Although I had never cross country skied before, I'm an expert downhill skier and always looking for a challenge, so I thought it might be a good idea to take my new girlfriend on a cross country ski vacation. Once in a while I treat myself to a backcountry hike that has me staying in a remote hut. I wanted her to have that experience as well. I had never been to Aspen before. Wanting to cover all three objectives, (cross country skiing, staying in a hut, and visiting Aspen) I choose to make our first cross country ski outing a 2700 ft vertical ascent. I didn't plan on it being through deep powder. I was surprised none of the ski rental shops in Glenwood Springs included skins
as part of the cross country ski rental package. The cost of buying skins for our four skis would come to a total of about $300. I convinced my girlfriend we'd be fine without the skins. To see how my decision worked out, check out this two minute video story in which my girlfriend cries tears of relief when she realizes she will not be spending the night in a snow cave.
