Fun & Fitness over 50

As I've mentioned before, I really love downhill skiing but due to time and money constraints, I can't do it as often as I like, even often enough to consider it regular exercise.
Also, regarding road cycling, which I also love, since the weather lately has been a little snow almost every day, the local roads have not been conducive to any extensive riding out to the rural areas.
So xc skiing it is!
I first cross-country skied in my mid-twenties when I was living back at my parent's house in southern New Hampshire. I was working at a dairy farm. In the winter, when it snowed, I would usually knock off work about 2PM because we were not able to work out in the fields and I didn't do the milking. There was a cross-country ski center that opened up about 5 miles away and I wound up skiing about 4 days a week that first winter. I became friendly with the owners and they pretty much let me ski for free or for an occasional donation.

I had shunned downhill skiing as being too much rigamarole, too expensive, too crowded and too fashion conscious (it is) for me until about 3 years ago when my wife decided to get back into downhill (she had done it as a youth) and convinced me to try it. Of course I loved it and learned to deal with the negatives.

Now cross-country seems less appealing but I have got back into it as a second best alternative. Really, though, it's great. It's great to be on skiis, out in the fresh air. You can do xc in colder weather 'cause you work up a sweat no matter how cold it is.

The main thing is not really to compare downhill and xc just because they're both done on skiis. You have to look at cross-country as more of an aerobic workout closer in nature to cycling because of the rhythmic "kick-and-glide" aspect of the activity. Also, it's a way of being out in the woods in the winter; enjoying the peace and solitude of nature.