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Chief Joseph
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Chief Joseph
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 12:27 am 
I have been pondering this for a few years and I need to stop procrastinating. I plan to leave for Idaho in 3 days and plan to remain there for several months, so I am seeking activities for outdoor enjoyment and conditioning. We also have to go to the post office about 3/4 mile away, so it would be a good daily jaunt on skis to get the mail, plus there is a small hill with a decent turn, so it might be fun. There are also specific Xcountry trails around Priest Lake and groomed snowmobile trails on which to trek. So, looking for recommendations for beginner level skis and boots-bindings. I will be far from anywhere to purchase gear in store, so will likely use Ebay or try to buy used from a local resident. Plus, if anyone here who is in the north end near Everett-Marysville might have some to sell, let me know. I wear size 10 boots.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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treeswarper
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Joined: 25 Dec 2006
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treeswarper
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 7:26 am 
I recommend driving to Spokane and trying on boots. I haven't had much luck with ordering boots on line. For a while, I'd ski until I could feel blisters starting. I finally went to a store and tried on boots and bought a pair. I still need another comfy pair for my death skis.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Cyclopath
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Joined: 20 Mar 2012
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
PostMon Nov 08, 2021 10:59 am 
Cross country skiing is so much fun! It's great exercise, a great way to move outdoors in the snow, spend a day outdoors if you want to, and even just to stay warm. I hope you love it. I used to hate winters living here, now I have something to look forward to I'm not going to recommend any specific gear because I don't know you very well. Different skis are like different bikes, you might not even care about the differences or you might find something that just feels right. But I'll say when I started everybody here recommended Fischer Ultralight skis, which aren't actually ultra light, but they're stable (easy to balance) and have a lot of things about them that make them easy to have fun on.

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Randito
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Randito
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 12:13 pm 
What's the 3/4 mile to the post office like ? -- if you are skiing along the side of a plowed road with driveways and cross streets to deal with -- that sounds rather low on the joy-o-meter , what with grit and salt from the road and needing to portage across plowed driveways and cross streets. If there is a path seprate from the road that would be significantly higher on the joy-o-meter. Groomed snowmobile trails are pretty good skiing -- at least on weekdays -- less enjoyable on weekends IME.

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Chief Joseph
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Chief Joseph
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 12:27 pm 
The road to the post office is lightly traveled but plowed and sanded regularly, so that would probably be good only on days before they plow. There is however an alternate track there, that connects to the main snowmobile trail that is fairly regularly groomed.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Randito
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Randito
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 12:38 pm 
Cool -- if you get some used xc skis cheap -- you probably wont care too much that the bases get scraped up by the sand, degrading both glide and waxless base grip. Proper fitting boots are the most important element needed for an enjoyable experience.

Chief Joseph
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Chief Joseph
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Chief Joseph
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 1:06 pm 
Sounds like Touring Boots are what I would want. "Touring boots are very warm and comfortable, meeting the needs of skiers not looking for performance but rather a reliable and sturdy boot especially when Backcountry skiing.". "How does Nordic skiing work? In cross-country skiing, the heel of the boot isn't attached to the ski, allowing the skier to raise his or her heel with each step to approximate a normal walking motion. This enables skiers to travel across a variety of terrains without downward momentum, meaning they can move uphill as well.".

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Gwen
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Gwen
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 1:52 pm 
The biggest issue I had with xc skiing is, well, it turns out that skinny skis and I do not get along well. I was spending more time hoisting myself off the ground than I was skiing, and getting up on largely level terrain is a a royal PITA. Might it be possible for you to either borrow someone's gear or rent some gear to have a go at it and see how well you like it before investing in a setup (even if it's used)? After 3 years of no-so-much-fun on the skinny skis, I gave up and turned my (bought used at an REI garage sale from their rentals) setup over to Goodwill for some other sod to have a go with.

