Cross-country skiers return to Morton Arboretum

Cross-country skiers who have regarded the Morton Arboretum's gently rolling terrain with a wistful sigh can take heart.

The arboretum has reopened its 1,700 acres in Lisle to the sport's enthusiasts.

"We haven't allowed skiing, well, it's been over 20 years," said Rick Hootman, the arboretum's director of visitor programs.

In the 1980s, he said, members were allowed to ski the grounds until the cost of grooming and maintaining trails became prohibitive.

Beginning this season, cross-country skiers - members and nonmembers alike - may use their own equipment to navigate the 16 miles of hiking trails and to ski off-trail, Hootman said.

"We don't groom the trails. People have to break their own trails," he said. "If the snow is real deep, then it will be more difficult, especially for beginners."

Hootman said a fluffy snowfall of three to four inches provides the most ideal cross-country conditions.

"With the more powdery snow, it's just easier to glide along," he said, adding that wet snow can make skis stick to the ground.

When the weather delivers the right type and amount of precipitation, he said, the experience of sliding over the trails and across the open fields can be breathtaking.

Access to and across frozen lakes and the DuPage River, which winds through the arboretum's grounds, is not allowed. Skiers also are not allowed to ski on roads.

"It's just too risky," Hootman said.

Skiers are asked to respect the wintering plant life. "We want them to avoid the garden beds," he said.

But just about everywhere else in the outdoor tree museum is fair game. That includes the conifer collection, the oak and maple collection, the spruce plot, the daffodil glade, the Thornhill Education Center lawn, the Main Trail Loop and the Lake Marmo Trail.

"It's a way to enjoy the grounds," Hootman said. "We encourage families to come out. We actively encourage people to go off-trail. We've had some nice snows and had quite a lot of people out."

If you go

What: Cross-country skiing

Where: Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle

When: 7 a.m. to sunset throughout the snowy season

Admission: $11 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for ages 2-17

Info: (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org