I truly love western Montana, the land, the seasons, the skiing, and many of the people. Bozeman has been my home for nine years, more comfortable than any of the six other states I've lived in over the past 55 years. So it was a shock last February to be half-way through a six-day visit to Anchorage, Alaska, and find myself scouting real estate, checking cost of living, going far beyond the customary range of questions for researching a book or article.

I'm a pretty conservative guy, so it's a little difficult to understand this longing for new frontiers. Alaska offers all of that plus overwhelming magnitude. I've only visited Anchorage, but it's the jumping-off point for pretty much everywhere else in this north country.

The city contains 40% of the state's population, but it's spread over almost 2,000 square miles -- fractionally smaller than Delaware -- and has more the feel of a town than a metropolis.

Asked the classic question, "Is Anchorage among the Top Ten cross country destinations in North America?" I'd have no hesitation in yelling, "Yes!" I hate the phrase "World Class," but Anchorage qualifies in almost every respect. Yet almost no one outside the racing community has even heard of this magnetism .

Let's display the skiing attractions, though that's only part of the story. First, accessibility -- I don't mean just from downtown but from around the world. Figure on a three hour flight from Seattle (forget driving, it's 2,435 miles along the Alaska Highway), five hours from San Francisco or Salt Lake or Los Angeles or Minneapolis, eight hours from New York, Tokyo 6.5 hours, 8.5 hours from Seoul, 9.5 hours from Zurich....

Talk about setting the scene! Flying in, you'll have views of the three mountain ranges near the city and probably 20,320' Denali (Mt. McKinley) far to the northwest. Peer down to see skiers in Kincaid Park. (I have lousy vision but also managed to spot a moose out in the brush). Kincaid is the city's cross country kingpin, with 60 groomed km, 17 of them lit. Think about it: that's more lighted trail than you can find in all the western U.S.!

It's hard to grasp the magnitude and diversity of skiing in and around Anchorage -- skate and classic trails; multi-use routes (dogs, walkers, runners, bikers, snowshoers, even horseback riders); telemarking and downhilling at Hilltop, the local area, and at Alyeska Resort, 40 miles to the southeast; touring in 495,000 acre Chugach State Park, on the east side of the city; heli skiing in the Chugach range....

I've worked as a winter consultant with perhaps 70 cross country areas in the U.S. and Canada, so it's professionally mind-boggling and personally mouth-watering to see what's been done with trails around Anchorage. It's not just the scale of things -- 150 groomed km, mostly by snowcat, including around 40 km lighted -- but also the fact that they're convenient and connected. There are no significant road crossings, risking life and gear, getting splashed with slush or skiing through grit -- instead you'll use bridges and underpasses. No other site in North America has exercised this degree of vision or invested such resources in multi-season trails. You can find trails downtown, by Alaska Pacific University, at Hilltop alpine area, in parks, and beside high schools. It's a place where locals can ski to and from work, or after work. Trails have been developed for the community over the past two decades, and they're still evolving.

Incredible convenience has led to unprecedented popularity. Something like 100,000 of the 250,000 residents do some nordic skiing. The 1,000 member Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage not only has helped develop the network but funds snowcat maintenance of the best-maintained 115 km, generally single track plus a skate lane. They're also instrumental in running events, cabin trips, ski trains, and conservation. Their partner in trail development is the Anchorage Municipal Department of Parks and Recreation. There's no mandatory trail fee, but donations are requested.

One of the most striking -- no, call it endearing -- aspects of the region is the skiing community. NSAA members are committed to the sport; they're just as intent on ensuring Alaskans and visitors have a whale of a good time in Anchorage. They're generous with ideas on where to ski, sight-see, eat, anything to ensure a high comfort factor.

Next point: Not only is there no elevation problem (high point is 800', lowest is slightly below sea level) but there's the novelty of skiing by the ocean -- or at least the two arms of the Cook Inlet that hug Anchorage. Come from altitude and you feel like a nordic god! It's weirdly wonderful to look down on ice floes.

There's plenty of varied terrain to choose from, from the almost-flat Coastal Trail/Chester Creek (23 km) to the gentle up/down flow of Russian Jack Springs Park (7.5 m) to good workouts at Kincaid Park (60 km) and Hillside Park (20 km).

