And always try on all the equipment before you leave the shop. Your local gear shop is a good start. You can also rent gear at the mountain or cross-country area. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. If you rent locally, you're ready to hit the slopes right off the bus.
Local shops make it easy with liberal pickup and return policies.
If you rent at the mountain, you don't have to worry about hauling all that gear around, which is probably the biggest disadvantage to renting locally. The problem with renting on the mountain is often the length of time it takes to get equipped and the fact that at some areas, you've got to return the gear before you are ready to quit riding. If you plan to get outside and enjoy winter this year, here's a list of places that rent alpine ski and snowboard gear, or cross-country or telemark skis, as well as snowshoes. You'll find the same equipment at the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest center at Snoqualmie Summit. Besides those locations, snow gear is available for rent to men and women of the armed services through various recreation programs.