When I suggested trying cross country skiing to the girls this fall, they were enthusiastic. They've been downhill skiing for a few years and are comfortable on skis, so I didn't think they'd have difficulty adapting. Same for my husband. Then there's me: I don't downhill ski. I snowboard (and not very well), so positioning my feet on a pair of skis has been is a challenge for me. I'd been on cross country skis a couple of times in the past, but never took a lesson. My approach was that as long as I stayed standing, I was doing OK. And I'll come clean now — I've been known to take off my skis and carry them down a hill on the trail. Even small hills.

Once our family decided to try the sport this winter, we needed to get some equipment. We rented some very inexpensively for the kids through the Healthy Hometowns Ski Program, coordinated through Pineland Farms. The whole family is participating in the program this year but rental equipment was only available for the kids. My husband and I had to get our own gear.

Equipment can get quite pricey and we didn't have a lot of money to spend. We decided that used sports equipment would suit us fine. We went to a couple of sporting goods stores in the Portland area that sell used equipment and found affordable equipment in good condition.

By mid-December we were impatient for snow. When a couple of inches fell just after Christmas, we headed to the Mountain Division Trail in Standish. As it turned out, the snow wasn't deep enough; we started scratching our skis on the barely covered gravel. We didn't want to ruin our skis on our first day, so we skied in a grassy field next to the trail.

The girls took to the cross country skis easily but got tired after simply crossing the field. They found it boring because there weren't any hills. I have to admit that after the thrill of bombing down a mountain, skiing across a field does seem boring. I suggested we play a "follow the leader" game and they were quickly laughing and having a good time. We made designs in the snow, swung the poles around (after we gave each other a wide berth), played "Simon Says" and jumped and fell all around the field. It wasn't what I originally had in mind for our cross country adventure but we had a great time. We went home that night hoping for more snow on the trail.

GETTING COMFORTABLE ON SKIS

A few weeks ago I was able to attend a cross-country skiing class at Pineland Farms. The class, lead by Phil Savignano, the Outdoor Programs Coordinator at Pineland Farms, involved games to teach basic ski skills. We played tag while wearing one ski and then added both skis for relay races. When we were feeling more comfortable on our skis, we tried skiing down a small hill. I was a little nervous and saw a hula hoop at the bottom of the hill, which we were to ski through. I laughed along with several other adults as we tried squeezing through. Many of us doubted we could squeeze through that hoop, especially me with my 6'0 tall frame. I made it through, falling on my rear as soon as I cleared it.

Afterward, I realized that I was so focused on getting through the hoop that I hadn't even thought about the hill. That, our instructor said, was the whole point. Children, and adults for that matter, can learn basic ski skills through play. Once participants feel more comfortable on their skis, they can begin to learn the more formal ski skills. I can attest to the fact that I left the class feeling a whole lot more competent on my skis.

A couple of days after the class I loaded up the kids, our ski equipment, a hula hoop and a ball and headed out to the trail again. There was a lot more snow this time and we were able to ski down the trail. Shortly after starting the trail, we found a small hill and decided to try out the hula hoop. The kids loved the game and learned how to keep their skis straight and bend their knees so they could get through the hoop. These are important ski skills and they learned them without thinking about it. We also did a lot of jumping on our skis that they thought was really hysterical, especially when I fell down. It's always the funniest thing to watch mom fall (and I do it a lot so they are very happy children).

We played a ball-chasing game to practice starting and stopping skills. We didn't cover more than a half mile of the trail that day but we had a lot of fun. As the winter wears on I'm hopeful that their endurance will increase and we'll be able to ski a couple of miles down the trail.

GIVE IT A TRY

If you've never cross country skied before or don't have your own equipment, there are several places in southern Maine that offer rentals. Cross country skiing is great exercise and a wonderful way to make the cold winter in Maine more enjoyable. And for families with young children, just bringing a few toys out to a grassy field and strapping on some skis can be an easy, non-stressful way to introduce them to the sport. Cross country skiing doesn't have to be about traveling miles down a trail, it's about enjoying the snow while learning a new skill that even the youngest ones in the family can do.