Finally a great snow start to the Nordic season! This weekend is your chance for FREE NORDIC LESSONS Saturday at the Devils Thumb Tommelfest and Sunday at Grand Nordic’s Free Community Lessons at Snow Mountain Ranch.
The Devil’s Thumb Ranch Nordic Ski Tradition turns 50 this year! The celebration starts this Saturday, Dec 14, with Tommelfest, a day of complimentary Nordic ski clinics and Viking-themed, Nordic events! Devil’s Thumb is offering complimentary Classic/Skate lessons with the CU coaches and Devil’s Thumb ski instructors that are open to all. Nordic trail pass and ski equipment rental come with a fee. The packed schedule for the day starts at 8:30 AM-10 AM with registration at Broad Axe Barn. From 9:00AM- 4:00PM, find Tommelfest winter retail savings | Skis, boots, clothing, and so much more up to 40% – 50% off and 25% off on all apparel at Zach’s Mercantile shop. The complimentary Skate or Classic ski clinics run from 10–11:30 AM followed by 12–3 PM: Heck’s Tommelfest Buffet on Heck’s Patio for $55 per adult and $27.50 per child. The afternoon Norwegian Keg Toss from 12 – 2 PM is great fun to either participate in or just watch. From 12 – 3 PM, Fischer offers skis/boots demo. New this year is the Stein Holding Contest at 1 PM followed by the Norwegian Keg Toss Finals – Top 5 from Men’s, Women’s, and Children’s Categories at 2 PM. 1–2 PM is Afternoon Clinic Registration at the Broad Axe Barn while the afternoon complimentary Skate or Classic ski clinics run from 2–3:30 PM. To register, go to https://www.devilsthumbranch.com/event/tommelfest-2024/ or call 970-726-8231 with questions.
On Sunday Dec 15 at Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center, Grand Nordic is offering the first of two free lessons to their members and the public. Registration for morning classes is 830-930am upstairs at the Nordic Center with afternoon registration starting at 12noon. The morning lessons start at 10am with Classic Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes and at 1030a with Skate beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes with maximum class size approximately 10 people. The afternoon lessons start at 1p with the same Classic offerings and 130p with the same Skate options. Kids ages 5-10 never-ever, classic and skate are also available both morning and afternoon. Many of the morning classes are already full but there is more availability in the afternoon. These lessons are free to the public but Grand Nordic members also receive free trail pass if needed and equipment rental if needed.
For more details and/or to sign up for Grand Nordic, go to www.grandnordic.org or call/text 970-887-0547. The second set of Grand Nordic free lessons is scheduled for Sunday Jan 12 also at Snow Mountain Ranch with the same offerings available. These lessons have become so popular that the signups often fill up – reserve your spot early. Or put yourself on the waitlist and show up as people often get stuck in traffic or have to cancel at the last minute and a space opens up. If you’re coming from out of town, do yourself a favor and stay overnight at one of the many lodges at Snow Mountain Ranch.
The Grand Nordic free lessons are offered 2-3 times a year and have been a tradition for over 30 years. Instructors come from a pool of the best skiers in the area from Grand Nordic instructors, Winter Park Comp Center instructors, Colorado Nordic Masters, and coaches from the various school teams as well as local Nordic centers. Lessons are a fabulous way to get on track with your Nordic skiing or just learn a new sport. Grand Nordic is the county-wide information center for All Things Nordic in Grand County with two websites available – club www.grandnordic.org and nation-wide More K’s More Days information site at www.skigrandnordic.org.
