This season so Far.... [Archive] - T4T Forums

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Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 10:12 AM

Despite one amazing 20" day at Jay, this sux.
http://www.futuramasutra.de/images/fanmade/scans/bender-angry.jpg
Other than those lucky enough to make it out west, has anyone had any good pow?

01-13-2005, 10:18 AM

Four days so far...only one was over boot tops all day none really made knee deep except for the odd blown in spots.

Bretton Woods 6"+, spudsville by 1:30-2PM

MRG 8"
Sugarbush (the next day, lots of leftovers and one 1st Tracks drainage)
MRG +4" (third Day)

DMC

01-13-2005, 10:19 AM

Despite one amazing 20" day at Jay, this sux.
Other than those lucky enough to make it out west, has anyone had any good pow?

I had a 10" POW day at Hunter.....It was good!!!

elwood

01-13-2005, 10:29 AM

I have been once for 4 top to bottom runs. No real snow under my feet yet.

Huckasaurass

01-13-2005, 10:33 AM

Let ya know more when I get back from Colorado....

Matt

skicdave

01-13-2005, 10:40 AM

Its a solid sheet of ice in eastern Ontario today. My edges aren't THAT sharp... oh well... heading for a little getaway.. somewhere in Vermont next week for a few days. Can't tell you where since its a surprise for my wife and she might see this... wooo ha ha Kate! We'll be sure to bring skates!

Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 10:49 AM

Let ya know more when I get back from Colorado....

Matt

Sorry Hucka, but out west doesnt count :p

East pow only.

Have a great time though!

Huckasaurass

01-13-2005, 10:57 AM

Sorry Hucka, but out west doesnt count :p

East pow only.

Have a great time though!

I know I was trying to make ya all jealous...

thanks for the well wishes though..

East coast has been way depressing..I like RR's idea of late winter snow...

Matt

Matt

DMC

01-13-2005, 11:12 AM

I know I was trying to make ya all jealous...

Enjoy the POWDER dude!!!!!!

I hope you choke on it...

Huckasaurass

01-13-2005, 11:20 AM

Enjoy the POWDER dude!!!!!!

I hope you choke on it...

Honestly I hope its deep enough to choke on...HA.....ill bring a snorkel just in case.

It'll eventaully fall here the snow that is...I have faith..

Matt

el-bagr

01-13-2005, 12:21 PM

No offense, ladies and gentlemen, but there is good skiing to be had out there with an open mind and the right equipment. We've been out backcountry touring and/or night skiing every day this week so far... in fact, I just got back from a 6-mile lunch tour. Sure, the snow is a bit heavy right now, but last night it was pretty good...

:schlitz:

Huckasaurass

01-13-2005, 12:23 PM

el-bagr

01-13-2005, 12:45 PM

Maybe I just have low standards, but it was actually good. Lap after lap of boot-top fresh telemark turns down a steep snowy field and through gentler-sloping open hardwoods; mini-jumps off a kicker some sledding kids must have built; chasing a coyote across a frozen marsh (but losing the race)... I call that good.

This morning's tour was actually pretty sweet as well. The snow was much heavier, but with more daylight I hit up a local coastal old-growth white pine forest with deep stream gorges cut through it. The snow wasn't as good, but the skiing was!

You'd ski more if you spent your $$$ on good waxable backcountry skis, lived somewhere you didn't have to drive to ski, and took fewer trips out west... (Of course I'm headed to Utah in March; I can't blame you for doing the same!)

Huckasaurass

01-13-2005, 12:48 PM

Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 12:55 PM

Maybe I just have low standards, but it was actually good.

You'd ski more if you spent your $$$ on good waxable backcountry skis, lived somewhere you didn't have to drive to ski, and took fewer trips out west... (Of course I'm headed to Utah in March; I can't blame you for doing the same!)

Not lower standards, just a positive attitude. IF i lived up north, id have a better attitude, cuase i wouldnt have to drive 6+hours....im not gonna drive 6+hours for a little snow/mostly ice...

Thyere is NO SNOW here in PA.

I love getting out for a tour on my XC skis around the local feilds.

