I haven't down hill skied in almost 30 years. I was hoping for a good local snow before I went anywhere. I could go in the field next door or on my own property to practice.
I think DivingBiker and I will get out Cumberland way before winter's end.
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I haven't down hill skied in almost 30 years. I was hoping for a good local snow before I went anywhere. I could go in the field next door or on my own property to practice.
I think DivingBiker and I will get out Cumberland way before winter's end.
I meant x country down hills! I don't downhill ski. Well, I tried it once, because the rest of my family did, but it didn't thrill me. Then my DH stopped downhill because he had started riding and didn't want to get hurt. My kids never really continued it after middle school, but at least they know how. Around here, it's a social thing. It's funny, I am such a downhill weenie on the bike, but I have much less fear on x country skis. I think it's because I am closer to the ground.
Part of the reason I haven't been on the forum much is that I've been skate skiing my buns off. I'm loving it. The last 3 times I've gone out I've done more than 16 km each day and on uneven terrain. I love the butt burn... ahhhhh:D:D:D:D:D:D
I just got back from Craftsbury, VT, where there is always snow! We thought, since it hasn't been snowing even up there, conditions would not be great, but they were great, considering. We stay at the Craftsbury Inn, which is right on the trail. It's a hoot of a place. Slightly odd owner and gourmet chef. It's not always the most spotless place, but you get treated like royalty. Breakfast is included, he packs us lunches for a small fee, and we eat dinner there, too. He can cook any cuisine around.
Anyway, Thursday we skied a bit of the trail, all up and rolling, about 4 miles. Friday we went to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, where the trails are wide and groomed probably the best of anywhere I have been. I've skied there twice before. Because of the grooming, I can ski the black trails there. Lots of climbing and downhills. It was awesome. My poor DH just can't get the climbing part and is also very slow on the flats. Not sure why, as he is an awesome cyclist and very strong overall. I think it's his feet, which are very sensitive and he always has issues, even though he had surgery for Morton's neuroma bout 8 years ago. It's better, but drives him nuts. But, he did it and our friends were quite proud of us. We skied almost 9 miles, with a break for lunch. Yesterday we went to the Highland Lodge, up the road. I have been there once, when there were super powder conditions and I skied down the scariest huge mountain ever. The conditions were not as good, but there was plenty of snow. The trails here are bumpier, and kind of slanted, so it was hard to get a grip at times. But, we did about 5 miles. It was only a high of 15 degrees yesterday, so starting out, it was really frigid, about 8 F. In the afternoon, we snow shoed, up this huge climb we had skied down 2 years ago (we think, the downside of this place is that the trails are not well marked). The snow shoe trail went up in the thick forest; just gorgeous. After about 3.5 miles of that we were dead and bought some cheese and crackers, where I pigged out about 3 hours before dinner. After the cheese crepes I had, it's back to reality today. We got home a couple of hours ago; no snow around here. I am hoping to get a little more x country in before the cycling season starts!
Delaware just got another 2 feet of snow, so DH and I dug out our XC skis. We don't have many opportunities to ski here, but we enjoy it when we can! We skied yesterday on the unpaved streets, which was nice and smooth, and again today at a county park. That snow was deep and lots of work!
Can anyone give me some advice on new equipment?
Our equipment is probably ~20 years old, bought a few years ago off of Craig's List just to see if we liked it. Well, we do, and our equipment is literally starting to fall apart. So it's time to think about new stuff. But I'm overwhelmed by the choices out there, particularly with bindings and the accompanying compatibility considerations.
We ski just a few times a year. It's mostly unplowed streets or local parks- nothing groomed, but some of it's packed and some is deeper and more powdery. Nothing around here is groomed, so we end up breaking our own trails in anything deeper than a few inches.
The local ski shops carry lots of downhill stuff, but very little XC stuff, so not a great source of advice there. I'm not even sure that I'll be able to buy locally, but may have to resort to internet/mail order.
Any thoughts? What do I need to look for in skis? Bindings? Any suggestions for reputable internet retailres if I'm forced to go that direction?
Many thanks in advance!
SATISFIED?? :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
I was going to go to the park today but there was nowhere to park at the park. It hasn't been plowed. I stupidly bought skate skis instead of the wider back country type. This is too much snow for me to ski in unless I find a trail :o
Zen, I was struggling with the wider backcountry skis. You can't actually ski in this stuff - after goign over my tracks a few times, it was almost skiable.
Did you actually get skate skis or just thin skis?
Thin, but will work for skating.
I'm jealous of all you DC people. I haven't had to move snow in 2-3 weeks! Normally we've got 3 feet on the ground at any one time, and are pushing it around daily, but not this year. On the bright side, we have enough, and a good base. Nearly nothing in November, 96" in December, and then back to nearly nothing in January. January is when we normally get belted.
