Cross Country Skiing

I'm looking to take up cross country skiing this winter to compliment my winter cycling work. Could someone provide me some info on what I'll need to get started? I'd like to keep it low budget at first to see if I like it. Also, are there good places in the northern part of NJ to do this? Thanks for the info.
 

trailhead

JORBA: Wildcat/Splitrock
JORBA.ORG
The reality is that we get a very narrow time window to XC ski in Jersey. I suggest you plan to rent you equipment. If you can swing it, schedule to take off 3-5 days in Feb and make reservations at a place in upper NY like Garnet Hill. A few 8hr days of XC skiing can really boost your fitness for the start of the new riding season.
 

hardtale70

She's Gone From Suck to Blow
Shop Keep
I started 2 seasons ago and its the best thing EVER!! Easily get 3 months a season and i ski everything i bike. Get metal edged skis. Dont have to be a full wrap but at least some edge. I got fully hooked up at Dover Sport Shop for under $200. When your ready let me know...........
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
The reality is that we get a very narrow time window to XC ski in Jersey.

Very true, so you have to be ready to get out and go when the snow is here. We may not get much and it doesnt stay long so you to have your gear ready to go, scout a local destination and do it.
My destination is a local golf course 2 miles from my house or a park 15 minutes from where I work. I got out alot last winter, close to 15 times.
As far as equipment there are alot of deals to be had on craigslist or ebay. I would suggest going to REI and trying on and buying your boots new. This is the most important piece of equipment and your outing can be so much more enjoyable with the right fit(if xc skiing doesnt work out sell them on ebay). They have improved xc boots greatly in the last 10yrs and the binding systems are alot better as well. Having said that when looking for skis if they have bindings you'll need to make sure they match your boots. Look for NNN boots and NNN bindings, this is the set up that you want.
Treking to a local golf course or park you'll want a ski with a sidecut around 60/55/60, this will accomadate off track and in track(groomed trails) skiing.
You may not be able to find these exact dimesions used but something close will work.
Give it a shot, If snow is around there is nothing better than going out after work with a moonlit sky and shushing along your trail. Here are a list of good outfitters. Let me know if you have any more questions:popcorn:
http://www.orscrosscountryskisdirect.com/ors-cross-country-skis-direct-specials.html
http://www.rei.com/
http://www.backcountry.com/
http://www.akers-ski.com/
 

RNG1

Well-Known Member
Good job with this info, I was thinking about this for this winter and I live right near a golf course that I thought would work out for this. Also I like the idea of being all bundled up with padding and falling in soft snow for a change.
 
Thanks for the info everyone. Great idea on the golf course. I never would've thought about that. I have a ghetto golf course right by the tourne that will work very well. Now I just need to get my gear in order.
 

ellbiddy

Active Member
Do you guys "skate" or go the traditional route. I've always stuck to alpine skiing (with a few tele adventures which always ended poorly) and have been itching for something to do with the fam this winter. Taking care of everyone, organizing, and transporting the whole lot to the slopes is a larger chore than I can tackle I reckon.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Do you guys "skate" or go the traditional route. I've always stuck to alpine skiing (with a few tele adventures which always ended poorly) and have been itching for something to do with the fam this winter. Taking care of everyone, organizing, and transporting the whole lot to the slopes is a larger chore than I can tackle I reckon.
Skate skiing is the performance end of xc skiing, but conditions have to be just right to do it. Packed base with 1" of italian ice on top. You can find these conditions at groomed xc centers, these conditions dont occur much in naturally in NJ. This is why I xc traditional style.
Looking to xc with the family can be an adventure as well, venturing out to a local golf course or park is easy but the conditions are not always optimal for beginners, especially reluctant beginners. Kids may have a tough time or not be able to keep up in a non-groomed 6" snow. I would suggest going to a groomed center with kids, they are more likely to have a positive experience. Also some of these xc groomed places have tubing, which is a good bail out if the kids don't want to xc ski. Here is a list of xc centers closest to us, they also rent equiment.
http://www.xcskihighpoint.com/
http://www.roberts-1.com/hvski/xc/places/index.htm

