Looking to purchase XC skis...30 years after my first set

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Yeah, definitely don't want true backcountry skis...I don't envision us doing big-time deep powder and breaking trails. More like 6" of fresh stuff and trails that have maybe had only a couple of people on them before us. And maybe 50% on groomed trails.

With the kid we may even look at used skis, since I'm thinking he may not get more than a year or two on a pair, given his recent rate of growth. Or buy him pretty cheap ones, now, then sell in a year or two -- once we have a better idea what will work for him and where his weight may start to settle.

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We got these, today! I actually went with upgraded boots and poles. The upgrade boots fit my goofy wide/duck foot much better. And the upgraded poles were a lot lighter for only $7 more. My kiddo's skis are the exact same size (at 5'8" he's at the light end of the weight-range and at <5'4" I'm at the top -- incentive to get down to the lighter end and not gain any more over the holidays), so it's good his bindings are different so that we can tell them apart. We hope he'll get a couple seasons out of them.

Now we need to get real snow!!!

[Catrin]

I don't know anything about skiing, but it looks to me like you are going to have some fun this winter, enjoy the new gear!

[Crankin]

Nice purchase, Zoom. Enjoy your skis.

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Nice purchase, Zoom. Enjoy your skis.

If only we'd get some snow. Most years I dread snow...2 years ago we had record snow, last year we had a ton of snow and record cold. This year...we've had maybe 3" total...nothing that stuck long and it was slushy. Naturally. Because we have brand new, shiny skis that are itchin' to use!

[Crankin]

It's kind of early for snow. At least around here, we rarely get any big storms until January. There have been a few years when we get one in December, then nothing for awhile. Last year we had snow the day after Thanksgiving, and then it didn't snow again until January 23. Of course, then, it didn't stop until the end of February.
There's been some snow up north, but not enough for x country skiing. This is why I love it so much. I wait and wait and waitn, and then 8 weeks of heaven. I could get at least 4 more weeks, if I went up north in March, but, by the end of the first week of Mach, I am thinking about my bike. Most years, I am out by 3/5, though last year wasn't until the 28th.

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We don't usually get much snow before Dec., but our long range forecast is a good 10º too warm for snow well into Dec...which is not normal. Our average seasonal snowfall is 96". I doubt very much that we'll get anywhere near that in this El Niño year. It's rough for the hardcore Winter cyclists, too. It's been too warm/muddy for mountain biking, but cold and wet is no fun even to move to gravel roads or fat-biking on the beach.