Anyway, the skiing has been awesome (sorry Zen - I have 1 trail with 28k groomed on my way home from work, another (more awesome place) 15 minutes from work, and a couple of others near by - you should move here!). I've been too busy skiing to check in here. I've been trying to get out a couple/few times during the week, and one long ski and one medium/short ski on the weekend. I did 64k on Sunday (skating) - I'm pretty excited. I wasn't sure how ski season would go, with the ankle I broke in July. Turns out, it prefers skiing, because if I miss a couple of days it hurts when I walk. :rolleyes:
My dog is soooo happy they turned 2 of the loops at the nearest place into multi-use, dog-friendly loops. She doesn't get there much, but loves it when she does. Tonight we went skijoring. We only crashed horribly once. :D It's a lot of fun, but can result in pileups.
Whoa! That's like skitching! What was pulling you?Quote:
Originally Posted by Skierchickie
I went out tonight and tried to blaze a trail but it's snowed about 6 inches since then. The skis kept me on top of the snow so the effect was more like snowshoeing but my poles sank way down so they weren't ski poles, they were ski canes :o
Yay, the snow is coming here! About ten inches, I would say. We have planned a ski weekend for Valentine's Day; it will be local, but after being in VT. last weekend, I am motivated. Probably will go out to Northfield Mountain in western MA on Sunday and do our local touring center on Saturday. DH went to REI and bought new skis and boots yesterday. He is so frustrated that this sport is so hard for him. Anyway, he decided on skis that are called back country, but they are skinny enough for the tracks, have metal edges that are a bit thicker than on the skis we have, and most importantly, are shorter. They had stopped making the type of bindings he had, hence, the new boots.
I am going to get new skis, too, because mine are so long, they seem like trees. I will probably go to one of the local LBS, which also sells x country stuff in the winter. They have skis I want and I don't need new boots. Plus, I get a discount there, since my son worked there at one point.
I just got myself a new pair of skis - my first waxless ones. I've been skiing at a commercial area this year and the snow was so crusty and variable that wax wasn't the best. Now I've got 3 pair of skis: old waxable 195s, newer waxable 180s with metal edges and lots of sidecut (good for tele turns on easy terrain), and waxless 185s with metal edges (narrow enough for groomed areas, wide enough for backcountry). So bring on the snow!
Anyone have set they would like to sell. Looking for something to play around with. I'm about 6', 190 lbs, size 9 shoe. I don't really have a clue what to look for?
I took lesson 2 out of 4 in my women's skate ski clinic today. We worked a LOT on balance, my particular Achilles Heel, and learned V2. I'd been trying to figure V2 out on my own, but failed miserably. Well, it's all about the timing. Amazing! I actually was able to do it by the end of the lesson. Way cool!
My dog! That's what skijoring is - skiing with a dog attached to you. There is bikejoring too, but that looks way too scary to me (for me AND for my dog).Quote:
Originally Posted by Zen
Here's a website with some video from a recent local race. There is other stuff there, too, but you can see which has the dogs in it. I didn't go - thought about it, but decided to do a long ski that day, instead (yes, I chickened out)
http://www.doe.mtu.edu/photos/ski/index.html
What is skitching?
The snow never arrived....:(.
Wow, those people are good! I can see me being pulled along on my ask, skis akimbo.
Crankin, you really don't want all this anyway.
Yeah - yesterday we were flying along, I had just hopped in the tracks on a long, slight downhill grade, and Zoe decided to stop suddenly to check out a scent. I kept going, trying frantically to stop. I fell, and she yelped pretty good when the line went taut again, but she was fine, and picked right up where she left off.Quote:
I can see me being pulled along on my ask, skis akimbo.
Oh - the other option: our first time out this season, she suddenly headed across in front of me, left to right, into the deep snow. She stopped, but crossed back behind me, then in front of me,.... By the time I reeled her in, my arms and poles were pinned to my sides, and I could just wiggle my hands. :p
Oh - and there was the time I foolishly made her wait so some friends could ski on ahead. When I finally told her to go, she yanked me right off my feet. I mean, from standing to faceplant in 0.01 seconds.
Poor Crankin.... Clearly, you DO want all that!
Yes, and I will drive to find some. I bought new skis tonight! Fischer S Bound Silent Spiders. I decided to keep the same boots, since they are in good shape and my feet are so sensitive, I don't want to mess with what works. The skis are shorter, which is my main concern.
Hopefully, I will find snow somewhere.
I guess everyone else is riding???
