Ive heard XC ski mentioned a couple times already this season. Now, thats getting ahead of ourselves, but its a good sign that maybe last winter sparked some snow-love or at least snow-respect. Still, we have a gloriously brilliant and colorful autumn ahead of us. We have CX. But do make sure youre ready for XC! It truly is the key to fun for a Michigan winter. To get ready, ride bike but also paddle boat. Do calisthenics. Pull on elastics/inner-tubes tied up in a tree. Ideally do rollerskiing. Get out and trail-hike, hill-walk with ski poles. Trail run with poles. Get the arms going! Find uphills! Any trail running is good. Then when snow flies you wont miss a beat! You really need to do a couple dozen allbody workouts before snow. Even when we have great winters they arent that long so you want to enjoy the snow, not waste time training up to it after it arrives. For some more details... (Ill copy some stuff I just posted for Vince, who was wondering about it.) I do lessons. Im happy to meet a group at Huron Meadows since they have best tracks -- great to learn on -- but really any mellow pre-skied trail is fine for learning. Last year, the best-ever for snow, I didnt teach any lessons at all, sadly. Methinks a lotta Michiganders screwed the pooch and basically MISSED out on a glorious snow year. Without lessons, you aint skiin. Then get out a dozen times then come join us in mid-Feb on our Stinch Picnic Outing! Our gang is building a whole CX of Ski scene for singletrack joy. Just get yourself a nice allrounder package: cant beat it. They dont make bad ski anything these days. (Tho after youre hooked you might do a little n+1 with it -- you may well want some waxables, some BCs, even some skaters.) Skiing is like biking only without the extra moving parts. And its allbody. So much glide-joy you wont be able to stand it. As for skating, its totally fun to try out nownthen but dont make it your base: theres only 2 places in SE MI to do it. You can rent skaters at Huron Meadows. With classic its ANYWHERE THERES SNOW! Its all the same anyway, all good. The body-basics are the same I suppose its easier for a beginner to get glide wheee! with skating. But classic delivers. And is far more versatile. And, of course, all the pros do both, race both, about equally. Classic is a bit spinnier, skating more a big-gear. Skate-gear costs twice as much. And is twice as fragile since its only made for polished tracks. Allrounder classic gear is designed to deliver peak joy anywhere and lasts for decades. Expect to pay a couplehundred$. (Also, iceskating must be done whenever we get the miracle of wild black ice, which is usually at least a week per season. What a rare treat! But when it arrives, show it respect and get out there. Nordic Skates are a great solution there. Use your XC ski boots. Easy on/off for getting on/off the ice. Also theyre designed for wild ice, smooth over bumps, no tripping -- fast! I sell em, $40/pr, but you gotta put bindings on em.) (Snowshoeing gives traction for walking or running in snow, which are both fine of course but NO GLIDE. Great for nature observation and for instant total stillness. When theres 2+ feet on the ground then shoeing is float heaven, like walking on water. Indeed shoes are the only thing that works then, and they work great -- except they mostly sell/rent the wrong shoes these days -- to truly bliss out the float of true shoeing you need big old woodies, skip the modern compacts. Or get the biggest moderns when the snow is deep. If its just traction and stability you want, for a packed trail, go with whatever size they give ya.) A great place to get XCed up is Dicks shop in Grayling -- great place! Oldest in state. But Dick isnt always there -- hes passed it on to nice young guys and its now called Northbound Outfitters / Cross Country Ski Shop. Tell em I sent you and youll have more fun.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:22:21 +0000
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