Rainbow Lakes Road IV (beginner-friendly ski tour)

This is a scenic dirt road in the Indian Peaks area, a few miles north of Nederland; in the summer it eventually leads to a campground and a set of small lakes. This event is "beginner friendly" and a good place to gain experience with winter-trail touring, but it absolutely cannot be your first time on cross-country skis. For more on what it means to be a "beginner" see our "Somewhat arbitrary nordic ski skill levels." Also note that you will need metal-edged nordic touring skis; see here as to where to rent them. Our total distance out-and-back will be about 4 miles. We should get some fresh snow on the road in the days before the event.

Please note that more advanced skiers may be removed from the list of attendees in order to make room for skiers who are relative beginners.

In order to participate in an organized group ski tour, needing the efforts of multiple volunteers, and that is provided to you for free, there are obligations that are required of you. Please understand that the following is based on repeated experience and is meant to make the tour better for everybody.

You must carefully read the following in its entirety, read all posts in the comments below, and reply promptly to all direct messages from the event organizer.

You must complete the club’s activity waiver. This only needs to be done once. The waiver requires your real first name, your real last name, a valid email address, an online signature, and then a click on a confirmation link sent to that email address. This should take only a couple minutes. There are good reasons for asking you to perform this basic task, which is to protect the club and its volunteers. If you do not complete the waiver you will be removed from the list of attendees, including being placed at the end of the waitlist.

Given Meetup has effectively broken its meeting location feature, we will be meeting here, at the parking lot across from the South Sourdough Trailhead. Note that we will need to walk with our skis and poles for about a quarter mile in order to get to our starting point.

You must have a basic level of aerobic/physical fitness (see “Aerobic / physical fitness levels”), and you must be an beginner not-your-first-time-out nordic skier (see “Nordic ski skill levels”), and you may be challenged by this route.

If you have any doubts or questions about your ability to participate in the event please raise them with the organizer beforehand. Getting in way over your head can be seriously impactful to your own safety, and to others' enjoyment of the tour.

You must agree to a basic guideline regarding your role, and that of the tour organizer: that you are not the leader of the tour; you will not act as the leader of the tour; you accept that the organizer is the leader of the tour. In addition:

1. If you are faced with a decision regarding where to go next (due to e.g. a junction, or an obstacle, or the disappearance of the trail), you must always, without exception, stop, wait, and consult with the organizer before proceeding.
2. The organizer will decide when we "move out" after any stop.
3. The organizer will be in the lead and set the pace at the start of the tour.

(There is more detail on the reasons for these guidelines here:
“3 guidelines regarding the role of the tour organizer”)

You must bring a warm, insulated (e.g. "puffy") jacket with you. There are several circumstances in which this item will be useful if not essential:

• during lunch or other stops, to stay warm once you stop moving;
• while skiing, if conditions are colder than you anticipate;
• if you have an immobilizing injury far from the trailhead, to reduce the risk of hypothermia (which can kill you).

More generally you must know how to dress properly for the weather and your level of activity, remain hydrated, eat enough food, have working equipment, and other such basics. A complete list can't be provided here. This ain't Denali of course, but you should know how to care for yourself on the trail.

Expected weather and snow conditions will be shared in the comments thread. Please do not post your opinion on conditions or the terrain unless you have recent facts specific to our route. If you decide not to come there is no need to tell the rest of us why you don't think it's going to be fun.

To attend the event you must be on the list of attendees here. Attendees cannot bring an unregistered guest. No-shows to the event will contacted directly to obtain assurance they will not no-show again; absent an affirmative response they will be removed from the group.

Do not expect any messages sent the morning of the event to be seen.

Dogs or any other pets are not permitted on the tour.

And lastly please be sure to read:

• “Be on time and don't be a flake”
• “Have a good attitude”