We went to Windblown, in NH today. The place is amazing. There is absolutely no snow on the ground here and not much up by them, either, but almost all of there trails are open. We got there at 10:30 and the parking lot was already filling up. My new skis are awesome! So light. I can climb in the tracks much easier and also climb without having to herringbone as much. They feel different on the downhill and for a bit I had to get used to the shorter skis=less edges, but by the afternoon, I was set.
The temperature got up to about 35 degrees. That's just about at the edge of being too warm. We skied about 11k. DH is very happy with his new stuff, too, and he definitely could go faster. It's supposed to snow a little on Tuesday, so I am hoping to go to the local touring center Wednesday. We'll see...
Glad to hear you had good skiing, Crankin. I'll be skiing at Notchview in the Berkshires tomorrow.
We were going to go to Notchview yesterday, but didn't want to drive that far. I'd be interested to hear how it was.
Here's a picture from yesterday. This is a "view" spot at Windblown, where you can see Mt. Monadanock in the background. It's right next to the owner of the touring area's home. The wind was gusting up to 35 when we were up there. Good excuse for a good downhill, to get out of that wind!
Sigh...I'm a New Englander too and bemoaning the lack of snow. Unfortunately, have had too many commitments recently (family in town, weekend meetings, etc) to make it up to Windblown in recent weekends. I am feeling like a lame ski-lover. Oh well - it was nice being out on the road bike yesterday :)
We are taking a long weekend starting on Thursday to Lake Placid and hopefully will ski AND skate enough to feel sufficiently winter-happy!
What is around your waist and where are your poles?Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Those are waist packs/bottle holders. I hate skiing with a Camelbak and despite the fact I have the "winter" cover on the hose, it still freezes. The waist pack allows me to have plenty of liquid and room for different gloves, hats, etc., especially at this time of year when I often start layering down after 10 minutes!
Poles were stuck in the snow off to the side. It was a rare moment when someone else up there spontaneously offered to take our picture.
Notchview had wonderful skiing yesterday. It was powder snow, at least an inch of fresh powder on a 7" base. The fields were windblown and crusty but in the woods there was nothing but POWDER! And the area is 98% in the woods. There is lots of groomed terrain of easy and intermediate level. Also skied some narrow backcountry trails which were tracked by skis but ungroomed. I started on my new waxless skis but found them slow, so switched to waxables and had great skiing. Temperatures were 25-30F, I used extra blue with special red kicker and it couldn't have been better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
I thought maybe you were so good you didn't need them:pQuote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
R wouldn't give me my poles a couple weeks ago when we got a couple inches of snow and I was going around a high school track trying to figure out how to use my cross country skis.... His rational was without ski poles to push off with, I'd actually learn the correct leg motions and glide...
I spent a lot of time demanding my ski poles and cussing at him. But it was possible to go around without them.
Thatīs exactly what we were made to do when we took some coaching. It really helps so we try to do a bit without poles in each training session.
Yea, that wouldn't be me, Zen...
I could probably go on the flats without the poles, at least for awhile. But I use those suckers climbing a lot and once in awhile to slow me down on a descent. I seem to be able to not freak out when descending on skis as opposed to a bike!
Deb, I am amazed there was powder at Notchview. Perhaps I will get there this weekend. I plan to be at Great Brook tomorrow at 9 AM! (Just had a very slow drive home from Lowell in the storm and I am definitely not going to class tonight). I seem to be obsessed with skiing the way I was with cycling at one point. I think it's because I hardly get to do it. It's definitely not that I am so good at it.
Crankin, how was Great Brook yesterday morning? I skied this morning near my house, on the bike path and the Reformatory Branch. Snow kind of thin and crusty. After today's heat it will probably not be skiable at all. I hope to go to Windblown Saturday.
It sucked!
I think it was a combination of a few things.
1. The grooming there is not that great. The tracks still had bare spots ( a lot), though there was at least 6-8 inches of snow.
2. The skating lane, i.e. where mortals like me go down hill was full of loose powder. Great for climbing, but I got stopped in my tracks going downhill (see next).
3. I don't think my new skis are made for skiing in higher, unpacked powder. I literally was glued to the snow and stopped dead in my tracks. I didn't fall, but it was awful.
4. The temperature was rising and I didn't use the glide stuff for waxless skis. Stupid.
5. School vacation. Need I say more? Thankfully, I went on the other side of North Rd. immediately and there were hardly any people. I did go up Woodchuck, but went back an alternate, as I was afraid given the stickiness of my skis, I would fall down the hill, whioch has tons of dirt and rock patches in the best of conditions.
I was really frustrated. I hope to get up to Windblown this weekend, or to Northview, but not sure how the snow will be there.
