I am eagerly anticipating our December contest and I’ll tell you why. It’s because of the thoughtful, interesting, sometimes humourous comments which we get. If you are a regular reader, you’ll know that when we run a contest on this blog, you enter by leaving a comment. For example, last winter we gave away two free nights at Buffalo Mountain Lodge. I asked you to enter by leaving a comment about one of the following:
- Why you like winter in the Rockies
- A memorable gift you have received in your lifetime
- What are the best things about living where you do
- Your favourite poem
- How did you originally find this blog
Now it’s possible that I may re-use a couple of those questions, but I’d also like to get ideas from you. What would you like to talk about? Leave a comment with your idea(s), and when the contest is announced on Dec 1, I’ll pick a few of my favourites to use. If it’s relevant to cross-country skiing, great, but it doesn’t have to be. The fact that cross-country skiers are leaving the comments is what’s important.
Bob: just a humble suggestion for your excellent blog. Many XC skiers like myself and my wife enjoy both classic- AND skate skiing. Your blog provides a wealth of good resources and comments about classic-skiing conditions, trails and lifestyle, but not so much about skating. Maybe you could find someone like a “resident” guest co-blogger involved in skating, or someone who could feed you some information that you would integrate yourself in your posts?
My photos usually show the conditions of the skating lanes, but I welcome any input from skate-skiers. -Bob
favourite waxing systems? I see the wide array of wax types and brands out there now and feel very retro with my basic Swix blue and green and universal klister. I wonder how much difference some of the new ones make. I see predominant reference to the VRxx waxes. The range and prices for some newer waxes seems over the top to an old remember-when-xc-was-simple-and-cheap type like me. So I’d appreciate hearing of others’ experiences before stocking a new millenium wax box.
Hello Bob, I often go on Pinkbike website, and they have what you call the Friday fails videos on there. I think the ” fail ” word gives it away, and not to laugh at anybody in a mean way but I always chuckle when I see some wipeouts of people going pass there skills limit 🙂 Being a kid myself when I’m on skis, I often try to see how far off the trail I can go before I go down in deep powder and often I add a little bit of glory to the stunt at the end. So it would be nice to see skiers send blooper videos or videos of their ” fails ” on skis purposly done or not ! You could post them on Fridays ! Cheers !
Any “trail gourmet” tips for snacks and meals (and drinks 😉 out on the trails?
I second that one. Great idea, Sonya.
Here are a few suggestions:
1- Do you have a favorite secret place for XC skiing (some backyard, hill) and what makes it so special?
2- If you can gather a big bunch of XC skiiers for a Flash Mob Dance video or for a Guinness Book of World Record event, where will it be?
3- If you are a long-time XC skiier/skater in Alberta, what would be your top 3 locations (for classic, skating, telemark, etc.)?
4- If you can gather a bunch of friends to XC ski with, what will be your ideal XC getaway (activities), when and where?
5- Who is your favorite XC ski/skater instructor, where and why?
How do I take my experience from many years on the trail doing classic to some more adventurous trips without having to take avalanche courses, telemarking lessons, buying completely different equipment, finding out too late I’m over my head and, of, course, buying a new jacket. (addicted to jackets, I have a closet full of them, they’re like “shoes” are to some, uh, others)
I’m all for this one, too. I relate, Gord. Many years of track skiing and loving some bushwhacking on skinny skis; you’d think it should be a small step to solid alpine touring. I took the not-that-small step two winters ago and had one of the most (maybe the most) exhilarating weeks of my life! Still get giddy thinking about it and can’t wait to do it again this year. I’ll save the rest for my contest entry!
What is your most humbling memory on xc skies?
What are your memories of your first day on cross-country skis?
What does spending time in the outdoors (winter or summer) add to your life?