Your Online Resource for Hiking, Backpacking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe
This article about waxing your waxless cross-country skis is, as you might imagine, the result of me being frequently asked the same questions about waxing waxless cross-country skis! Technique and gear form an integrated whole when it comes to cross-country skiing. So, although I provide relatively short answers to common questions here, I do encourage…
People call me weird and bizarre. Some even say possessed. They look at me as if I’d lost all connection with reality as I sit eating my lunch at the local sandwich shop while still wearing my cross-country ski boots. Later in the day I call my best friend to tell him about the morning’s…
When springtime rolls around and normal people are tending gardens, cleaning garages, and planning summer hikes, we mountain folk are still out cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. “How can that be?” you ask. “Aren’t all the Lake Tahoe ski resorts closed by March or April?” Many groomed ski areas at Lake Tahoe do,…
“I’m new to cross-country skiing. What type of skis should I buy?” Or, “Since I’m new to cross-country skiing, should I just buy a used set of skis?” I’ve been asked these questions countless times over the years. As a cross-country ski instructor and xc rental shop employee, it’s my duty to know the answers…
Skis began, as you might expect, as a mode of transportation over snowy terrain. Whether people were traveling from one place to another or chasing down wild game, skis were (and still are) designed to provide the means to travel most expediently across snow. Although downhill skiing has been around since the 1800s and has…
Years ago when “waxless” skis were introduced to the market, recreational cross-country skiers rejoiced. No more sticky kick wax to deal with (particularly of the klister variety) and no more trial and error to achieve the ideal grip for diagonal striding. These waxless cross-country skis instead featured a fish scale-type pattern in their bases (in…
From an outward appearance, classic cross-country skis look simple in their design. They’re long, skinny, lightweight, and feature a graceful arc that (mostly) spans the length of the ski. However, the reality is that the shape of classic cross-country skis, as well as the techniques used to run them, are deceptively complex. Understanding the basic…
This article featuring frequently asked questions about classic cross-country ski gear is a “greatest hits” list I’ve compiled about classic xc ski gear. I’ve been asked these questions (and more) frequently enough to warrant collecting them in one convenient article. Please note, however, that the answers I provide are succinct and abridged. Like any art,…
Traveling through Lake Tahoe’s backcountry is always rewarding because the experience never fails to offer stunning views and plenty of character building opportunities. However, adventuring in the Lake Tahoe region during the winter presents additional obstacles (literally and figuratively) that you must overcome in order to return home safely. The following considerations may seem excessive…
At around $250-$500, buying a new set of recreational cross-country skis and its accompanying equipment (boots, bindings, and poles) is not a major financial investment. However, this initial purchase has the potential of being just the beginning of a disease known as gear lust. Of course, how far down this rabbit hole you travel depends…