Gunnison Nordic plays a practical, steady role in keeping residents active and connected through the winter. Since the early 2000s, the volunteer-run organization has focused on one clear goal: provide reliable, close-to-home Nordic ski access.

Today, the organization maintains about 58 kilometers of trails for users—with no cost to users. They maintain grooming and setting at Hartman Rocks, Jorgensen Park, Van Tuyl, Western Colorado University, Dos Rios and Mill Creek. They also offer skate and classic lessons for adults on Saturdays.

That proximity matters. Residents can ski before work, after school, or in the dark with a headlamp instead of indoor workouts or a drive up to Crested Butte. The ease of access lowers barriers to staying active during the coldest months, when inactivity and isolation are common.

 “We have people that ride their bikes out to Hartman’s from town in the middle of winter,” said President Joellen Fonken. “Not on fat bikes, on regular bikes. Skinny skis strapped to skinny tires.”

The organization supports a wide range of users and provides something essential: affordable outdoor access, daily movement, and a reason for people to be outside together rather than indoors alone.

College athletes train on the same trails as retirees. The organization helps maintain tracks used by city recreation programs for children as young as three, while also supporting programs with the Senior Center.

Affordability is a cornerstone of the organization’s mission. Nordic skiing requires far less equipment than alpine skiing, and equipment can last decades. There’s no season pass, and resale gear is common. That makes Nordic skiing accessible across Gunnison’s wide economic spectrum and allows people to stay active through injuries, aging and life changes.

“It’s an inclusive sport, as opposed to, ‘I’ll see you at the end of the day, because I’m not going to go ski those double blacks,’” Fonken said. “So we see more generations skiing together, more social aspects.” 

The organization also puts on group events like Moonlight Skis.

“We’ve done a lot of them in a lot of different locations, with ginormous bonfires and some craziness” Fonken said. “Usually it’s super cold, and we hope it is, because that means it’s clear.”

A partnership with the Gunnison Library provides a warm gathering place for some of these lunar skis, where participants can change boots, meet neighbors and mingle.

The trails also serve community members who prefer to get out solo.

“We have a strong contingency of people who we never see ski, but they support us, and they’re thankful of the trails, and they’re out of the out at night or after work, or They’re in the early out in the early mornings,” Fonken said.

All of this work is done by a fully volunteer board and grooming crew.

Groomers often work early mornings or late nights to avoid trail traffic and preserve ski quality. Permits, land-use agreements, and trail etiquette education are handled quietly and consistently. The result is a system that feels seamless to users.

“It’s a little bit of magic, like the fairies showed up to groom,” Fonken said. “We kind of like to keep it that way.”