I'm assuming that groomed trail is when there are already like 2 grooves in the snow right? So figuring that this will not be the case should I be looking at the off trail packages?
Is this the kind of thing?
http://www.akers-ski.com/Merchant2/...t_Code=1503PK&Category_Code=off_trail_package
Yeah thats the type of ski to look for, they are suitable in and out of tracks.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
1st xc session of season

Blazed my trail in 7.5" of snow at local golf course this morning. I wanted to get out for close to 3 hrs but my legs started to ache after plowing through the snow for 2 hrs.
Now that my tracks are set it should be a good week of schussing in my trail...life is good:)
 

cbiker

Active Member
Hartshorne Woods is skiing well if anyone is looking to get some xc in the rocky point trail is starting to melt but all the north facing trails should be good to ski for a while.
 

goldsbar

Well-Known Member
Randolph trails @ Freedom Park are in primo shape right now...

Forget about skate for you first pair of skis as others have stated. Skating is only useful at groomed ski areas and high point is the only place I know of in NJ. I suggest some form of backcountry or wider touring skis with NNN bindings (wider NNN BG not really necessary IMO). I like "combi" boots - classic and skate all in one - since they give you more support for downhills. Others find them restrictive for classic technique.

It's New Jersey. Some winters can be great. A few years ago Lewis Morris was well covered for a couple of months. Others you'll be lucky to get a couple of days of skiing on 2" of snow and ice with all sorts of rocks sticking up. Expect to trash your bases but skis are cheep and unless your racing a few gouges won't really matter. I've had a pair for 10 years and they're generally fine.

BTW, when skis sink through thin spots and hit the ground they stop dead. It's an interesting experience that can be fairly painful. That's a little side benefit of skiing on thin cover in NJ.
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Expect to trash your bases but skis are cheep and unless your racing a few gouges won't really matter. I've had a pair for 10 years and they're generally fine.
.

Yeah, my bases have seen some use... but thats to be expected in nj xc skiing. Unless your going to groomed trails exclusively leave the race skis at home.
My setup is the Madshus Lillehammer skis 52/47/50, nnn bindings and Rossignol X2 boots.
 

freeride

New Member
red road turned white

wanted to x-c ski today so i went to a place the locals call red road which runs from end of moonachie ave down to i-95

p_00096.jpg


if you go there and are not familiar stay on the main path, my topo showed some of the creeks, yet small tributaries apear to be a path, but could be a small creek, after lap one, the snow cap broke on a caved piece of dirt, i went off the main rd a little, where i mtbed in the past

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20872646
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Day 5 XC Ski

Conditions for xc skiing have been amazing. It is rare for NJ to have good snow for this long following a storm. Typical jersey snow turns to crap within 3-4 days due to warm temps. Despite the fact that my area only had 7" of snow there is still plenty of white fluffy cover to make for great xc skiing.
Temps not above 30's, short days and a steady wind have kept the snow good.
Even with wet weather coming this weekend temps are supposed to remain cool next week, so there should still be snow in south jersey for those who want to chase it.
 

freeride

New Member
Conditions for xc skiing have been amazing. It is rare for NJ to have good snow for this long following a storm. Typical jersey snow turns to crap within 3-4 days due to warm temps. Despite the fact that my area only had 7" of snow there is still plenty of white fluffy cover to make for great xc skiing.
Temps not above 30's, short days and a steady wind have kept the snow good.
Even with wet weather coming this weekend temps are supposed to remain cool next week, so there should still be snow in south jersey for those who want to chase it.
I went x-c skiing today and the conditions were excellent.

Here's the area we skied today w/o the area in the back near the defunct industrial park:popcorn:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7311216
 
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