Whether you are an avid cross country skier or have never tried this before, Mountain Meadows is a great place to spend a few hours or a whole day.
The lodge is located off route 4--take the first road east of route 100 north—the road beside the big yellow building offering Snowmobile tours. The headquarters used to be on Thundering Brook road so there is some confusing signage. If you keep your eyes peeled you may see the tiny red and white sign indicating the turn for Mountain Meadows.
On the upper level of the two level X Country ski center is a large open area with tables you can use for your lunch or perhaps for instructions for large groups. On the ground floor are large clean washrooms and a ski waxing post. Rental equipment is available for $18 and there are a small number of snacks and accessories to purchase. A trail pass for the day costs $18. Lessons are offered and we saw quite a few people just outside the lodge on a level trail going back and forth testing their skills.
The trail map is well drawn with elevation grid lines to demonstrate gradient. On the back of the map each coloured trail is described with the associated level and length of the trail.
We had our own equipment and although we had not done any cross country skiing for years, the red tail was the one suggested to us since we had had some previous experience. The lodge is at the top of the ridge and the very first part of the trail involves a decent size hill to go down. Falling about 2/3 of the way down did little to bolster my confidence, although there were cheers from the bottom from those who only managed to get ½ way or less before falling.
There are over 30 kilometers of trails, groomed for both classic and skate skiing. There are options to do more flat skiing around Kent Pond, working on one’s technique, or travel up and down hills through white birch groves or pine forests, alongside rock formations or stone walls lined with sugar maple trees. For the more ambitious, the black trail for advanced skiers is an 11 kilometre trail heading up to Hutchins Cabin which is a great place for a rest and to take in the view from the highest point in the trail system.