Van's Loop

Van's Loop is a short, easy cross-country ski route in the Laramie Ranger District of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Wyoming, managed by the Forest Service. The loop is an out-and-back of about 0.58 miles, with a total elevation gain of 80 feet, and it sits at an elevation of roughly 8,800 feet. The route is a gentle one, with the steepest stretch at about 0.11 miles in, where the grade reaches 9 percent. The high point is 8,855 feet, and the low point is 8,784 feet, so the climb is minimal and the route is easy to fit into a longer day on the surrounding trails. Winter is the natural season for cross-country skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Laramie, which sits about 1,465 feet lower, show January highs around 33°F with lows near 12°F, while July highs reach about 81°F. Temperatures on the loop run cooler than those figures. Haunted Forest, a cross-country ski area, and the Summit Trail, a mountain biking route, both lie about 0.1 mile away. Beehive Buttress, a climbing area, is about 0.7 mile off, and Pole Creek Group Campground is about a mile away.