Tomorrow's not promised to anyone, so be bold, scare yourself, attempt something with no guarantee of success. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve. -Olive McGloin
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Maarten
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Maarten
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 2:52 pm 
Touring boots are probably a good choice. They tend to be a little bulkier and less athletic/streamlined/techie-looking. These days most skis are compatible with NNN bindings. (which iirc are different than NNN-BC) Some decisions are relatively easy--if you're not after race speed and want low-maintenance, get waxless skis, which also tend to not be the narrowest, so they'll be more stable. And they tend to be cheap-ish. But beyond that it gets harder. We asked a variety of friends and were told repeatedly that it's a bad idea to buy XC skis without consulting someone with some expert knowledge. If you just want to shuffle along upright it probably doesn't matter as much, but if you want to develop the proper technique and get some glide going, you need a ski that's appropriate for your height/weight so that the "arc" (camber) of the ski (un)flexes correctly when you weight/unweight it.

Chief Joseph, Cyclopath
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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 4:22 pm 
Three words, No wax skis. I think I got the right wax on my death skis maybe twice? And then there was the day that the temperature changed abruptly and I was walking on platform skis. The snow was sticking to my klister. Also, i have a pair of "back country skis". I do not ski in the back country. They are slow skis compared to the skinnier track skis, but have metal edges and I can control them better when going in the track that has a slope with a tree to smack into at the bottom. In fact, i call them the dog skis because they aren't that great but at this time in life, I want to be able to control my skis.
The "Chalet" at the Valhalla Ski Area (cross country) in Up Nort Wisconsin.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Cyclopath
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
PostMon Nov 08, 2021 4:23 pm 
XC skiing is a lot like riding a bike. Skinny skis are like skinny tires, they're faster, but only useful on good conditions. Fatter skis are more stable and easier to use any time conditions aren't perfect. Boots. This is important: Fatter skis are heavier. They need stiffer boots to drive them. If the boots are too soft, you can't slow or stop when you want to and it's a bad time. It took me 3 tries to figure out skis, boots, and bindings for logging roads, snomo trails, and meadows. What I came up with won't work for everyone, I have a friend with the same ones and she doesn't feel like she has enough control, but here's what I use as an example. Solomon Snowscape 7 skis, these are 59 mm so not really skinny or fat, Solomon S/Race Prolink boots. It isn't common to use race boots off groomed trails, but they give me control.

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostMon Nov 08, 2021 10:45 pm 
I have many types in my quiver. They are so different as to be regarded as different sports. Track skis are fun on a prepared track but useless in the back country, tele skis good on logging roads, and don’t even get me started on AT. All require different boots and techniques. You are right about waxless in the N but wax skies are the bomb in colder areas.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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RichP
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PostTue Nov 09, 2021 1:14 pm 
I recommend getting them soon. When snow falls it will be almost impossible to find skis. If you are lucky you can find a used set up but don't bank on it. I like the NNN binding and skis with metal edges. I just took up skiing a few years ago so it's never too late.
Skiing abandoned rail line near Bovill, Id.

Chief Joseph
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pianodirt
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pianodirt
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PostFri Nov 12, 2021 5:37 pm 
I suppose there are now youtube videos that could help, but a couple 10 minute lessons from some kind veteran XC skiers made a world of difference in my enjoyment of XC skiing. At first I "skied" more like I was snowshoeing...not much glide and what glide I did have was from a fair amount of effort. A little bit of technique education quickly got me moving much more smoothly, quickly and most importantly...enjoyably. So whether you get the chance to take an official lesson or have someone watch you ski and give you some tips, I highly recommend it.

RichP, Cyclopath
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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostSat Nov 13, 2021 7:22 am 
Yah. If you want to go classic, ditch the poles and ski back and forth in a track. It helps to have a song with a steady beat in your head or ears so you have a constant, nice rhythm. I went to a clinic put on by a real, genuine Norwegian who was yelling ONE SKI ONE SKI ONE SKI as we went back and forth. Do that with a Scandihoovian accent for best results. Let arms swing naturally, close to body. Poles should have the straps tight and you let go a bit of the pole handles as you push off and then bring poles only ahead as your hand swings back naturally.. No stabbing style pole planting. Keep arms close to body. Probably best demonstrated than read about. It's all about efficiency and energy conservation. Uf dah. Time for da coffee.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities

Chief Joseph
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