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 [1] 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 [2] 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 [3]. 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.