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     CROSS COUNTRY SKI VACATIONS INCREASING ACROSS THE COUNTRY

North American travel patterns are changing. Vacations are closer to home and emphasize family. Travelers are demanding a greater value for the dollar. Leisure time seems to be a more serious investment in rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul. Cross country skiing vacations are becoming more popular because they match these trends.
Cross country ski centers reported up to a 23% increase in visitors last season (01-02). Here are six reasons more people are choosing a cross country ski getaway.
EASE-Cross country skiing uses natural movements. It does not require special skills to get started. It has a short learning curve. Vacation time is spent on the trails rather than in lessons.
ACCESSIBILITY-There are over 350 cross-country ski areas in the US and Canada. Many are less than two hours from urban centers and many within an hourÕs drive.
AFFORDABILITY-Compared with other winter vacations, a cross country ski escape costs much less. A weekend vacation for a family of four including lodge accommodations, breakfast and dinner, trail fees, rental equipment and a lesson is available in New England under $500. A week's getaway for a couple at a lodge or ranch in the US or Canadian Rockies including 7 night's lodging, all meals and skiing is priced from $2000. A simple day trip costs an average of $12 for a trail fee and $35 for trail pass, rental equipment and a lesson.
VARIETY-Cross country ski areas offer a variety of lodging and skiing choices from log cabins with wood fired saunas surrounded by backcountry ski terrain to romantic country inns with miles of groomed trails just outside the door. Cross country skiing can be combined with an alpine resort vacation, or with a village B&B getaway weekend of shopping, dining and cultural pursuits.
FAMILY FRIENDLY-Cross country skiing is a multi-generational activity. Infants and toddlers can go along for the ride in a backpack or sled. Cross country skiing is a kinder, gentler sport for grandparents and great grandparents. Teenagers who want to go fast can skate ski, a technique that combines the leg motion of ice skating and the arm push of cross country skiing. Parents may try snowshoeing at centers that offer trails and rentals. If Fido is considered a member of the family, some centers welcome canines on designated dog trails.
HEALTHY-Cross country skiing is one of the healthiest recreational activities for the body and soul. Absorbing the beauty of nature with its towering trees, mountain vistas, or endless snow covered meadows while experiencing a total body workout, all at an individual pace, is hard to duplicate on any other vacation.

Top Ten Reasons To Enjoy Cross Country Skiing This Winter
 

Getting Started

Getting started is easy. Just dress in layers and avoid cotton and you'll be set to experience the magical winter environment on cross country skis. Follows are a few tips.

"Whether you are looking at the first cross country ski outing of your life or getting back into the sport after a long layoff, my advice is to visit a professionally groomed trail system and take a lesson. Many cross- country ski areas offer packages that include rental equipment, a one to two hour lesson, and a trail pass-for as little as $25 to $35. It's a wise investment in what could become a lifetime passion.

The trail pass is your ticket to the ski area's groomed trail system, which can comprise anywhere from a dozen to hundreds of kilometers of interconnected routes. Typically the pass is a gummed sticker you wrap around a ski pole so it's obvious from a distance that you've paid the fee. Although it may seem odd to pay to ski at an area surrounded by vast stretches of no-fee terrain, what you're paying for is the groomed trail, which will make your first few outings a great deal more enjoyable. You'll also get such amenities as bathrooms, plowed parking, rentals, instruction, hot food, ski patrol, trail maps, huts, picnic sites, and well marked routes". This is an excerpt from the new book The Essential Cross Country Skier. Written by Paul Petersen and Richard Lovett, it features a step by step guide to the many aspects of the sport. For ordering information email Paul Peteren bvcc@sonnet.com or call Paul at Bear Valley 209-753-2834.

Preparing for Your Winter Adventure

This Much Fun and Still Legal?

