Cross-country Skiing? The Low-cost Way

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Other accessories range from cotton gloves and baseball caps to homemade sheepskin hats and mittens, depending upon the expected severity of the weather. Hand coverings should be durable as well as warm, for one of their functions is to protect the skin from abrasion.

One additional piece of helpful equipment is a good Nordic ski manual such as A Beginner's Guide to Cross-Country Skiing by Ned Baldwin. This fine little paperback sells for $1.25 and is published by Greywood Publishing Ltd., 101 Duncan. Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada. Also, when you're learning to ski, it helps immensely to take along a friend who is patient and familiar with the sport.

I've assisted many of my friends and relatives in outfitting themselves with secondhand gear, and most are now avid cross-country skiers. Not one has ever expressed a wish to give up the Goodwill equipment for the commercial variety. Which just goes to prove my point: All it really takes to get started in this sport is some ingenuity, an eye for bargains, a few dollars and a desire to move through the winter landscape without destroying its peace.

Newcomers to cross-country skiing may be glad to know that there's a thriving organization devoted to furthering the sport: NAHSTA, the National Hiking and Ski Touring Association. The group welcomes inquiries from novices and, for a mere 50¢, will send you an excellent booklet— Ski Touring for Beginners by Bjorn Kjollstrom and Bill Rusin—to get you off to a good start. Later, when you're past tripping over the ends of your skis, you can also request information on trails in your area (or in one you wish to visit).

The NAHSTA people are keen promoters of non-mechanized outdoor activity in general, and are currently urging each state to build 200 miles of new walking and hiking trails as a bicentennial celebration. They'll be glad to tell you how you can help with this and other worthwhile projects . . . including a Volunteer Conservation Corps which the association trains to assist in the maintenance of publicly owned wilderness areas. NAHSTA runs its own Outdoor School at Vail, Colorado, and offers summer courses in hiking, backpacking and various survival skills. If you'd like to know more about these goings-on, write NAHSTA, P.O. Box 7421, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918.

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