If you've always wanted to try snowshoeing or cross country skiing but haven't quite gotten around to it yet, here's a great and affordable opportunity. WinterTrails is an annual event designed to introduce people to new winter sports, with venues across the U.S. and Canada offering free snowshoeing and cross country skiing to anyone who feels like giving it a try. This year, Winter Trails 2008 will be held on January 12 at snowy places from coast to coast, with event and anchor sites everywhere from North Carolina to California. Guests at the Sheraton Hartford Hotel, for example, might want to drop by the nearby Winding Trails cross country ski center in Farmington, Connecticut for a trail pass, equipment rental, and lesson in the ways of cross-country skiing. Not far from the Sheraton Mountain Vista, meanwhile, the Frisco Nordic Center in Frisco, Colorado, will be handing out snowshoes and a few pointers to interested parties who want to hit the glistening trails for a scenic snowshoe expedition. Even Devil's Head in Wisconsin, just 25 miles from the Sheraton Madison Hotel, is getting in on the action, with equipment, pointers, and a cup of hot cocoa at the finish. Enjoy winter while it's here, because it will be summer again before you know it. While participation is free, many venues require advance registration, so take a look at the website and make plans to try a new snow sport this winter.