Man, am I pooped! I did the longest ski of my life yesterday. It was awesome, but it also kicked my butt. Which is still pretty well kicked today.... I did take my doggie out skiing with me today, and ended up getting 11.5k in really easy.
Now, to all those chores that I neglected yesterday..... :(
Went back to Windblown today. All the trails were open, but the conditions were not quite as good as advertised. My friend came with us, as her DH was leaving on a business trip. It was pretty slick and icy, especially as we went down a very long downhill. I had done this trail before, but the conditions were much better. Plus, the temperatures were going up; seriously, I think most of my issues with my new skis (which I still love) have been temperature/conditions related. But, I got down without falling, although, not so gracefully. There were a couple of steep icy climbs, too. Finally, we found a few descents that were in good condition, and I felt more confident. By that time, things were getting a bit mushy, so we headed to the lodge and ate lunch. We skied for about 2.5 hours and I have no idea how far, but I'd say 10-12k.
It's supposed to snow/rain on Tuesday and Wednesday and then a bigger storm on Friday. I'm hoping for one more good ski weekend before bringing the road bike outside.
After being glued to the TV, watching all of the Winter Olympic Nordic skiing events...I have somehow convinced myself that this is something I would like to try. Let me preface this by saying...the ONLY time I have put on skis of ANY type, was in high school gym class back in 1982!!! :eek: It was cross-country and I have to admit...I didn't take to it very well. Fell down a LOT, and was just very uncoordinated in general. Up until now, that one experience had left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth in regards to skiing. BUT...after watching several events on TV and seeing how hard those athletes are working...I am up for the challenge. :D
I live in IL, so we have plenty of snow. I found a golf club a few miles away, that does a ski rental package. It's $12 for the boots, skis, & poles for 2 hours...so very reasonable, IMO. Their website says that skiers have access of the golf clubs grounds to get to the "groomed trails" which are located in an adjacent forest preserve. I'm thinking this might be a good option for my hubby and I to give cross-country a try. Am I in over my head with this? Should we take lessons first? Or is this something that we could "pick up" on our own by just getting out there and doing it? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Linda
There's a bunch of videos on you tube, if you want to get an idea of the technique.
I haven't had lessons and just mostly have been taking myself & my skis to go play in the snow. I'm okay going uphill (well, relatively), on flats, and my downhills leave a bit to be desired. I need to learn a telemark turn.
However, I have mastered the art of avoiding hitting trees on the downhills:
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5523441_n.jpg
Even if it's just flinging myself to the ground before impact.
I sort of taught myself and took a couple of lessons back in the day when the rest of my family was off doing downhill (those days are long over). For 12 years, I didn't do much except go on green trails and some mild blue ones. About five years ago we got invited to go skiing with our cycling buddies, who are serious x country skiers. With their encouragement, I am now climbing pretty steep slopes and going downhill (not that pretty, but without falling). I tend to avoid very skinny trails that are surrounded by trees! Seriously, I've skied black trails at some touring centers that are tough, but are wider.
I occasionally go out in conservation land and ski there, but nothing too crazy. I like going out after a fresh snow, when there's fresh tracks from another person! I'm not much of a risk taker, so I really prefer going to groomed trails, but some of them are pretty tough.
I am not fast, but generally I can handle most stuff. I went skiing with a group last month for the first time and I was able to "fit in" with the people. Some were very experienced, better technical skiers than me, but slower, as they were older (like late sixties) than me. The 2 women my age were just a little faster, but I seemed to have more endurance, so by the end, they were skiing with me.
Ok...so I see some of you reference trails by "colors"...green, blue, black. I assume the different colors represent different levels of difficulty or skill, am I right? What should I be looking for, as a total novice?
I'm glad to hear that some of you are self-taught skiers...which is probably the route we will end up taking. It's nice to know that it IS possible to learn this on our own...as I doubt my hubby would be up for taking formal lessons. :rolleyes:
Striding (classic skiing) is easy to just pick up, especially if you're not planning on racing. At its most basic it's like walking on skis. If you're going to get aggressive or race then it's worth taking lessons because being efficient, with good technique, is much more important.
Skating is much more technique driven. If you're interested in that I would start with a lesson. Otherwise it can be EXTREMELY frustrating and tiring.
The colors do refer to the difficulty of the trails. Green is easiest, followed by blue and then black. Start with the green and see how it feels. Move up to harder stuff if the green seems easy or you want to challenge yourself. Each ski area rates its runs differently. There are no set standards (this applies to downhill areas, too). The ratings are a comparison of the runs at that resort to each other, not to other areas. A blue run at an "easier" area might just be a green at a "harder" one.