The Ski Touring Section of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) will be sponsoring several trips this winter for cross-country and telemark skiers. The trips, offered most weekends in January and February, will include lodging at prime cross-country spots in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and western Maryland. The PATC, which is responsible for maintaining regional sections of the Appalachian Trail, offers numerous recreation opportunities, and the Ski Touring Section specifically promotes nordic skiing.

On the weekends of January 22-24, two separate trips will be offered. A “Learn to Ski Weekend” will be held at the Laurel Highlands in western Pennsylvania. This trip will include cross country ski instruction for novices, taught by experts from the PATC. Lodging will be offered in the motel-like facilities at Camp Sequanota, near Jennerstown, Pennsylvania. The cost for this trip is $70, which includes lodging, breakfasts, and instruction. For more information on this trip, contact Greg Westernick at (301) 839-1762.

Also on January 22-24, a North Atlantic Telemark Organization (NATO) Telemark Clinic will be held in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. The Canaan Valley region, which is well known for providing some of the best cross country skiing in the region, is already offering good conditions. The NATO clinic, which is being organized by Dick Hall, will offer instruction by local experts in telemark skiing, where skiers use nordic equipment to ski downhill. Instruction is being provided for all levels of skiers, from beginner to expert, and the NATO is offering the PATC a special 20% discount. Lodging is available at Blackwater Falls. For more information on this trip, contact Mitch Hyman at (202) 244-0148.

See the following links for information on additional trips throughout the season.