A Guide to Winter Trail Etiquette Part 1: Cross-Country Skiing

 'Tis the season for outdoor winter adventures! As you head out to SELT properties for hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing, please follow best practices for winter etiquette (hat tip to REI):

Guidelines for cross-country skiers

Go the right direction
Most trails are two-way streets, but some are one-way only. For safety reasons, go with the flow of traffic to avoid a collision.

Know who has the right-of-way
People traveling downhill always have right-of-way in the tracks because they are likely moving at speed and can’t stop easily. If you are in front of someone faster than you, it’s technically correct to move aside and let them pass. Skiers will often signal with a “Hup!” or “Behind!” to alert others to their presence. In actual practice, more experienced (and therefore faster) skiers are often glad to move around slower beginner skiers who might be uncomfortable getting out of the tracks and will call out to indicate which side they will pass on. Overall, however, right-of-way comes down to common sense. Being polite and conscientious will take you far.

Fix your divot
Falls are inevitable, particularly when you’re just starting out with cross-country or skate skiing. What’s important (aside from getting back up and trying again) is fixing the divot you made when you fell, especially if you disrupted part of the ski track. Other skiers rely on those tracks and a missing segment may cause others to crash and burn as well. Use the loose snow from your fall to fill in the hole and smooth the surface as much as possible. If the divot is in the tracks, use your skis to press down the loose snow and reform the track walls.

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