Why cross-country ski? Cardiovascular benefits, yes, but also freedom! Exercise endorphins! Solitude! Conviviality! It's adventure for some, peace of mind for others. Many ski for the lyrical quality-the taste of clean air, clear and carrying light, sighing wind, hardwood forests, frozen waterfalls, weathered barns, open prairie, sandstone canyons, alpenglow on snow-mantled peaks, and the miracle of skiing beneath the full moon. More than mere recreation, this is euphoria!
My favorite aspect of cross-country is the diversity of people who love it. It canbe either social or solitary, so it appeals to groups, families, couples, and

individuals. Neither age nor gender matters-women outnumber men, and the majority of skiers are over the age of 30. All it takes is enthusiasm for enjoying the outdoors in winter, at your own speed, with your own choice of companions. Urbanites, rural residents, bird watchers, racers, meanderers, photographers, senior citizens-you name it, they're on the trails!

A skillful skier is a thing of beauty, moving with fluid power, adjusting tempo and technique to terrain, snow depth, and snow type. But one needn't be an adept; the casual day tripper-even a practiced exercise-evader-can get a kick equal to that of a national-caliber athlete from the season's enchantment.
Cross-country skiing exercises muscle groups from your feet to your arms, and everything in between. For those with a hunger for caloric facts, Chris Scott, research associate at the Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, has details on comparative sports. He says that a 170-pound man skiing 5 miles per hour on the level uses about 13.2 calories per minute (792 calories per hour). In comparison, a 170-pound man jogging 5.5 miles per hour uses 12 calories per minute (720 calories per hour). All of which is a complex way of saying that cross-country skiing is a superb way to develop a trim body while having fun.

What Is Cross-Country Skiing?

Cross-country skiing is as diverse as the terrain it covers-you can fly over pasture and meadow, meander through the woods, glide up gentle slopes, and carve down hillsides. Where-to-ski options are marvelously varied, but the choices of how to ski are just as gratifying.

The diagonal stride, or "classic" technique, is efficient and smooth. Its name comes from the alternate movement of arms and legs-the same movement used in walking but more elongated. Equipment is lightweight, with "skinny skis" and boots that look much like running shoes.  Machine-set "tracks" at cross-country areas provide a consistent surface that literally guides skis forward, eliminating most of the balance problems that plague beginners. While learned most easily in tracks, the diagonal stride is used by off-track skiers as well.

In contrast, skating is more dynamic, swifter, and more physically demanding. While it's the technique of choice for racers, skating can become an enjoyable part of any skier's technical repertoire. One limitation: it requires a compact surface or you get no glide.

Either style can be employed on uphills, flats, and gentle downhills. Ascents can also be made using the herringbone (effective but ungainly), or the sidestep (practical but boring), or by switchbacking. Backcountry skiing is more rugged and rustic, using wider skis and sturdier boots. Ski tourers carry a day pack with food, clothing, and supplies. By breaking your own trail, you can enjoy the wilderness in a more secluded and contemplative way than at any ski area.

One of the great thrills in cross-country is learning to control yourself skiing downhill. (Happily, sitting down is considered quite legitimate. Using a skier below you as a buffer is not as acceptable, though it's a great way to meet people!) The style of turn you employ can vary with mood, skills, and conditions. Experienced alpine skiers often prefer parallel turns, while others are devotees of the spectacular telemark. As they become more expert, people like to mix turns, from the standard snowplow to the dramatic skate. Your friendly professional instructor can demonstrate and communicate all these techniques-then it's up to you to practice and enjoy them!

A Word about Ski Conditions

Sometimes cross-country skiers rush to negative judgment about ski conditions, refusing to look beyond noses pressed against window panes. Area operators are constantly frustrated by downstaters' assumption that if there's no snow in the backyard, there's no skiing within a day's drive. This can be absolutely false. New York, Wisconsin, and Michigan provide cases in point, where "lake effect snow"-produced by moisture stripped off the Great Lakes-can create massive localized storms, which don't necessarily drop most snow at the highest elevations.