Justin

01-13-2005, 12:56 PM

This morning's tour was actually pretty sweet as well. The snow was much heavier, but with more daylight I hit up a local coastal old-growth white pine forest with deep stream gorges cut through it. The snow wasn't as good, but the skiing was!

What do you use to for tours around here? I've got a friend that lets me use a piar of his beans boards (waxless) to tool around the golf course with up in falmouth. I want to get a pair of my own. what's the deal with the Karhu Pavos? From what i gather they can handle some steepe inclines then other XC like skis.

Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 01:05 PM

I wanna get a pair of Fischer Boundless Waxless.....

01-13-2005, 01:09 PM

When Mrs RR and I were newlyweds we lived on Spring Bridge Road uptaGreenbush (in Maine, for you folks that don't speak Downeast). A tour over to Passadumkeag (30K rt) was a weekly event and the daily 10K-25K was a matter of waxing the Kneisells and heading out the back door

el-bagr's right, ski more to live better!

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=19&n=4997205.00014927&e=548301.000000006&datum=nad83

Spring Bridge Rd is a few miles West and runs N/S....the area is Northeast of Old Town.

01-13-2005, 01:12 PM

What do you use to for tours around here? I've got a friend that lets me use a piar of his beans boards (waxless) to tool around the golf course with up in falmouth. I want to get a pair of my own. what's the deal with the Karhu Pavos? From what i gather they can handle some steepe inclines then other XC like skis.Pavos are okay, but Orions will do better. Neither one fits in a fresh groomed X-C track. They track straighter (resulting in faster & longer tours) than the S-Bounds from Fischer, but the big Fischers turn way better on the way down

el-bagr

01-13-2005, 01:12 PM

I love Karhu skis. Made in Quebec for the terrain and conditions northern New Englanders encounter. My wife's on the Karhu Pyxis ... a bit fatter and shaplier than the Pavo, with a bit better downhill performance. We've toured the backcountry all our lives without metal edges, so now we're excited to have them. Pyxis is waxless and soft 1.5 camber, so kick and glide works pretty well. Karhu's waxless pattern is one of the best out there -- these skis are fast but can climb well. Climbing performance isn't quite as good as on properly waxed skis, but she likes not having to fuss with waxes. They turn and climb much better than trackset skis, but can't turn as well as a true telemark ski.

For the recent tours, I'm on decade-old Karhu Outbounds, one of the first "fat" AT/telemark skis. 90-70-80, single camber. I ski them in a 190, which is about a handspan longer than my height. (That's what I'm used to from the days of shapeless skinny skis.) I love the performance that a good wax job offers. When I get it right, these skis are faster both up and downhill than the Pyxis. I use these same skis (and same leather boots) for liftserve telemarking on occasion.

In the past week, counting multi-hour local tours only, we've skied Wolfe's Neck Woods SP, Mast Landing Audubon sanctuary, Gilsland Audubon, Bradbury Mountain (great down-mountain runs), and Foreside Nature Preserve. Snow has gotten heavier, but coverage is now great. Today I didn't uncover any rocks or sticks, which was a first for this season.

These skis are a bit of overkill for some of these places -- like Gilsland, or the Falmouth golf course woods. We're just breaking them (and ourselves) in for February's Baxter 50-mile traverse. I don't mind the extra weight (compared to our trackset skis), and I love the extra performance.

I don't know the Pavo personally, but I think that it falls on the telemark/backcountry/touring continuum somewhere between backcountry and touring. I put the Pyxis squarely in the true backcountry niche, and my old Karhus are in the telemark category. For the tours we're talking about, though, anything would do.

01-13-2005, 01:25 PM

I wanna get a pair of Fischer Boundless Waxless.....Built on a downhill concept but saddled with the crown base...and I do mean saddled with...

The pattern wears out more quickly than the Karhu pattern and it's slow on tour, very slow.

The next ski down is the Outtabounds....that's the only ski in the line that is available in Tour-waxable or Crown-waxless. Speedier camber and a half and at 88MM it's plenty wide (68MM underfoot) and very turny....I have demoed the whole line and Karhu's as well....The Pyxis and Dorado are both cool too!

Dorado is snappy in the bargain...

