Information about the dates and location of the 2026 Ski for Light International event is presented below. More information, including costs to attend and on-line application forms, will be posted here on or about August 15, 2025.
The 2026 Ski for Light International week will take place from Sunday evening February 1 through Sunday morning February 8, 2026, at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado, near Winter Park. First- and second-year guides will need to arrive one day early, by Saturday evening January 31, for guide orientation and training.
Snow Mountain Ranch
Snow Mountain Ranch is a 5,100 acre recreational complex that is part of the YMCA of the Rockies. At an elevation of 8,750 feet, the site was originally the location of two high-country homesteads and was acquired by the YMCA in 1966.
On the grounds of Snow Mountain Ranch are a 100 kilometer cross country trail system that is consistently rated as one of the best Nordic venues in the country. There is even a lighted 2 kilometer loop near the Nordic Center for those who do not get enough skiing during the day. Trails are wide and wonderfully well groomed. Also on the property are a heated indoor swimming pool and sauna, a lighted tubing hill, a covered outdoor ice skating rink, an indoor roller-skating rink, and a crafts center. While cross country skiing will as always be the only official Ski for Light activity, attendees will have many options available to them for their leisure hours.
The skiing portion of the Ski for Light week has been held at Snow Mountain Ranch twelve previous times, from 1992 to most recently 2023. This year, as in 2023, we will not only be skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch, we will be staying in the hotel and ski lodge buildings on the property. This will allow attendees to ski onto the trails just a short distance from their lodging.
Getting to and From Snow Mountain Ranch
Unless you are driving to Snow Mountain Ranch you will want to fly into and out of the Denver International Airport for your trip to Ski for Light. The Denver Airport is about 115 miles from Snow Mountain Ranch, a trip that usually takes from 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic and the weather.
The trip from the airport will take you westward on I 70 to and through the city of Denver, and then onward and upward into the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. In Clear Creek Canyon you will exit onto U.S. Highway 40, and then climb steadily upward on switchbacks until you reach the summit of Berthoud Pass at an elevation of 11,307 feet. This route to the Fraser Valley was discovered by Edward Berthoud and Jim Bridger in 1861 when they were searching for a route through the mountains for the railroad. After passing the summit you will drop down into the valley and pass the Winter Park Ski Resort before reaching your destination for the week, near Granby.
Ski for Light will provide free charter bus service between the Denver airport and Snow Mountain Ranch. If you wish to take advantage of this service please be sure to schedule your arrival in Denver for no later than 1:30 pm on your arrival day, and your departure for no earlier than 10:00 am on departure day.
Lodging For The Week
We will be using three separate buildings on the grounds of Snow Mountain Ranch for lodging. Each building contains only rooms of a specific type.
The rooms in all three buildings have a private bathroom, in room telephone and wireless internet access, but none contain a television. Linens and towels are provided. Each building has a central lounge area for games and relaxation, with free tea and coffee service.
- Indian Peaks Lodge is a traditional hotel type building. each of the 79 rooms in Indian Peaks contains two queen beds, a sofa sleeper, a mini fridge, a microwave oven and a balcony or patio. There is a dresser and a nightstand. There is hanging space opposite the sink. Indian Peaks will be used for both single- and double-occupancy housing.
View the Indian Peaks photo gallery
- Aspenbrook Lodge is a ski lodge or bunk house type building. Each of the 47 rooms in Aspenbrook contains two queen beds with a nightstand between, and one set of bunk beds. There is no dresser. There is a hanging bar with a shelf above for clothes. There is no closet. Aspenbrook will be used for both single- and double-occupancy housing.
View the Aspenbrook photo gallery
- Silver Sage Lodge is also a ski lodge or bunk house type building. Each of the 47 rooms in Silver sage contains one queen bed and two sets of bunk beds. There is no dresser. There is a nightstand by the queen bed. There is a hanging bar for clothes with a shelf above. There is no closet.
View the Silver Sage photo gallery
View the Snow Mountain Ranch Property Map.
The Ski Area
The Colorado Rockies are renowned for their dry powder snow. This makes skiing a real joy for skiers of all ability levels. It is also quite common for the early morning chill to turn into sunny and clear weather by the middle of the day. At an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet, the sun can be intense and skiers will need to remember to bring their sun block: sunburn is much more common than frostbite at Snow Mountain Ranch.
