Backcountry xc-ski in n-east

[DougPaul]

Yeah, what he said about the Super Tele. Friends don't let friends ski on French three-pin bindings. (I can hear the howling in Arlington from here …) But he's just tormenting me with the fact he still has a pair of apparently serviceable 2000s.

They are in pretty good shape and certainly serviceable.. Even have a nice coat of burn-in grundvalla on them. They are just waiting for some snow, some running wax, (and their owner to choose them instead of his plastic skis).

You will find the ski's profile and the "waxless" aspect a boon for what you're talking about. (You should still put some glide wax on the tips and tails to improve glide and preserve the bottom.)

Don't forget that you can often improve the performance of waxless skis with traditional XC kick waxes. See http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?39621-Pemi-Ski-Loop-in-Less-than-30-Hours-) for a trip report where I described such a situation.

Doug

 

[dave.m]

Sherby,

I'm glad that Sardog and Doug and others have pointed to the Nordic Backcountry page. Suggest you focus on the scenarios page and think about what kinds of trips you want to take and the primary question of boots. IMO, the issues of boots is cuff height, not binding type. Cuff height, and stiffness in and around the ball of the foot, will dictate the trade off between easy striding and turning control.

My preference, which may not be yours, is for a higher boot. For that ski on hiking trails, Inwant a boot that will prevent me from rolling my ankle to the side. I call this "striding stability" on the web site.

A word of solidarity... These skis put your interest in a spot that tends to fall between the cracks compared to many other winter activities. Take heart. Other like minded folks are out there but you need to keep seeking them.

I think you've found one of the best places here with the VFTT forums. I think of this community as backcountry enthusiast who sometimes ski in the backcountry.

Another good forum resource is TelemarkEast.com. I would classify that community as telemark skiers who sometimes ski in the backcountry and sometimes do it on lighter Nordic gear.

 

[sardog1]

Even have a nice coat of burn-in grundvalla on them.

For the love of God, please stop using the Swedish word around these Norwegian skis!

IMPREGNERING

(Before any of you squareheads start throwing surströmming at me, know that my surname is Swedish and I spend my days alternating among the three Scandinavian languages.)