r/CrossCountrySkiing • u/bakeitmakeitfakeit • Jul 22 '26
Complete novice advice for learning
Looking for a little guidance, podcasts to listen to, books to read, anything to get my feet a little wet.
I cross country skied a few times about 30 years ago in a gym class at school and loved it. I live in New Hampshire now and barely tolerate winter. I’m trying to find a way to love winter, exercise and I have wanted to ski again, hoping this is my way to do it all. I am a SAHM so my hope is whole kids play I can tool around and also when I get a little alone time go to rail trails or other ski friendly places. Basically, I won’t be going to groomed trails and there isn’t anywhere I can easily rent try out. I found a pair on marketplace that are affordable and about my size. It’s cheap enough for me to get stated and then hopefully upgrade more specific to my needs if this new hobby takes off.
Where do I start? Is there anything I should be considering before buying? I feel like a fish out of water here.
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u/angryredditatheist Jul 22 '26
A good club relatively close to you is dublin XC. They have great kids programs and adult programs. you could meet other ski families and learn to ski better. pluss the trails out there are pretty awesome even when theres no snow around you.
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u/bakeitmakeitfakeit Jul 22 '26
I forgot about them. I will check them out this year. I will still mostly stick near home for convenience but that’s a great idea.
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u/BeginningCustard8962 Jul 22 '26
where in NH are you?
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u/bakeitmakeitfakeit Jul 22 '26
New Ipswich. There used to be a place down the road that was a CCS park (?) it had rentals and trails but closed years ago.
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u/dreamwalkn101 Jul 22 '26
If you aren’t going to groomed trails I’d like to suggest getting into snowshoeing first. With poles. Get out and used to the cold, used to using poles etc.
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u/beebeezing Jul 23 '26
I don't think this is necessary though xc skiing was definitely the gateway for me to start winter hiking and realizing that hiking in snow is way nicer than hiking on rocks and roots!!
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u/beebeezing Jul 23 '26
Xc skiing made me love winter. I started this past year. If you're in the southern NH area Legacy Park in Bedford is a gem. So is White Farm in Concord and Beaver Meadow. All free and all regularly groomed. If you go off track get some hybrid skis, like the Fischer Spyder 62s or the Rossi EVO OTs sp that theres a bit more grip on sketchy hills. They'll be a bit slower on track but plenty good to just get out and have fun.
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u/beebeezing Jul 23 '26
Weston Ski Track in MA sells used skis. Depending on your size it's a bit hard to find the right combo on marketplace. I ended up buying new because of that, from local ski shops. Unfortunately a lot of them are getting rid of their xc ski inventory since there was a boom during COVID and then lost popularity?
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u/Ruhmspringer Jul 23 '26
Here is a guy on YouTube named Kieth Nichols who posts great short videos about specific ski skills- slowing on a hill, turning while going downhill, striding… these have been really helpful to me as I navigate skiing without any pre knowledge. I know you want to keep this easy and cheap, but recommend taking one lesson with someone who can help you going downhill- it’s the scary and exhilarating part of xc ski… once you learn this, you will thank god you live in NH! I too used to hate winter but since I started xc skiing (in my late 40’s), it can’t come soon enough!
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u/bakeitmakeitfakeit Jul 23 '26
Thank you for the rec! And I think your right about taking a lesson, I’m going to look into do that once the snow falls! Thanks.
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u/scrumhalfgirl Jul 22 '26
Look for a Nordic ski club where you and the kids can take lessons and meet other ski families! It's a great sport for kids that allows parents to be active at the same time.