Harry and Martha Frank, our fearless guides to high altitude cross-country skiing. RELATED STORIES Essential Advice Dudley's Journal

Both Rob, a veteran of cross-country skiing, and Emily, a newcomer to the sport, learned how to take full advantage of the superb conditions and scenic trails.

Rob has been cross-country skiing since he was a kid. He never thought of it as a particularly complex sport, just a way to get outside in the winter and see the sights. So, when we got to the Enchanted Forest in Red River, N.M., Rob was surprised to find a ski instructor there. In all his years of skiing, he'd never met a cross-country ski instructor. We met Harry and asked him to give Emily a few tips, as she is new to the sport.

When Harry started giving Rob tips as well, Rob was pretty surprised. He almost protested, but he eventually decided to go along and see what Harry had to say. Harry showed Rob how much easier skiing would be if he shifted his weight more completely from one ski to the other. He had Rob start his pole plants closer to his feet, rather than way out near the tips of his skis. Harry truly fine-tuned Rob's skiing style — not to mention the big improvements he made to Emily's technique.

After the lesson, Harry and his wife, Martha, invited us to join them on a trail sweep. When the ski area closes, they take one last spin through the trails to make sure no one is still out in the woods. They took us on all their favorite trails and showed us some of the spectacular views.

Keeping up with Harry and Martha was a bit of a challenge, especially at such a high altitude, but it wound up being well worth the huffing and puffing. Harry and Martha even introduced us to the herd of mule deer that lives in the area. Taking Harry's instructions to heart made the going a lot easier, but our real lesson was to always be open to learning more — especially when you can learn from someone like Harry.