Thanks. Yeah, skinny, icy trails are a situation where I sometimes have to wimp out and just walk down at this point in my progression.

@@GoTeleOnTheMountain I don't blame you. I do the same when situations are just too sketchy.

Nice, what state are you in? I think you’ll like xc skiing if you give it at least a few tries. At first, the loose feel of the bindings was uncomfortable for me, but eventually I realized I looked forward more to xc skiing forest roads every weekend than to using my season pass for downhill skiing. Now I just forego the season pass and try to manage some downhill on hybrid xc skis.

Yeah, that seems like a blessed area for snowfall.

He’s a good boy.

This is from the area behind (uphill/west) Cottonwood Lake near Buena Vista, CO, and also a side road off the south side of Cottonwood Pass (Sawatch Range, accessed from the east in the winter).

@@GoTeleOnTheMountain I snowmobile and got into XC skiing recently. That seems nice over there, enjoy 😊❤️🇺🇸❄️

He’s a good boy, and we got him a gf last spring, too.

They both enjoyed it. One of them started xc skiing on his own, except that now he and his family have transplanted to north Africa. I was on some 215cm Fischer E99s from some decade in the past, mainly because we were doing mileage and I wanted to feel more similar to the absolute beginners.

Fischer Outback 68.

Good question: I guess that depends on your situation. If I was just visiting the mountains during Christmas break, then it would make sense to rent and have an expert pair me with the best ski for my size and current local conditions. But as someone who skis regularly in different conditions, spends a lot of time researching reviews of skis, and lives in a place where I can find good used skis for cheap, it makes a lot more sense for me to buy. However, before I knew much about gear and the kinds of skiing I wanted to do, I spent too much money on fairly generic new xc skis, so I wouldn’t recommend buying without first doing some research. It would be wise to consider the following before buying: What’s your budget? How often will you be able to ski? What level of commitment do you think you’ll have to the sport (long term and regular or passing and occasional)? Will you be skiing in flatter terrain, steeper, or a mix? How many miles are you likely to go at a time? Will you be skiing unbroken backcountry snow, groomed trails, snowmobile tracks, or some variety of these? Is your local snow light or dense? How sunny/windy/cold does it tend to be? What level of control/comfort will you want from your boots? There are so many variables that it’s hard to give a general answer, but if you know the answers to those questions, you’ll be able to get better counsel from someone at a shop or online. One place where you may be able to find helpful reviews or ask for advice is the forums at TelemarkTalk.com . I can also try to point you in a certain direction with a little more information about your skiing ambitions.

I guess because it was warm enough without them.

Not the most miserable way to get a workout, that’s for sure.

Kinda like horse riding when you only do it once a year. I ease into skiing each year before I go for the long 10 klm or greater sojourns But then again I am 70 but active. I hate to see beginners go home and wake up the next day real stiff and sore and then swearing off skiing. Just a heads up for beginners because xcountry is a beautiful sport

@@thomasgreen4009 True. There are so many factors that can ruin the sport for someone if they don’t give it another try. Having a free heel on a slippery ski can be a lot to overcome for some at first. Subpar snow conditions can also make an outing pretty miserable. A few shorter, low-risk trips is definitely a good recommendation for beginners.