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At Great Brook Farm State Park, there are 10 miles of trails and a day of skiing costs as little as $23, including rentals. (Handout photo) |
Cross-country offers a less costly option
CARLISLE - You've surrendered. You've decided to quit fighting Bay State winters and succumb to their icy charms.
You like the idea of skiing but don't want to take out a second mortgage to purchase a downhill equipment package. You like the idea of that whole après-ski thing but don't fancy the thought of traveling several hours for the privilege and paying exorbitant prices for the bed-and-breakfast experience.
The solution: Carlisle. That's right, the rural town a scant 25 miles outside Boston.
Carlisle is not known for any magnificent mountains or even cheap hills, but it is home to the Great Brook Farm State Park, which offers more than 10 miles of groomed two-way cross-country ski trails (weather permitting, of course) from Dec. 1 to March 20.
The 1,000-acre site features cross-country skiing for a variety of skill levels, from flat-as-a-desert trail for the novice or youngster to am-I-crazy-for-trying-this hilly terrain for cagey veterans.
Scenery runs from woods and farmland to pond and stream vistas. The park is also big enough to accommodate most skiers' moods on even its busiest days. If you want to be around a lot of people, for example, the trails near the weathered ski lodge (a converted dairy barn) offer plenty of options. But if you are seeking a little solitude, you'll also be able to hit your stride after you weave through the first batch of trails.
Never been cross-country skiing? No problem. You can get lessons (a one-hour weekend lesson will set you back all of $13). It's been a while since you've put on your skis and have no idea where they are? You can rent any variation of the necessary equipment, which basically consists of skis, poles, and ski shoes. The full package is a measly $13, nearly the price of a movie ticket these days. Snowshoes and pull sleds for pre-skiing youngsters are also available for rent. Sit skis for the disabled are free.
And if you just can't get out of the city during daylight hours, Great Brook offers night skiing from sunset to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, weather permitting. A mile-long loop illuminated by lanterns offers families and the romantically inclined the opportunity to enjoy a unique wintertime experience.
The après- or even between-ski options aren't too shabby. Just don't expect much from the on-premises lodge. It's a little, well, earthy, but OK for hot or cold drinks, candy, granola bars, and the like. You can also warm up a bit near the wood stoves. But be forewarned, on many days the soft drinks are just plopped on top of the sales counter and are plenty cold to drink.
Should you want to venture off the property, the après-ski choices are easy. You either head over to Ferns Country Store . . . or you go home.
Ferns Country Store is less than 2 miles down the road from the touring center and is nestled alongside the tiny rotary that is downtown Carlisle.
It's exactly the kind of country store you expect in a community like Carlisle. Though you won't find a bait shop, for example, you will find a bucket or two of horse treats for a nickel apiece.
The deli counter offers handsome sandwiches featuring Boars Head cold cuts as well as hot soups that on any given day could include clam chowder or a rich Hungarian mushroom.
Expect to find a variety of New England brand coffees as well as fresh locally made breads and pastries.
Though no inside seating is available, a porch wrapped across the front of the store offers benches and rocking chairs for the hardy.
A patio dining area also offers WiFi, though in prime skiing season you may want to consider your laptop's risk of hypothermia before subjecting it to those chilly temperatures.
Dean Johnson, a freelance writer in Lowell, can be reached at dcjglobe@aol.com.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
