The fun of cross-country skiing

Less "fun", more "enjoyable". You are away from everything. There's no noise except the wind, the trees, and whatever noise you are making. All the layers have been stripped away. You progress only to the extent you can pump your arms and legs -- no pushing down on a gas pedal. It's very zen. For a few hours, you don't think about the mortgage, the kid's braces, that report that's due on Monday...

This applies to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, and snowboarding. Cross-country snowboarding, not so much.

Endurance sports activities provide a very different physical experience from adrenalin-high sporting activities. The rewards of each are likewise different, I believe. I don't cross-country ski, but I was a competitive cross-country distance runner in high school and college. That involved a lot of individual, solitary training runs, at least once a day. I enjoyed the solitude, the concentrated quiet of the mind that such training requires. Where I live (Anchorage, Alaska), cross-country skiing is a major winter activity enjoyed by many hundreds of people. There is a big woodland park with groomed ski trails directly across the street from my house, and it is used heavily by skiers all winter. I personally know a lot of people who do this.

And the fitness aspect is huge. People who run, ski, row, swim or do any other kind of endurance activity generally derive great physical satisfaction simply out of staying fit.

If you're an adrenalin-junkie and get your kicks out of things that provide that jolt, you probably won't enjoy cross-country skiing. Which is okay.

I only went cross-country skiing once (I'd love to go again), and really enjoyed it for four reasons:

1. The place where I did it. When you're skiing down a hill, you don't get to admire the scenery so much because you're just whizzing past it. Cross-country skiing lets you take your time and immerse yourself in the beautiful snowy landscape. Like Angry Guy said, it can be a very zen activity. Of course, it's also hard physical work, but even an unexperienced cross-country skier like me will relax and enjoy it once they get the hang of it.

2. The people I did it with. Another thing I love about cross-country skiing is that you can turn it into a social activity. It's a bit hard to have a good conversation when you're shooting down a hill, but when you're skiing on a flat surface alongside someone else, it's a great opportunity for a conversation. My friends and I had a great time chatting about all sorts of things, admiring the scenery together and encouraging each other when we got tired.

3. The way it works. Cross-country gear is SOOOOO much more comfortable than the usual skiing gear. One of the reasons why I never liked skiing was how hard the boots are and how clunky you feel when you put your skis on. Cross-country skis are lighter, your heels aren't attached to them, and you feel just so much more… free. I also love how you can feel your body and your muscles working.

4. We cross-country skied down a slope. Okay, that might not be useful for your writing, but if anyone is curious: do it. Go down a normal skiing slope on cross-country skis. It's hilarious and loads of fun!

My feelings are pretty much the same as Angry Guys.

Aside from the fitness + zen, it's so much quieter out there. When you downhill ski, I feel like you're always in a crowd, while you get to be alone and go breathtaking places in cross country.

I also love how accessible cross country is. With downhill, you need a lift pass + to go somewhere that has lifts. With cross country, if you have skis, you can take off pretty much anywhere. It's nice being able to put the skis in the car, drive off, find somewhere lovely and just GO.