Justin

01-13-2005, 01:39 PM

Thanks for the info fellas. Ever though about using t3's in place of those leathers -- or is that overkill. I still don't feel that comftorable in leathers, no doubt due to my alpine background.

Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 01:44 PM

I tried leathers over xmas for sh!ts and giggle, and was not comfortable at all. I went back in and got my T3's.

Justin

01-13-2005, 01:51 PM

Built on a downhill concept but saddled with the crown base...and I do mean saddled with...

The pattern wears out more quickly than the Karhu pattern and it's slow on tour, very slow.

The next ski down is the Outtabounds....that's the only ski in the line that is available in Tour-waxable or Crown-waxless. Speedier camber and a half and at 88MM it's plenty wide (68MM underfoot) and very turny....I have demoed the whole line and Karhu's as well....The Pyxis and Dorado are both cool too!

Dorado is snappy in the bargain...
uggh, so much to choose from. Problem is i'm not educated enough. All alpine ski aside, i've got my Fisher big stix, which are great for liftserve, outtabounds BC or whatever.
I Also have a super old pair of Beans XC skies wich are on the far end of the other side of the spectrum. I want a ski/boot set up that isn't as heavy as my fischers for touring arond here (and elsewhere). Something sturdy Wide enough) enough for decents as well. Don't need the studyness of my teles but certainly better then my XC's. Any suggestions.? From what el-bagr said, the Pyxis might be a good chioce?:confused: I don't think i want to dabble in waxing skis just yet.

01-13-2005, 02:03 PM

T3 with the Thermo liner...baddaboom baddabing...youse got tour, you gots turns...

I still use my Alpina Tele-Lights for all free heeling with edges...maybe because I tend to go hilly-mountainous when I go. They are not light, heavy leathers with a plastic cuff... BTW, A ripping good tele girl was rocking on some Karhu Dorados(??) with a pair of Tele-Lights at MRG on Sunday last. She was tearing up the fluff on Slalom as well as anyone on Fat skis!

Crispi and Garmont have on-hill/heavy-tour boots that are suited to the big touring Karhus and Fichers...They matck up very well performance wise with the T3....check for thermo liners!

Waxing is easy...but those bigger Karhus are awesome, combine them with a boot than turns and you are all good....since these puppies are stable at speed you might want to think about a releasable. The Voille Hardwire Classic CRB isn't too expensive and it's cousin the three-pin cable CRB saved my knees a few times. Skip the three-pins...it just tears up the soles and wiggles a lot!

el-bagr

01-13-2005, 02:06 PM

After alpine skiing for twenty-plus years, I started telemarking on leathers and these Outbounds, mounted at the time with a crappy front-throw cable binding. Maybe I'm psycho (Mrs G thinks so), but I'm comfortable pushing the redline on leathers, long skis, and unreleasable bindings. In fact, the Outbounds are the fastest skis in my quiver. Plastic boots do make it easier to truly t-turn.

I've never tried the T3. I demoed T2s at the NETeleFest last year -- comfy enough -- but it wasn't until I got T1s that I started to truly rip on the teleturns. Affix and Justin, if you haven't tried liftserve telemarking with T1s or their equivalent, you owe yourselves a demo! All the confidence of alpine gear, but with a brand new way to surf.

I went with these leathers because I got them free. Last Christmas, I told my uncle I was taking up telemarking. He pulled some Asolo Extreme (leather lace-up) boots out of his garage that he used a few times when he lived in Los Angeles in the late '80s. Since they completed my decade-old setup -- and since plastic boots are expensive! -- I've run with them. They may be old, but they do the trick. They can be laced up stiffly for in-area or sustained downhilling, but they can also be loosened up for easy kick-n-glide touring. Few weeks ago on Waumbek, they saw a fair amount of hiking, too -- which they did admirably.

el-bagr

01-13-2005, 02:08 PM

I should add that anyone is welcome to demo my gear at any time. If you catch me at home (good luck!) we have a whole quiver closet; if you catch me at the hill or the trailhead, we always have a few extra skis and boots kicking around.

01-13-2005, 02:10 PM

....They may be old, but they do the trick. They can be laced up stiffly for in-area or sustained downhilling, but they can also be loosened up for easy kick-n-glide touring. Few weeks ago on Waumbek, they saw a fair amount of hiking, too -- which they did admirably.ditto, leather hikes better!

Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 02:13 PM

Affix and Justin, if you haven't tried liftserve telemarking with T1s or their equivalent, you owe yourselves a demo! All the confidence of alpine gear, but with a brand new way to surf.

Ive got new T1's and LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only been lift serve. Have yet to get them in the BC for a couple of reasons already discussed.

01-13-2005, 02:18 PM

Thanks for the info fellas. Ever though about using t3's in place of those leathers -- or is that overkill. I still don't feel that comftorable in leathers, no doubt due to my alpine background.In a heartbeat, I just can't afford to upgrade Tele and Alpine in the same year. But I would go straight to T2's and call it good. Mid-fat skis (Ethic's, probably) and releasables....then on days when it's mostly touring I'll take the leathers....but for Cardigan, Moosilauke, etc I'll take the T2's; likewise for overnights.

Justin

01-13-2005, 02:38 PM

I've never tried the T3. I demoed T2s at the NETeleFest last year -- comfy enough -- but it wasn't until I got T1s that I started to truly rip on the teleturns. Affix and Justin, if you haven't tried liftserve telemarking with T1s or their equivalent, you owe yourselves a demo! All the confidence of alpine gear, but with a brand new way to surf.
Ya i havn't used T1's yet. I've got T2's and I do like 'em but would like to try some T1's eventually. Would my T2's be too much for the Pyxis or other such skis -- i would think they would be a little overkill?

I should add that anyone is welcome to demo my gear at any time. If you catch me at home (good luck!) we have a whole quiver closet; if you catch me at the hill or the trailhead, we always have a few extra skis and boots kicking around.
Would love to take you up on that offer, i'm afraid my novice touring skills may slow you down...

el-bagr

01-13-2005, 03:14 PM

Ya i havn't used T1's yet. I've got T2's and I do like 'em but would like to try some T1's eventually. Would my T2's be too much for the Pyxis or other such skis -- i would think they would be a little overkill?
When you look at them, the Pyxis are definitely skinny. The 75mm 3-pin bindings we have on ours look disproportionately huge. T2s would be pretty big for Pyxis, but they'd definitely work. Run 'em loose and they'd be soft enough; weight would be the only disadvantage, but new thermo T2s are lighter than old T3s.

Would love to take you up on that offer, i'm afraid my novice touring skills may slow you down...
Don't sweat it -- we'd just run extra laps, or work on my latest trick: touring switch. (As ski film aficionados know, "it's all about taking park skills into the backcountry".) Seriously -- I tried that this morning. It'd work better if I waxed my twins, but carving backwards is fun even on gentle slopes.

DMC

01-13-2005, 03:15 PM

A friend of mine telemarks backwards... It's hoot..
Does the actual turn... wild..

Justin

01-13-2005, 03:25 PM

When you look at them, the Pyxis are definitely skinny. The 75mm 3-pin bindings we have on ours look disproportionately huge. T2s would be pretty big for Pyxis, but they'd definitely work. Run 'em loose and they'd be soft enough; weight would be the only disadvantage, but new thermo T2s are lighter than old T3s.
I've got thermo T2s

Don't sweat it -- we'd just run extra laps, or work on my latest trick: touring switch. (As ski film aficionados know, "it's all about taking park skills into the backcountry".) Seriously -- I tried that this morning. It'd work better if I waxed my twins, but carving backwards is fun even on gentle slopes.
huh! i'd tag along just to check that out...

Justin

01-13-2005, 04:14 PM

well thanks agian for all the great info. I'm off to do some ebay-ing, amazoning, telemarkdown-ing ans so on... wish me luck.

Affix Snow

01-13-2005, 05:06 PM

Should we ever cross paths Justin, you'd be more than welcome to try my T1's if we are of similar size. You could just throw your thermos in the shell......

Ispoiler

01-13-2005, 06:23 PM

Early season Tucks, waist deep pow and solo with any empty bowl. I would rather spend the day pulling on plastic rocks at the gym then ride ice. Now if anyone wants their own personal sherpa in exchange for leading some ice please keep me in mind.