundaries; a minimum 4-inch snow base is required to ski, and ski equipment is not rented if the temperature falls below 10 degrees. For information, call 708-546-8558.
The Park District of Highland Park rents cross-country ski equipment packages that cost adults $10 per day, $18 per weekend and $36 per week. Rental prices for children are half of the adult fee. Equipment includes skis, boots and poles, in sizes to fit 6-year-olds through adults.
The Park District offers cross-country skiing on 3 1/2 miles of ungroomed trails at the Heller Nature Center 2821 Ridge Rd. Rented ski equipment is not restricted to that site, however, and can be used anywhere. Call 708-831-3736 for cross-country ski conditions at the nature center.
Ski equipment can be rented from the Gurnee Park District during office hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. The Park District has a one-mile trail at Gurnee`s Viking Park, 4374 Grand Avenue, but renters are not restricted to Park District property, and more proficient skiers may want to use the equipment at larger sites.
Some recreation areas used for other purposes in the warm weather are transformed into cross-country ski paths when the snow falls. For example, the bicycle paths at Century Park in Vernon Hills are available for skiing.
Also, some golf courses get double-duty when the snow falls. Shiloh Golf Course, Bethesda and 23d Street in Zion, is open for skiing when the snow is 4 inches deep or more. Hours are from dawn to dusk; equipment rental is not available on the site.
Although some skiers prefer a groomed trail to cross-country ski on, a ski outing can be enjoyed on almost any local park or nearby field, provided there is about 4 inches of snow on the ground.
Lake County locations to cross-country ski-with no groomed trails or equipment rentals-include: Adler Park, on Milwaukee Avenue on the north side of Libertyville; Community Park, Midlothian and Dunbar Roads, Mundelein;
Central Park on Lake Street in Grayslake.
