Cross country skiing, aka XC skiing, is a winter sport that involves using skis to traverse across snow. The skis are long and thin to help distribute the weight of the skier. Cross country skis are sometimes informally known as "skinny skis" because of their thinness compared to alpine skis. Cross country skiers carry two poles with a spike to provide a fixed pivot. The major difference between cross country skis and alpine skis is the cross country skiers heel is not attached to the ski, only the front toe. Some cross-country skiers participate in what is called telemark skiing which in simple terms is backcountry skiing on cross country skis. This section of Backcountry Secrets is our list of cross-country skiing trails. If you know of any other great cross-country ski trails, please share.