Nordically speaking, snow conditions are now fabulous on the Grand Mesa. It'll probably stay that way until March. Skyway, County Line and Ward Lake are all trailheads to some of the greatest cross-country skiing in the world, thanks to Mother Nature, the U.S. Forest Service, the invention of Nordic skis and the Grand Mesa Nordic Council (GMNC).

GMNC is a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that maintains trails and signs along these cross-country trails. Much of the group’s funding comes from memberships ($45 individual, $75 family), yet most people don’t bother to join since no fee is required to use the trails, all of which are on pubic land.

“But that’s even more reason to join the Nordic Council,” wrote colleague and fellow outdoor enthusiast Dave Buchanan from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “$45 for a whole season of skiing on groomed trails isn’t very much,” he noted.

World-class cross-country skiing and snowshoeing areas on the Mesa that are not groomed include, but are not limited to:

--West Bench Trailhead at Jumbo Lake, where you can ski all the way to the top of Powderhorn Ski Area;

--Waterdog Trail, across the road from Jumbo Lake;

--Griffith Lake/Lake of the Woods Trailhead a few miles farther up the road;

--the old Power Line Road down into Cedaredge, but I'm not going to tell you how to get there. You'll have to find your own maps and your own way, since it's really a backcountry experience.

To reach this Nordic nirvana from Grand Junction, take I-70 east for 20 miles to the Grand Mesa/Powderhorn exit (#49). That’s Colorado Highway 65, a National Scenic and Historic Byway. It will take you directly to the top of the Grand Mesa.

Travel through the town of Mesa and past Powderhorn Ski Area and into the Grand Mesa National Forest. From here, you're there. You'll pass a number of wide spots in the road, most of them great places to ski. If you'd like to get to Skyway, though, travel 10 miles past Powderhorn to the Skyway parking area. It’ll be on your left, or east of the highway, just after you travel up the last major hill and reach the top of the mesa.

On the way, you'll have passed West Bench, Waterdog and Griffith/Lake of the Woods trailheads. If you keep on going, you'll come across County Line and Wards Lake trailheads.

No matter where you go, tell someone where you'll be and when you're expected back, and go prepared. Weather in Colorado's high country can change without warning. Colorado's search-and-rescue teams are incredible, performing more than 1,000 missions helping those caught in emergency situations in the backcountry each year. But you've got to give them a chance. If you're not sure of your own backcountry abilities, stick to established trails, go prepared and go with someone more experienced than you.