Different winter activities, including but not limited to, hiking, running, and even walking, require different equipment. Making sure you have the appropriate traction is an important step to staying safe outside in winter's slippery conditions.

Using proper winter traction is not just for hardcore winter outdoor enthusiasts - when your driveway is a skating rink or you’re simply trying to walk your dog, traction is necessary to avoid taking a nasty spill. Falling on ice can result in serious injuries such as broken bones and concussions if your head hits the ground.

The options can be overwhelming - luckily, I’m here to guide you in the right direction!

Which cross country skis should I buy? This question has only become more difficult as more types of skis have been developed for every kind of skiing imaginable. Currently, Skirack carries 6 different categories of cross country skis. They are outlined below to help you get an idea for what you’re looking for.

Nordic ski boots come in many styles, constructions, and bindings to accommodate a range of activities. From backcountry touring on the Catamount Trail to skate skiing the Craftsbury Marathon, there is a boot designed to maximize the skier’s performance and enjoyment. Weight, stiffness, and warmth are all important factors to take into consideration when you purchase a ski boot. The following breakdown briefly describes each type of boot, and should help guide the skier to the correct equipment.

The sun’s beaming, the snow’s softening, and it's finally time to shed those layers! I love the winter, but this time of year is so special. Everyone is ridiculously happy and we get to see blue sky’s multiple days in a row. It almost makes you want to scream, “We made it!”

With the change of seasons comes a change in how we dress while you are training for the Vermont City Marathon (or any adventure) in April . A great pro-tip would be to make sure that you keep a synthetic layer or wool and synthetic blend as your next-to-skin layer. This will help to wick moisture from your body, keep you dry, cool, happy, and out there for longer.

That being said, here are some of my new favorite pieces broken down by different scenarios.

My name is Will Robens. I am the founder of Ironwood Adventure Works, organizer of challenging adventure trail races in the Northeast. Our races to date include the Frost Town Trail Fest in the Finger lakes of NY, Black River Beatdown hosted by Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Smuggler’s Mountain Race, Trapp Mountain Marathon, 24 hours of the Northeast Kingdom at the Northwoods Stewardship Center, Paine Mountain Race in Northfield, and last but not least the Catamount Ultra hosted by Trapp Family Lodge.

Catamount Ultra was our first and flagship event, created in 2014. That year, I had some free time as a stay-at-home dad and trail running became more of a presence in my life and a healthy outlet for me. For most people, trail running is a pretty attainable sport; all you need is trails and a decent pair of shoes! I was surprised that there wasn’t already a long distance trail race going on in the immediate area. As a lifelong runner and in more recent years, an avid ultra-runner, Catamount Ultra was created out of personal desire to have a great trail ultra-race in my own backyard. For some reason, at the time it didn’t occur to me that I wouldn’t actually get to run this super fun race!

Determining what cross country ski bindings you need can depend on your boot, ski / type of skiing, and terrain. Since there are many variables and options out there, it can be pretty overwhelming.

Fortunately, I'm here to give you an overview of the bindings available as well as how to select the correct one. If you have any questions, please let us know!

The Atomic and Salomon Shift is brand new binding that combines the best of a traditional alpine ski binding, and that of a technical alpine touring binding. Being able to Shift from a technical pin toe piece, to a hard-charging driver toe piece that most alpine bindings have, it’s a new force to be reckoned with.

After a lengthy 7 years of R&D along with testing, the binding was finally released this season for purchase. One of the biggest draws to the binding is the fact that you can go uphill with the tech toe piece, then come downhill in a DIN-release binding. DIN is an industry standard for the amount of force it takes for the boot to release from the bindings. In a traditional tech toe piece, you just have two pins holding the boot in, lacking DIN. With the new combination of tech and DIN, it introduces safety where it heavily lacked before. This is why a fair amount of the Skirack staff has purchased the Shift, myself including.

Join Skirack Nordic Fit Specialists for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center annual On Snow Expo.

Saturday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 9th: 9 AM - 4 PM

Craftsbury Outdoor Center
535 Lost Nation Rd, Craftsbury Common, VT 

Join Skirack and Salomon Running at Catamount Outdoor Family Center for a fun and challenging 5K trail race with a twist!

Teams of four run together and compete at various trivia stations. Get a time bonus for correct answers.

Raffle prizes, Giveaways, Donuts, Cider & More!

Free Salomon trail running shoe demos.

FREE Salomon Swag Bag for the first 50 registered runners.

For every registered runner, Salomon will donate $5 to the National Trail Systems Act in support of their 50 year anniversary!

In case of weather cancellation, decision will be made at 8am day of race.

Click here for more information and to sign up!

Hometown: Windsor, CT

Years of Experience: I have been at Skirack since 2016, with a total of 9 years of industry experience. I am a buyer as well as a Masterfit Certified Bootfitter in our downhill ski department - to ensure that customers receive the best boot fit and boot selection.

Certifications and Awards: Masterfit Certified Bootfitter

Outside Interests and Hobbies: Alpine touring, fishing, biking