2013 Yellowstone Ski Festival highlights

Wed, Oct  9, 2013 - By Moira Dow

Make your first tracks of the year Trails in West Yellowstone, Montana for the Yellowstone Ski Festival, November 26-30th, 2013. Each year thousands of skiers, from Olympic athletes to first timers, descend on our small mountain town for a week-long celebration of cross-country skiing. Perfectly groomed corduroy on the Rendezvous Ski Trails, feat uring 35 kilometers of trails, new warming cabin, and an updated skiers map. Full information and registration is available at www.yellowstoneskifestival.com.

The Yellowstone Ski Festival will again offer a diverse schedule of events, with ski clinics, races, on-snow gear demos, evening activities and the USSA SuperTour opener, beginning with the Freestyle Sprints on Friday, November 29. The 10/15 kilometer freestyle distance race will be held on Saturday. One to five day Nordic ski clinics with classic and skate specific options, as well as multi-day combination clinics, will be offered.

A half day adaptive ski clinic & a half day adaptive biathlon clinic with the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Coaching staff is also offered on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013. This clinics are free of charge and equipment will be provided. Pre-registration is required.

Adaptive Nordic Biathlon Clinic (9:00 - 11:00 AM) Meet at the Holiday Inn Adaptive Nordic skiers - come learn to shoot with U.S. Paralympic Biathlon Coaching staff with precision air rifles for standing & sitting classes, or via Audio electronic rifle for those visually impaired skiers. Learn to shoot, then challenge yourself to shoot with a heart rate to simulate Biathlon competition

Adaptive Cross Country Skiing Clinic (1:00 - 3:00 PM) Meet at the Holiday Inn: Adaptive Nordic skiers are encouraged to join U.S. Paralympic Nordic Coaching staff for cross country skiing instruction during the West Yellowstone Ski Festival in all three classes: sitting, standing, and visually impaired. Learn classic & freestyle skiing techniques, along with downhill and turning techniques. Some Sit-ski equipment can be made available with advance notice. Meet at the Holiday Inn.

The Rendezvous Ski Trail System, home to the Festival, features perfectly groomed The biathlon range will be featured with a “Try Biathlon Day” on Tuesday Nov. 26, 2013 and Biathlon Sprint held the following day Wednesday November 27, 2013.

The "On Snow Nordic Gear Demo" program allows skiers into the On-Snow Gear Demo area where they can test drive the latest and greatest in skis, boots, bindings, poles and wax. Look for Atomic, Fast Wax, Fischer, Madshus, Rossignol, Salomon, Swix and more. The On-Snow Demo Area will be open from 8:30am to 3:00pm Wednesday through Saturday.

Look for representatives just past the trailhead building at the corner of the In&Out Trail and Purple Haze. There will be a group of booths and tents setup here and all of the newest equipment will be on display. Any November trail pass to the Rendezvous Ski Trails includes access to the On-Snow Demo area.

Following a long day of skiing the expertly groomed trails, join your friends for the inaugural aprèsski events held at the On-Snow Demo area on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Hot and cold beverages will be provided, as well as a bonfire to keep skiers warm and sledding for the kids.

The Yellowstone Ski Festival is also about families and helping kids learn to cross country ski in a safe, and fun, learning environment. Lone Mountain Ranch and the Yellowstone Ski Festival are partnering for two days of kids ski clinics. Clinics will be offered for two different age groups: grades K-2nd and grades 3-6th. Pre-registration is required.

There will be morning and afternoon sessions on Friday, November 29th, and Saturday, November 30th, 2013. Clinics are being scheduled so parents can also attend the adult clinics. The drop-off time for kids will be 15-30 minutes before the adult clinics begin.

West Yellowstone offers a full range of lodging options for the Festival from cabins to full service hotels. All properties are located within walking distance to the Rendezvous Ski Trails and a number offer wax rooms for their guests.

The Holiday Inn and Conference Center is the Yellow stone Ski Festival headquarters. It is also the headquarters for the Indoor Expo where you can visit with company representatives, fine tune your technique at a wax clinic, and enjoy the variety of presentations, lectures, and films.

Bring the whole family; there are lots of options for kids. The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center has scheduled daily activities and family-friendly evening presentations,including the Backcountry Film Festival, a Birds of Prey exhibit featuring live raptors, a hands-on lecture from the National Park Service, and a good, old-fashioned S’mores party. Let the Yellowstone Ski Festival become a new family Thanksgiving tradition.

Think snow(!) and make plans now to attend the 2013 Yellowstone Ski Festival. For more information, clinic registration, or to find out about early trail pass discounts, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com