XC FAQ 4 U
Diagonal stride can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. People have enjoyed everything from a hike on skis with an occasional glide up through a full out sprint at just under 20 MPH. The fact that the sport can be done at such a wide variety of levels means that it is a very approachable activity, accessible to people with an equally wide variation in fitness levels. The lower speeds, shallower hills, and the low impact of the movements means that injury rates are quite a bit lower than for many other sports. The energy requirements for skating are much more variable, and more sensitive to changes in terrain than the energy reuirements for diagonal stride. When skating with good technique and low to moderate speed over flat ground with good snow, a skier's heart rate can drop to not much higher than resting levels. Skating uphill at the same speeds can send heart rates soaring.
If you decide to take up XC skiing as a way to improve your physical fitness, the benefits can be remarkable. Balance, whole-body muscle tone & strength, and cardiovascular endurance all improve with only a modest amount of XC skiing.
A daily trail pass (the nordic equivalent of a lift ticket) costs $5-10, depending on the area you are at. Many commercial areas offer multiday trail passes at a discount. A season pass at many Nordic areas is about $120. If that is too much, then the State of Washington maintains about 20 Sno-Parks around the state, and a season pass to all of them is about $20. If that is still too much, then there are plenty of places where your only cost is getting there and back.
Daily equipment rentals cost $12-20, depending on the location and type of equipment. Skating gear, higher performance, and telemark gear tend to cost at the upper end of this range. Many ski shops will rent a complete package for the season, and some will also credit this rental fee towards the purchase price of the rented gear. If you decide to purchase new equipment, a reasonable complete midrange package will cost between $200 and $300. Buying all of the equipment at the same place generally qualifies the buyer for package prices with 10-20% discounts off the individual item prices.