Cross Country Skis

[mtbphoto]

Where can I rent some cross country skis in the LA area? Cant find anything online. Thank You!!

[Hikin_Jim]

Tough to rent them in the LA urban area. Sport Chalet, REI, and I think A16 used to rent them years ago, but I don't know of a single place in town that rents them anymore. (Please somebody speak up if that's not true!!)

However, you can rent them once you get into the local mountains:
==> Mt. Pinos (Tejon Pass) area - Mt. Pinos Winter Sports - (661) 245-3760 - ALWAYS make sure the road is plowed all the way to the top and open before you drive out.
==> Mt. San Jacinto - Ski Rental hut at the top of the Mt. San Jacinto Tram - (760) 325-1391
==> Running Springs (on the way to Big Bear) - Rim Nordic - (909) 867-2600 - Don't assume they're open; always call first.
==> Green Valley area (sort of near Big Bear) - Green Valley Nordic - (909) 867-5300 - Don't assume they're open; always call first.

I've rented XC skis in Big Bear before at a bike shop, but I don't remember the name. You'd have to call around.

Good luck and happy skiing!

[phydeux]

Most shops down in the LA lowlands stopped renting xc skis about the time snowboarding started to get popular (about early 1990s, I believe). A few ski resorts still rent them, but (as Jim states) call around and find out which ones have them. They still have them at the top of the PS Tram, and I believe Snow Valley does - there's a xc track area across the highway from the hill, and Green Valley isn't too far down the road

If anyone knows a local LA shop that carries them, could you post here? I'd LOVE to get a new setup. The place I know that has a really good selection from track to telemark and AT is Mammoth Mountaineering in Mammoth Lakes. Might be a few places along the Western Sierra Nevadas that I'm not aware of, too. Sad that xc ski gear disappeared from the market.

[Rick M]

Different type of culture/people today. When I would talk about going cross country skiing my students would say "they have ski lifts now-a-days Mr. Maschek"

[simonov]

Most shops down in the LA lowlands stopped renting xc skis about the time snowboarding started to get popular (about early 1990s, I believe). A few ski resorts still rent them, but (as Jim states) call around and find out which ones have them.

Bizarre. When I was young and poor my first wife and I used to rent them all the time, then take them up the Tram. I had been Alpine skiing since I was a young boy, and I was amazed by how cheap it was to rent a complete Nordic ski set-up for a weekend. And I don't recall the Tram tickets being that onerous compared to lift tickets. No lift lines, either.

My ex had never Alpine skiied before, but as long as you weren't attempting a Telemark turn on a steep slope Nordic skiing was easy as could be. We used to just go out for the day with a picnic lunch, no idea where we were going, but we couldn't get lost because we could always follow our tracks back. Good times, good times.

FWIW, I used to rent my kit from Sport Chalet. If there is one near you it would be worth a call just to find out if they rent Nordic set-ups.

[mtbphoto]

Only the Northern California Sport Chalets rent XC Skis, I called the La Canada store because it is there original store and I hear its their best, but they dont even rent them. I may have to purchase some for next year.

[mnfry]

San Diego has two XC rental shops. Norpine Mountain Sports claims they are the only XC store south of Mammoth. http://www.norpine.com/

UCSD rents skis at Outback Adventures, part of the campus recreation program, but available to the public. http://recreation.ucsd.edu/outb/ They don't take reservations, and they are only open when school is in session.

I saw ancient rental skis at the Angelus Oaks store a few years ago. The last time I looked at the rental skis on San Jacinto, they were also ancient narrow light touring skis with nearly worthless soft boots.

Most of us in the Ski Section (Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter) now use the lighter plastic telemark boots (Garmont Excursion or Scarpa T3) and light weight backcountry touring skis such as the Atomic Rainier/Fischer Outtabounds. These skis are shorter, wider, and have much more sidecut than the old Karhu XCD/Fischer E99 skis that were the standard 10 years ago.

A brand new outfit of this gear is nearly a $1000, half that at the end of the season. Then it takes several years of lessons and learning before you are any good at it.

That's why snowshoeing is more popular than backcountry skiing these days.

Any of you are welcome to join our outings and come to our meetings. A small group will be skiing SJ on Sunday. http://sandiego.sierraclub.org/ski/

Mike Fry, Chair, Ski Section, Sierra Club, SD chapter.

[Hikin_Jim]

Then it takes several years of lessons and learning before you are any good at it.

If you want to do telemark skiing/ski mountaineering, then I think years is probably right in terms of how long it will take to become proficient. If you're just talking about XC ski backcountry touring -- basically hiking with skis -- then one season with half a dozen or more outings is about right to pick up the basics.

Of course one season at least half a dozen outings is a lot higher "buy in" than snow shoes. People just don't realize how cool it is to do back country travel on skis. I can usually, weather, terrain, and snow conditions permitting, travel farther on skis for the same amount of energy expenditure. Snowshoeing is great, but people who haven't tried XC skiing are missing out. It is so cool to glide through the backcountry.

[mtbphoto]

Thanks for all the info! I didnt know UCSD rented stuff, thats a great resource and im renting a 0 degree bag from them for this weekend. Thanks!!