Your Guide to Snowshoeing and Telemark Skiing in the Vail Valley

A guided snowshoe trek in the aspens of Beaver Creek’s McCoy Park
Image: Jack Affleck
Beaver Creek may be famous for its Birds of Prey racecourse, dubbed “America’s Downhill,” but the resort’s Nordic Center at McCoy Park (a powder playground at 9,840 feet, with 19 miles of groomed trails and a plan in its final stages of approval with the Forest Service to add 250 acres of skiable terrain for the 2020–21 winter season) remains one of the valley’s best-kept secrets for weekend (and weekday) warriors seeking a gravity-unassisted wilderness fix within ski area boundaries. Must-try: The Nordic Center’s Nature Snowshoe Tours (10 a.m., 12, 1:15, and 3:30 p.m. daily, $116 per person), a two-and-a-half-hour guided hike atop pillowy powder through the aspen groves, alpine meadows, and mountain-ringed trails of McCoy Park, and the Center’s Fit Tours, a faster-pace snowshoe trek aimed for those looking to get their hearts pumping while they savor the views (Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., $116 per person). The champagne toast of the Nordic Center’s guided tours? Hands down, a reservation on one of the Beav’s Winter Wine Excursions, a go-at-your-own-pace snowshoe ramble through McCoy Park that includes a stop to stuff pockets with saltwater taffy and Cow Tales at the resort’s Candy Cabin, followed by an après-snowshoe tasting at The Osprey featuring small plates with pours of red and white and desserts paired with prosecco. (Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $185 per person). 970-754-5313, beavercreek.com
ALSO TRY
“Tele Tuesdays,” Beaver Creek Nordic Center’s beginner and intermediate telemark ski lessons for downhillers who’ve conquered green runs and want a taste of the free-heel way of life (10 a.m.–noon, $97, equipment included).