Kevin the problem with downhill skiing is the other crazy people going down the hill out of control. Don’t forget ski lifts can get stuck. 
With XC skiing is flat/rolling terrain and your along.
TOC keep them old skis. I have an old pair that hangs on the wall next to my old snowshoes. I still prefer my old wooden snowshoes to the newer style.
Steve haha good story.
Kevin Strong said:
Hmm, lift carries you to the top, you ski down to the bottom. Waiting for you at the bottom, hot chocolate and hot tub. I remain even more unconvinced about this whole “cross country” thing. Frozen camelbacks, getting lost in a snowstorm… seems a recipe for disaster.
Later,
K
Kevin,
I enjoy alpine skiing as well, but it costs way too much! One day of lift tickets- $60-90, a season’s pass $300-600 depending on the area. Humm lets think about it for a second. That’s more money for the model trains, or not. For $300 a season I could buy myself a new locomotive (or new skis). I’ll be waxing up my alpine skis shortly in the hope that I “might” be able to ski once this season. The best deal I found so far is a week of free skiing at 49 Degrees North in Chewelah, Wa. during the last week of the season. Thankfully my sister lives in Spokane as well, but highly unlikely that I’ll make it this year as the wife will be 37-38 weeks along…
Alpine has gotten very expensive. Once you have XC skis you can ski anywhere for free and save that money for trains.
Snow is nature’s way of saying, “Die! Die! DIE!” 
Shawn Viggiano said:
Just picture how nice this is to hit with ski’s
What kind of ski’s?
Curmudgeon mcneely said:
I decided to dig my skis out and look at them.
Wood Norselanders. When I got them, oh, '63 or so, the folks that gave them to me took the bear traps off and put cable bindings on them.
Still there.
Leather webs on the poles long since rotted away.Lots and lots of miles on Mammoth with these.
Did some up above Big Bear somewhere, but that was what, 68?
Last time.
Can’t bring myself to get rid of them.
Hang them on the wall! You probably have a pair of snow shoes, too. Hang them on the wall as well.
Nope. No snowshoes. But I do have a pair of Damascus barrelled exposed hammer 12GA side-by-sides…probably all the same era!
I have a pair of 10th Mountain Division WWII Surplus skis that I use when I want to self flagellate. They are sweet. I plan to mention them in my will.
Ray Dunakin said:
Snow is nature’s way of saying, “Die! Die! DIE!”
I agree Ray, but I’m stuck here in the Northeast. At least I really enjoy 3 of the seasons here. Once in a while snow is OK, but 3 months of it is too much for me.
My youngest, now living just outside of Denver decided to try back country snowbaording last weekend. The GoPro video he took is pretty cool. I’m not sure, but I think the guy with the pick up truck is the lift.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/b8lojWdTi0s[/youtube]
EDIT to add: If your over 30 you probably want to mute the audio and just enjoy the video.