If you've been looking forward to skiing but have no white stuff plastered against your door, give a call to a cross-country area. Better  yet, check their Web sites or the Cross Country Ski Areas Association's condition reports (www.xcski.org) Most operators are honest about conditions (inaccurate reports create word-of-mouth reputations even faster than good service or a great sale), and if their snow is poor, they'll often refer you to places that that have it in abundance. Remember: good trails only need 6 inches of packed snow for skating and 8 inches for track skiing!

And Thence to Apparel

Cross-country clothing is delightfully versatile. People can use tights and windbreakers for skiing, bicycling, or jogging. Ski shops carry stylish functional materials, but you can supplement specialized garments by raiding the closet for sweaters, long johns, hats, and mittens.

Conventional cold weather togs like bulky parkas are undesirable for cross-country, as they constrict movement and help generate excessive body heat. You may glow, perspire, or even sweat, according to your metabolism and degree of refinement, depending on how fast and hard you ski. The trick is to retain warmth while allowing perspiration to evaporate. This is achieved by layering clothing to adjust heat loss to pace, terrain, temperature, and wind speed.

Wearing several light articles of clothing-for instance, polypropylene or similar underwear and synthetic fleece overpants plus windpants, with a wool or fleece zip sweater and a wind-resistant jacket-allows you to trap warm air in pockets of space. In most conditions, wear just one or two insulating layers, depending on the weather and the kind of skiing you'll be doing. Remove jacket and windpants when you're hot; unzip jacket and sweater if you're only warm. As the day heats up or the breeze dies, wind pants and windshell are removed; as chill sets in, on they go again. And these garments don't restrict movement the way jeans or alpine ski bibs do.

Many synthetic fabrics have the ability to "wick" moisture away from the skin and onto the next layer. In turn, the middle insulating  layer should be quick-drying or wicking as well, so moisture ends up as close to the outside as possible.
Moisture and cold air aren't a happy mixture. If underclothes are wet and your skin is clammy, there's an increased chance of hypothermia (a lowering of the body's core temperature, often mistakenly called "exposure"). Cotton acts like a moisture sponge and accelerates chilling, so denim isn't recommended. Gentlemen, those cotton shorts and briefs are best avoided on a cold day.

Aside from buying warm, comfortable, "breathable" boots, the best thing for your feet is layering, too. Try wearing thin polypropylene liners under a pair of wool or wool-blend socks. If your toes are susceptible to cold, resist the temptation to put on too many socks-you'll only restrict circulation, making feet colder. Instead invest in a pair of light overboots, and occasionally swig something warm, sweet, and non-alcoholic to help cut the chill.Mittens are best if you're prone to cold hands, as they allow fingers to share body heat. Gloves are better for precise ski pole control. For chilly weather, look for gloves with leather palms, a long gauntlet at the wrist and a light lining; in warmer conditions, critters a lot like handball gloves can be fine. Don't use too heavy a pair or they'll be sweat-soaked in the first kilometer.A final point: beware the sun. It's amazingly easy to burn your skin, particularly on a hazy day, so wear sunscreen-you'll still get a tan. Sunglasses are vital-snowblindness makes your eyes feel as though they've been sandpapered and can damage corneas.

Keeping Hot- (or Warm-) Headed

Most experienced skiers learn that protecting-or uncovering-one's head is vital to winter comfort. At 40¡ F, up to half of your body heat can be lost from an unprotected head-and at 5¡ F, up to three quarters of body heat production can be lost this way, especially for distinguished-looking gentlemen with "high foreheads" like mine.Chilling problems occur more often than overheating. A useful adage to remember is "If your toes are cold, put on a hat." Its sequel is "If you're still cold, put on another hat!" Layer the hats, with itch-free lightweight polypropylene or tight-woven wool next to the skin and a heavier model above. Extra hats or headbands don't take up much room in a fanny or day pack.
   ( source: http://www.xcski.org/about_xc_skiing/about_getting_started.shtml )