Tennessee Pass Nordic Center announces Full Moon Ski Series
Ryan Sederquist/Vail Daily
At the top of Tennessee Pass, where the scarcity of light pollution is matched only by the lack of oxygen, evening skies regularly transform into colorful celestial carpets. For Bekah Grim, the starlit theatre provides the perfect backdrop for one activity in particular: cross-country skiing.
“The trails hit different at night,” said the marketing director for the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, which sits across the parking lot from Ski Cooper. “It’s the company of ancient trees, the sound of owls above with plenty of space to roam. The moon asks nothing of us but to observe.”
The Nordic center announced its annual Full Moon Ski Series in a press release on Thursday. The concept was born in 2019 when general manager Erica Curry was walking her dog under a full moon.
“She wanted to encourage people to star gaze,” Grim said.
The three free events are open to all ages and go from 4-8 p.m. on Jan. 11, Feb. 15 and March 15. Each night is themed and begins in the Nordic Center, where a special food and drink menu offers guests pulled pork sandwiches, wings, birria grilled cheese and more. Discounts for ski and snowshoe rentals are available for guests, who can cruise the 16-miles of trails under a moon-lit sky at their leisure before connecting with a 1-mile group ski — led by a ‘local legend’ at 6 p.m.
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“This event is to remind us of the beauty and peace in the natural world,” Grim stated before adding that while visibility is typically good from the full moon, free head lamps are available to borrow. The Nordic Center acts as a ‘warm cocoon’ to return to after skiing, and will have music and food all night, Grim said.
“Come for the moon, stay for the party,” she added.
The first evening’s theme is ‘Vinyl Night’ — guests are encouraged to bring their own records to play. Feb. 15 is a ‘Werewolf Party,’ so “wear your finest fur,” and the series wraps up on March 15 with a ‘Karaoke on Skis.’
Grim, who started skiing as a kid back in Wisconsin as a way to stay in shape for her fall cross-country running seasons, said Nordic has “slowly turned into a lifelong passion.” It’s hit a new level this year as she learns to skijor with a retired sled dog named Eden.
“She’s scary fast,” Grim said of her Alaskan husky. She called the Full Moon Series a “meet-up for dogs to make new friends,” and added that on the trails, dogs do not need to be on a leash.
“If your dog likes to roam, consider a light on the collar,” Grim advised.
Tennessee Pass Nordic Center — which has been owned and operated by Ty and Roxanne Hall since 1994 — started up its almost-daily grooming operations shortly after Thanksgiving. In addition to the Full Moon Series, the venue will host a reading party event on Jan. 21, the Tennessee Pass Night Jam fat bike race on Feb. 8 and the Colorado High School Ski Association state skimeister competition on March 4.
Things are busy off the trails, too. Grim said the six sleep yurts and 35 dinner seats at the Cookhouse are booked almost every weekend. Plus there’s casual, family-friendly lunches offered at 12 and 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and the Nordic Center building itself, which offers hot drinks, made-from-scratch soups and signature paninis all season long.
“The business has organically and sustainably grown through our loyal customers,” Grim said. “Our team of seasonal employees is over 30 strong. We’re having a great time.”
When asked to sell the event with an elevator pitch, Grim offered the words of artist Andy Goldsworthy, who wrote, “Nature is not something separate from us. When we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.”