For years, Anchorage has been a racing hotbed, with high school, university, regional or national caliber events every weekend. The city has hosted World Cup races, World Masters Championships, U.S. Biathlon Championships, North American Biathlon Championships.... The sport is so popular at high schools that programs can't accommodate all the interested kids. At five of six high schools, skiers can jump on trails virtually outside the door.

As to non-competitive events, Alaska Ski For Women is both an introduction to cross-country racing and a fund-raiser for Abused Women's Aid in Crisis. The 5 km race-tour is purposely scheduled against the Super Bowl, and in its first year (1997) became the best-attended women's nordic event in North America, with 708 women participating. Gentlemen are permitted to wax skis and generally encourage participants. (Alaska Ski For Women, 100 West 13th Avenue, Anchorage 99501.)

Two areas where skiing falls a little shy are rental equipment and instruction. There are a number of outstanding retail shops -- Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking, Barney's Sports Chalet, REI -- but recreational rentals can be hard to find (best bet is probably REI). I'd suggest checking with NSAA to find who is available as an instructor, most likely at Kincaid Park.

The city doesn't see a great deal of snow fall in a typical winter -- average is around 6 feet -- but it begins in November and sticks around into April. Bitter temperatures are very much the exception, though I visited toward the end of a three-week sub-zero snap that made skating a very slow proposition. It was entertaining to chat with a gentleman in his 70s who had driven down from Fairbanks. He grinned and said he liked the warmth around Anchorage (it was around minus 20o Fahrenheit that morning). There seems to be little wind around town, so combined with a lot of birch and coniferous forest, most trails are well sheltered.

Okay, this is embarrassing. When I was a kid, my only knowledge of Alaska came from Jack London stories and the song, "North To Alaska," by Johnny Horton. The line I best remember is, "And the Northern Lights were arunnin' wild in the land of the midnight sun...." Fairbanks sees the most spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis, but sheets of brilliant color can drift over Anchorage as well.

There's good variety in lodging, including hotels, motels, and B & B's. I stayed at Copper Whale Inn (907-258-799, 440 L Street, Anchorage 99501). It's a two minute walk from the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, named after a former mayor who is now Alaska's governor. Incidentally, he's an avid skier who has raced in the 50 km Tour of Anchorage, part of the American Ski Marathon series. Stroll the other way from the Copper Whale and within minutes you're passing restaurants, shops, Glacier BrewHouse microbrewery, Charlie's Alaska Trains store, and more.

Prices in Alaska aren't low, but they're not shocking, in part because there's no sales tax. Considering the necessity of importing most foods, the cost of a meal is very reasonable. Accommodations cost less than in San Francisco or New York but more than in the Midwest. Incidentally, Anchorage has a lot of wealth from oil, fishing, and summer tourism but very little pretension.

Anchorage is Alaska's cross country epicenter. For variety, you can head north to Fairbanks by train or car (there's a lot of groomed trail on the way, especially around Palmer), south to the Kenai Peninsula (Homer); or east to Cordoba and Valdez. Outside of Anchorage and to a lesser extent Fairbanks, cross country infrastructure is modest at best, so don't look for day lodges with rental, retail, instruction or food service.

If you visit to race in the Tour of Anchorage in early March, that's one thing; if you come as a recreational skier, leave time to play and sight-see around the city. Aside from the two grand events of the winter -- February's Fur Rendezvous and the 1,049 mile Iditarod dog sled race in March -- rooms are generally available on short notice (not true in summer!). On the recreational side you'll find alpine skiing, horseback riding, sleigh rides, ski joring and dog sledding, wildlife tracking, basketball and hockey, moose-evasion (something like 1,000 of the critters wander the city), and great backcountry skiing. Outdoor activities are complemented by a vivid cultural life -- several stunning museums including the new Alaska Native Heritage Center, theater, opera, music, dance galleries, night life.... And great coffee.

The best resource for general information on the region is Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, 524 W. Fourth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501-2212, 907-276-4118, acvb@alaska.net, www.anchorage.net. For skiing detail, contact Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage, 203 W. 15th Avenue, #204, Anchorage, AK 99501, 907-276-7609, www.alaska.net/~nsaa/.

Jonathan Wiesel is a XC guide, instructor, trail and ski area planner, and author of Cross-Country Ski Vacations, whose newest edition includes Anchorage.

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