Mr. Rawles,
This letter from Friday 4 June, plus a few other recent articles, prompted me to chime in with a plug for cross-country skiing (alternately, nordic skiing) for the preparation-minded individual. Cross-country skiing’s benefits for preppers include:
– An alternate method for getting from A to B in adverse conditions
– An outstanding physical workout
– Another way to get outdoors in the winter
– An inexpensive activity for couples and families
R.M. in Iowa wrote a very interesting and thought-provoking letter about having to solve a winter mobility problem. There are winter situations in which snowshoes are not only an appropriate solution, but also the only one. However, in some cases skis might be a better choice, namely those in which distances are involved. Cross-country skis offer a very attractive method for traversing long distances, with or without loads. The reasons are simple. Skis can float through or over snow, using a more efficient gliding stride that lends itself to long movement. Also, nordic skiers can take advantage of downhills for a little rest and to add some speed.
Cross-country skiing is a great workout, and one that fits with other recent article about getting fit for what lies ahead. It works the entire body, and promotes endurance. I don’t usually see heavy folks at cross-country skiing centers, and there’s a reason for that. It does take some skill, and it’s worth the time and effort to get some lessons.
A blanket of snow closes off the wilderness to many people, but not if you have skis. Logging roads and many mountain biking trails are ideal avenues for the cross-country skier. And there are several activities you can add in to a winter outing– a late season hunt (while most other hunters are at home), a map reading exercise, a scouting expedition, a visit to your retreat, or a test of your alternate bug-out plan. Additionally, you’ll probably have the woods to yourself, a great advantage for OPSEC or for someone who just prefers to stay away from the crowds.
One of the most pleasant sights at a cross-country skiing center is whole families out on skis. At my favorite center, Whitegrass in Canaan Valley West Virginia the area use fees and rentals for a family of four work out to $90. That’s $90 for all four– contrast that to teh cost of a single lift ticket at a downhill resort. Now, this can be not only a good family outing but a stealth way to get the spouse and the spawn with the program. (BTW, purchasing the equipment, even new, is likewise comparatively inexpensive. And quality gear lasts for a long time. [JWR Adds: Annual “ski swaps” in many towns are a great place to pick up gently used cross country ski gear at bargain prices!])
The bottom line is this– R.M. in Iowa brought up a good point about needing to be mobile in the winter. Snowshoes, as he demonstrated, are one way; cross-country skis offer another way. Cross-country skiing is not the be-all/end-all of winter mobility, but it is a useful capability to have on hand. (Read about the Norwegian commandos who raided the heavy-water plant at Vemork in WWII. They could not have done that mission without skis and the ability to use them.) And the development of that capability has several ancillary benefits. If you live in a snow-prone environment, you would be well advised to consider as a viable and useful capability.
Semper Fi, – P.J.