Tips on How to Save on X-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing has been losing adherents in recent years, because of a series of low-snow winters, in the United States.
But what a shame. It has so many benefits: it's healthy, relaxing and therapeutic (the “new yoga”) and most of all, it's much cheaper than its downhill counterpart! Here are a few more money-savvy reasons to hit the (gentle) slopes this season:
1. Cheaper equipment: A basic set of equipment (skis, poles, boots and bindings) doesn't have to set you back more than $200. Longstanding outdoor gear supplier EMS has a nice system on its website for helping you pick out the XC ski package that will suit your needs. Don't be shy about hitting garage sales or Craigslist to find skis for a fraction of their original price.
2. Cheaper clothes: You can spend all sorts of money on high-tech fabrics that wick sweat (you will work one up) and keep you warm, but you can just as easily go out to the local golf course in a pair of old jeans and a wool sweater and cap. I once found a pair of 1950s-era stretch wool downhill ski pants at a thrift shop for $3 and wore them for years on the XC ski trails.
3. Free X-Country trails: If you live in a snowy climate, the easiest locale for recreational skiing is your nearby golf course. The gentle hills and wide open spaces of a golf course are perfect for a beginner. If you're worried about the availability of snow, check out this listing of snow conditions in the U.S. and in Canada. If you want to get in at the high end of the sport, go to Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon, for the 2007 National Masters XC skiing tournament.
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