The best way to deal with the winter holidays is to embrace them. For me, this meant learning to love cross-country skiing. A winter holiday would ease the pain of old man winter for a week or two, but what about the other three months of winter weather? I suggest you learn cross-country skiing, and here are five reasons to start.
Five reasons to learn cross-country skiing
5. Winter is beautiful
If you spend December, January, and February locked up in your home, you will suffer from cabin fever. If you live in the city you equate snow with slushy black sludge after cars and exhaust have blackened it to a disgusting mass of grossness. If you get out and ski in the woods, you will experience a different phenomenon. The snow is especially beautiful right after a snowfall when hoarfrost sticks to every tree.
Five reasons to learn cross-country skiing – Winter is beautiful
4. Winter is peaceful
Whenever I think of skiing in the woods, I think of Robert Frost’s wonderful poem, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening. He perfectly captures the solitude and serenity of skiing in the great outdoors.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
I think Robert Frost was a cross-country skier.
Five reasons to learn cross-country skiing – I have miles to go before I sleep
3. Cross-country skiing is a great workout
There is a reason that many work out companies have tried to simulate the cross-country exercise in a work out machine. It is a great full body workout. You power ahead with your poles building shoulder muscles while using your legs at the same time and your lungs keep you going. It is a rare workout that utilizes both muscle and stamina.
Five reasons to learn cross-country skiing – These racers are really pushing it
2. Cross-country skiing is fun
Most great workouts cannot always be said that they are fun. I enjoy running and the endorphins it creates, but I would not go so far to say running is fun. In fact, from the moment I start running, I am looking forward to finishing my four miles and stop running and then get something to eat. Cross-country skiing I could do until I drop. When I am done cross-country skiing for the day, I look forward to doing it again soon.
1. With cross-country skiing, the adventure never ends
When I began to write online outdoor adventure articles, when it got cold, I wondered what I would do. I had cross-country skied before, but it had been awhile. I got the old skis out and began visiting local skiing places and writing about it. Those articles turned out to be my most popular. Cross-country skiing provided a writing subject and an adventure one during the winter. By doing this, I bridged the weather gap in both hiking and canoeing which ends in November and begins again in March.
Instead of hunkering down for three months and being miserable and hating winter, learn to cross-country ski and become ecstatic when it snows. You can always take your warm winter holiday in April when the snow melts.
Adventure on!
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I don’t ski or snowboard. However, I do know that cross country skiing is one of the best exercises that you can get. Also, you aren’t on the slopes or with a crowd of people so cross country skiing in quiet areas is appealing too.
Jeremy Branham recently posted..A Civil War showdown dressed in orange and black
I can’t wait for the snow to hit Chicago. Bring it on Mother Nature.
Great article and pictures Ted, I think I lost 5 pounds just reading it.
Thanks Robb,
I wish it were that easy 🙂
I spent just a wee bit of time learning x-country skiing years ago when I was in Montana for three years. It’s amazing the workout one can get doing it, depending on the specific terrain.
Cheers..
Charles Higgins recently posted..Big name Vegas entertainment in December 2012
Exactly Charles! Even if the terrain is not great, you can still get a good workout by going faster.
Nice snow pics! Does look fun and peaceful, along with staying healthy with great exercise. I’ve had to stick to the bunny hills when gone to ski resorts with steep hills. This might be much more up my alley. 🙂
Aaron recently posted..Atlanta: A Quick Holiday Stroll.
Actually, depending on where you go, cross-country hills can be more challenging than downhills in a technical kind of way. You have some hills that are pretty steep with turns. You have to stay in control.
I have not cross-country skied but feel exhilaration in downhill skiing and the random catwalk runs. I also think there is something beautiful and very peaceful about snowy terrain. I think I’d prefer x-country over running ANY day too.
Raul (@ilivetotravel) recently posted..The Other Castles in Transylvania, Romania
I enjoy downhill, but I prefer cross-country skiing for the reasons above.
Love love love ski season! And so happy that mine will start this coming weekend. Mind you, cross country skiing way too advanced for me!
@mrsoaroundworld recently posted..Where I would love to go in 2013 – my travel wish list (Part I)
Cross-country skiing can be technical, but it can also be great for beginners. It depends on the terrain.
This is not for a wuss like me who 1) is always cold and 2) twisted her ankles when skiing! But winter can be beautiful and serene, like you say – that top picture is great!
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted..Photo Focus: Streets of Montmartre
Nice thing about cross-country skiing is it is low impact on the body. Even if you crash, it is usually a soft landing as you are not going that fast like in downhill.
Cross country skiing is on my list to try this winter. I’m scared but excited. BTW your photos are absolutely beautiful! Thanks, Ted.
Nance Carter recently posted..Merry Christmas from the Trip Witch in Rockefeller Center
Hope you get a chance to do some skiing Nance. We have not had much snow here in Chicago, but they did get a little just north a couple of hours in Wisconsin.