The trail system covers more than 100 kilometers, with plenty of terrain for every ability level. There are practice loops and hills right outside the Nordic Center for those new to the sport.
The Nordic Center is a large two story building with upper level decks for sunning and warming. On the lower level are a rental equipment shop, a retail store selling cross-country equipment and clothing and a fireplace and lounging area. On the upper level is the Skinny Ski Cafe where we will have lunch, a storage area and waxing benches.
View the Snow Mountain Ranch Trail Map.
Meals During The Week
At Ski for Light all meals are group meals, meaning meals with a fixed
menu and in a location apart from other guests.
** Details about the menu options for the 2026 event will be available and posted here on or about August 15. **
Getting Around the Property
All of the principal buildings that we will be using on the grounds of Snow Mountain Ranch are reasonably close to each other. The three lodges in which we will be staying are each about a five to ten minute walk to the dining hall, schlessman Commons, and about the same to the Nordic Center.
At Snow Mountain ranch in prior years there have been large shuttle busses running between these buildings in the morning and evening, and smaller busses at other times of the day. most people, however, have historically walked to meals in the morning and evening, usually as part of a group. Many people also walked or skied to the Nordic Center in the morning, while others took one of the shuttle busses or got a ride from someone with a car.
This year, tentatively, because of the staffing shortages that are so common in all sections of our economy, there will be fewer shuttle busses and they will be smaller busses than in prior years. Shuttle busses will still be available for those that need them, but please remember that your wait for a shuttle might be longer than you might like, please be patient.
We encourage those who are able to walk to and from meals, and to ski or walk to the Nordic Center as your skiing experience and weather conditions dictate. This will free up space on the shuttle buses for Mobility Impaired Participants and others who need this service. Also please remember that morning can be especially cold in the mountains, so be sure to bring appropriate winter clothing and boots or walking shoes suitable for the weather, in addition to the lighter clothing that you will wear while on the cross-country ski trails.
COVID Considerations
On May 11, 2023, the federal COVID 19 Public Health Emergency declaration ended but COVID has not gone away. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), people who are more likely to get very sick include older adults (ages 50 years or more, with risk increasing with age), people who are unvaccinated, and people with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system.
Anyone with a weakened immune system, or other underlying medical conditions may wish to discuss attending Ski for Light with their medical provider. Understanding the risk of COVID for yourself and those around you can help you make informed decisions to stay safe and healthy.
To help insure a safe and enjoyable Ski for Light event, all participants are strongly encouraged to obtain recommended COVID vaccines, booster shots and flu shots. Ski for Light will seek to further minimize Covid risk during the event by adhering to the guidelines and requirements of the Center for Disease Control, the state of Colorado Public Health Department and the Grand County Health Department that are in effect at the start of the Ski for Light event.
The Application Process and Acceptance to the Event
In order to attend the Ski for Light International Week in 2026 you must first complete and submit an event application, which is LINKED BELOW. The application asks for your contact and personal information, your desired meal and housing options for the week, and about your skiing ability and experience.
After reviewing your application, Ski for Light may email you an invitation to attend based on the following considerations: Your skiing ability if applying to be a guide, your ability to physically participate in cross-country skiing if applying to be a visually- or mobility-impaired participant, and the available space in the event hotel if applying to be a worker-bee, companion or guest.
The application deadline for visually- or mobility-impaired participants is October 1, 2025. Acceptances to the event will be issued to as many applicants as possible beginning soon after this date. Acceptance priority will be given to first-time participants and to those SFL veterans who are necessary to conduct the annual event and/or manage the affairs of the organization. The number of visually- and mobility-impaired participants who can be admitted to attend is dependent on the number of guides who have applied. After the initial wave of acceptances is issued, additional acceptances will be issued to people who applied by the application deadline when made possible by the receipt of additional guide applications. Applications received after the application deadline of October 1 will be considered only on a space available basis.
If you are applying to be a guide you will be notified of your acceptance to the week quickly. While there is no application deadline for guides, you are urged to apply by October 1 so that as many visually- and mobility-impaired applicants as possible may be admitted in early October.
The application deadline for worker-bees, companions and guests is also October 1, 2025. Acceptances to the event will be issued to as many of these applicants as possible starting on October 1, 2025. The number of such applicants to be accepted will depend on how much space is still available in the event hotel. The acceptance of companions will also be linked to the acceptance status of their companion, if that companion is a guide or disabled skier. Additional applications will be accepted and acted upon on a space available basis.
