Urban cross-country skiing: It’s a thing, and Portland’s one of the best places in America for it

Jason Gallant snowshoes to work after a snowstorm in Portland in this 2013 photo. (Reuters photo by Joel Page)

Jason Gallant snowshoes to work after a snowstorm in Portland in this 2013 photo. (Reuters photo by Joel Page)

Tip of the cap here to my colleague, photojournalist Troy R. Bennett, who flipped this list my way — and who so often is sent out into treacherous winter weather to photographically document how treacherous it is.

USA Today, one of the country’s most widely distributed newspaper, released its ranking of the top 10 places in America for urban cross-country skiing last week. Apparently, that’s a thing — like, a recreational thing, not just something people do out of necessity to run errands downtown during a snowstorm.

You know that if you’re reading about that list here, it must mean Maine’s largest city is on it. And sure enough, Portland finds itself snuggled right in alongside New York City and Denver, Colorado, as one of the best places to grab your polls and hit the… streets. I guess.

(Yes, I know the person in the photo above is wearing snowshoes, but it was the only photo I could find that was close.)

Here’s what USA Today wrote about Portland’s skiing scene:

“If skiing in Manhattan isn’t weird enough, we can do you one better. Downtown Portland, Maine’s Exchange Street is often treated to the unusual sight of skiers zapping by after substantial snowfall. This oddity begins to make sense when one discovers that Exchange Street is home to the Ski Maine Association, representing the Maine Alpine & Nordic Ski Industry, and they presumably have plenty of skis laying around their offices for just such spontaneous occasions. If your timing doesn’t coincide with these events, there’s always Portland Trails, namely the Back Cove trail, a lovely path by water.”

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.