Making the Best, Out West

For a team like NoCo Nordic, skiing in West Yellowstone is a magical experience. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, the team typically gets less than 10 days of skiing in town on a given winter. When there is no snow, they drive several hours every weekend to reliable skiing. So walking two minutes from your lodging to over 35 km of groomed skiing is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of these high school skiers. 

In 2022, the relatively new team made the 11 hour drive north where they experienced record snowfall and world-class grooming. The skiers returned from that trip with a special place in their hearts for the Rendezvous Ski Trails and went out of their way to tell anyone who would listen back in Fort Collins about the experience and recruited teammates to make the trip in 2023. 

After an off-season of garage sales, cookie dough fundraisers, car washes, and leaf raking to raise money for the Thanksgiving trip, the countdown was on. As the trip neared closer, excitement grew…but so did the anxiety. When November rolled around, there was no snow on the ground in West Yellowstone, and no snow in the forecast.

The kids did their best snow dances, left frozen spoons under their pillows, and put ice cubes in the toilet, but to no avail. For only the second time in 30 years, the West Yellowstone Ski Festival was canceled due to lack of snow.

Unable to get lodging deposits refunded and unwilling to shoulder the financial loss as a small team, the group was committed to the trip. “We pouted for a day or two when we realized there wasn’t going to be snow,” said Mattis Kemp, a junior on the team. “But we’re used to not having snow and being flexible so we just made some room for roller skis in the van.” The team was determined to make the most out of an unfortunate situation. 

Arriving in West Yellowstone felt like coming across an old western ghost town. It’s always slower this time of year – the summer and fall crowds have dissipated and the mobs of snowmobiles are eagerly awaiting the December 15th winter opening. But this Thanksgiving week was different. Not only was there no snow, there was a noticeable absence of lycra walking around town, no pop up tents advertising the latest ski gear and endurance nutrition, and no .22 shots firing from the biathlon range. Coming from a city of 170,000 people, the team from Fort Collins felt like they were the only ones in West Yellowstone. 

After a few days of trail running, hill bounding, and driving to Big Sky Resort and Grand Targhee Resort to mess around on small tracings of snow, the team began scheming. Inspired by members of the U.S. Ski Team who partake in epic workout challenges that Jessie Diggins dubs the “Big Stupid,” a plan was born to roller ski from the cabin in downtown West Yellowstone to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. 

It was just over 32 miles from the front steps of the cabin to America’s most famous geyser. The road from the West entrance of the park is closed this time of year, which is great for roller skiing, but not so great for receiving support or rescue. Because of this, it was only a small group of the more experienced skiers on the team who signed up for the “Big Stupid.”

*Not to be outdone and seeking an adventurous roller ski of their own, the rest of the team roller skied over 20 miles round trip on the new Yellowstone Shortline Trail. They ditched their roller skis and walked the final mile through snow to successfully cross the state border into Idaho. The newly paved trail starting at the west end of town could not have been constructed at a better time given the lack of snow this year. Running along the South Fork of the Madison River, winding through Custer Gallatin National Forest, it’s a roller skier’s paradise – smooth asphalt and no motorized vehicles.

After a night of packing and preparing for the epic challenge, which included making more than two dozen sandwiches, filling a milk crate with water jugs, and loading extra layers and spare rollerski equipment into the bike trailer pulled by their coach, Ethan Cooley, Brodie Morrison, Cade Shortridge, and Mattis Kemp awoke at 5:00 am on Wednesday, November 22nd ready to test their limits.

Setting out in the dark and cold, the skiers kept the pace slow knowing the long journey that lay ahead of them. The first stretch from the park entrance proved to be the worst conditions of the entire trip. A fresh layer of thin snow fell overnight in the heavily forested area and the going was icy and dicey. The skiers had to double pole the first two miles to avoid slipping and sliding out. Way earlier than anticipated, doubt crept in. There was no chance of making it to Old Faithful if the road and pace was like this the entire way.

But then almost by divine intervention, the group rounded the corner and came across a lone wolf. It stood in the middle of the road and stared at the group of weary skiers before turning in the direction they were heading. It trotted calmly down the road as if it was the leader of the pack, guiding the group forward as the road dried up, the snow and ice disappeared, and the sun came up.

“We needed that encounter,” said senior Cade Shortridge. “Up until that point, nobody had said a word for over an hour. Once we saw the wolf, it rejuvenated us and gave us new life and hope.”

The rest of the way was relatively smooth sailing. Taking water and food breaks when needed or to stop and watch the bison herds, the group cruised south on highway 191 following the Firehole River. 

There’s something truly special about having the nation’s seventh most visited National Park all to yourself. With over 3.2 million annual visitors in 2022, this was not the Yellowstone that most tourists get to experience. “With the steam from all the geysers, the empty roads, and frozen trees, it felt almost apocalyptic,” said senior Ethan Cooley.

The skiers hooted and hollered when they skied past the wooden sign indicating one mile to Old Faithful and the pace and energy noticeably picked up. After a final push, the group skied past the shuttered Visitor Center, past the massive empty parking lots, and cruised up the boardwalk to front row seats at Old Faithful.

Sitting out in the cold wind and nervously watching the sun move across the horizon, the geyser took a little longer to erupt than the group would have liked, but after about 90 minutes of waiting, the skiers received a private viewing of Old Faithful playing in the sky.

With half the journey complete, the skiers clipped back into their roller skis and started V2ing the 32 miles back to West Yellowstone. 

Making great pace but starting to feel the effects of 50+ miles on roller skis, the group arrived at the “town” of Madison – really just a summertime campground – as it started to get dark. After fanning out to see what this junction offered in terms of amenities, Brodie came back to the group smiling. He found a restroom. But not just any restroom. For starters, it was open and unlocked. It had lights on, heat blasting, and inside was a vending machine full of junk food. The group huddled around the heater, warming cold toes and red cheeks. They pooled together enough spare change to buy some peanut M&M’s and Sour Patch Kids. “I’m not sure what we would have done without that mirage-like rest stop in Madison,” joked Brodie. “I think Coach would have frozen on his bike if I didn’t find it.”

With headlights and rear lights shining bright, the last 15 miles passed quickly as the skiers took turns leading. With the total running time on the watch eclipsing 12 hours, the skiers arrived at the final icy straight away and saw the flashing red light indicating the West Yellowstone entrance station. After nearly 100 km of skiing, they were going to make it.

Ducking the arm gate to leave the park, the group skied the final mile through the empty streets of West Yellowstone feeling like grand marshals in a parade that existed only in their tired minds. Outside the cabin, nobody rushed in to get warm or pass out on the couch. Instead the group lingered in the cold, exchanging hugs and letting their accomplishment sink in. 

In that moment, it became apparent that this Thanksgiving camp wasn’t about getting “first tracks.” It was about being with teammates, getting outside in one of the most beautiful places in the country, and seeing the Nordic community rally and support each other during difficult times. But perhaps more importantly, this trip was an opportunity to build mental toughness and emotional fortitude. Just like the weather, things often don’t go your way in ski racing. The ability to let go of things you can’t control and focus on your attitude and how you respond is just as important to being a successful ski racer as the physical preparation.  

Waking up early the next day on Thanksgiving morning with sore muscles and heavy eyes would have been tough; however, as if to reward the team’s effort from the day before, the snow gods delivered a healthy dose of skiable snow just 30 minutes from town. The team quickly loaded up the van and headed up the South Plateau Road, thankful to leave the roller skis behind.