Ski for Light will endeavor to insure that the number of guides is approximately equal to the number of visually- and mobility-impaired participants. Last minute cancellations, or illnesses, of either guides or disabled participants, may result in the final numbers being slightly out of balance. If this occurs, SFL will work with all attendees to ensure that everyone has the experience that they want for the week.
Cost for the Week
The total cost for the week will depend on which of the four available housing options you select, as shown below.
** Prices and rooming options will be available on or about August 15. **
The cost shown includes: room and all meals from Sunday evening February 1 through Sunday morning February 8; round-trip transportation between the Denver airport and Snow Mountain Ranch (on designated days and at designated times); all cross-country trail and other resort fees; and all afternoon and evening programs and activities. There is no extra charge for first- and second-time guides arriving early for guide training, on a double-occupancy basis. Cross-country skis, boots and poles will be provided free of charge to first-time visually-impaired participants. The cost of transportation from home to and from Denver is the responsibility of the participant.
Full payment is due from all accepted applicants by November 15, 2025.
Please be aware that for the 2026 event each participant is paying only about 80% of the cost of their participation. The remainder, amounting to a bit more than $250, is being provided by funds donated to SFL by individuals, foundations and Sons of Norway lodges, and by the investment earnings of the SFL Endowment Fund. If you are financially able, we encourage you to become one of our financial supporters by going to the online donation form and making a tax-deductible contribution to SFL.
Financial Assistance
Ski for Light recognizes that some prospective annual event participants may not be able to attend the Ski for Light International Week without financial assistance. Accordingly, all guides, all visually impaired participants and all mobility impaired participants with such a need who reside in the United States are eligible for a stipend to partially defray the cost of attending the annual SFL event. Applicants requesting a single room, or arriving early at the event hotel, other than people arriving early on SFL business, are not eligible for stipends.
Stipends awarded to first time visually impaired participants, first time mobility impaired participants and all Instructor/Guides will usually not exceed 60% of the applicants International Week event fee.
Stipends awarded to second time visually impaired participants and second time mobility impaired participants will usually not exceed 50% of the applicants International Week event fee.
Stipends awarded to visually impaired participants and mobility impaired participants who have attended two or more previous SFL events will usually not exceed one third of the applicants International Week event fee.
The specific amount of each stipend will be based on the remaining funds that SFL has available for this purpose, the applicant’s stated financial need in their stipend application, and any other relevant considerations.
The deadline for financial aid applications to be submitted is October 1. Exceptions may be made if funds are still available after that date.
To receive an application for financial aid for the 2026 event please so indicate on your event application.
h3>Getting in Shape for Cross-Country Skiing
If you have never cross- country skied before, have minimal experience, or just want to make sure you are in good shape to get the most out of the experience, there are two things that you need to know before applying to attend the Ski for Light International Week, or before actually attending the event.
- First, cross-country skiing is an aerobic activity that may not be physically appropriate for every prospective attendee. If you have concerns about participation, consult with a physician who can discuss with you the risks of participation in vigorous physical activity, given your medical history and physical condition. For more information on this subject please read About Cross- Country Skiing and the Ski for Light International Week
- Second, once you have determined that cross-country skiing is for you, we recommend that you begin some basic physical conditioning so you can get the most enjoyment from the week. This is just common sense for anyone planning to participate in a week of physically demanding aerobic activity. We have developed some resources that will help you get ready for the week. First, Ten Easy Steps to Increase Fitness helps you find easy ways to incorporate exercise and stretching into your daily activities. If you are ready for more rigorous exercise, including a training calendar, see Physical Conditioning for Ski for Light Skiers which provides suggestions for aerobic, core and upper and lower body exercises, which will help you get the most out of your ski week. The final section of this document contains exercise resources geared for people with visual impairments and some high intensity fitness programs. Additionally, here is a recording describing how one SFL veteran prepared for a recent event.
Application Forms
** 2026 applications will be available here later in the year. **
Guide Handbook
The Ski for Light Guide Handbook contains a wealth of general skiing tips, SFL-specific terminology, a standard progression of instruction for beginners, and other information to help new guides approach their first event with confidence, and to help everyone ski together more safely and enjoyably.
The Narrated Video Accompaniment to the Guide Handbook brings the concepts presented in the PDF Guide Handbook to life. (MP4 format, 8 minutes, 38 seconds)