The XC Skiing thread

[lumpy]

We've had a very good stretch this last week. A wet heavy base, followed by a few inches each night of light, fluffy new snow. I've been exploring some new parts of my neighborhood. I love skiing right out my door.

[j44ke]

Snow in the forecast almost every day for the next two weeks after Monday. We’ll see how that works out. Watched women’s skiathlon from Lahti last night while cleaning the espresso robot. Now that’s snow. Johaug won by an entire ski shop.

[caleb]

[fmbp]

Got out locally Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Classic, skate, classic, respectively. Friday morning was cold! Also got out with my wife and kids on Sunday morning. I guess that makes 4 ski outings in three days!

[ides1056]

I've been skiing every day, about two hours. We have just enough that skiing out of bounds is not possible because the snow is too deep. Snow showers make the track even better. Because of Covid I get out of the car fully prepared to ski instead of heading into the lodge. Glad I have overboots when the temperatures head below twenty. A forty minutes' drive away into the valley and there is no snow. Everyone is riding. I will stay in the hills and stick to skiing until I can't. Nice tracks you all.

[Moke]

Screw all you folks. Montana really sucks this year. The only place grooming is on top of Lolo Pass and Big Mountain in Whitefish. The rest of the normal parks/golf courses and trails still have weeds sticking out. Even the skaters don't get corduroy courses so far. If you be in the track, you aren't going to ski as of yet. Only good news is the mountain snowpack is within norms. The valleys got nothing. The other news is I get to ride all bundled up a couple three times a week. Skis are waxed and ready, but gathering dust. Me thinks it will be a wash this year. Even pretty sketchy on the downhill this year.

[caleb]

Bright sun and sharp snow.

[j44ke]

Section of path on our property. Not really many flat sections. Think it would be tough to learn on. Up & down with occasional rocks and roots. And a lot of trees. Need a golf course for practice.

[DCT]

A 12” + dumping in New Paltz, NY. The skiing at Minnewaska will be amazing for the foreseeable future!

[spopepro]

Jorn—I’d not ski a classic ski on that stuff, even a metal edged one. For adventure skiing I got my wife a pair of altai kom skis. I have a pair of voile objective BCs. Mounted with 3pin bindings, no cables, and a pair of leather boots or scarpa T4s and it’s an absolute blast. Slow on the flats, but actually fun and in control on the downhills. There’s also increased traction on the ups because of the greater patterned area and softer single camber.

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[Paul Jacobs]

I taught myself cross country skiing in the winter 1981/1982 when I was working in Oxford. I imagine that I am one of still relatively few people who have skied up Oxford High Street, up the centre before it was re-opened to vehicles not on the footpath.

"The winter of 1981–82 in the United Kingdom (also called The Big Snow of 1982 by the press) was a severe cold wave that was formed in early December 1981 and lasted until mid-late January in 1982, and was one of the coldest Decembers recorded in the United Kingdom."

When the snow started I managed to buy one of the few sets of cross country skis, poles and boots available at Touchwood Sports near the city centre. Having had no skiing experience whatsoever I decided to avoid embarrassment by teaching myself in the middle of the night. I set off after midnight into the deserted, snow covered, but well illuminated streets of Oxford returning to my house down Iffley Road at about 5.30 am, having acquired a degree of facility in the art of moving forwards and staying upright. This was not early enough to escape my next door neighbour who popped her head out of the front door with the comment "I see you've been skiing then".

Although the roads and pavements were cleared within a day or two, I was able to commute on skis from my house to my job at Oxford Eye Hospital for about two months by using the canal towpaths and I was not the only person doing this.

[j44ke]

Jorn—I’d not ski a classic ski on that stuff, even a metal edged one. For adventure skiing I got my wife a pair of altai kom skis. I have a pair of voile objective BCs. Mounted with 3pin bindings, no cables, and a pair of leather boots or scarpa T4s and it’s an absolute blast. Slow on the flats, but actually fun and in control on the downhills. There’s also increased traction on the ups because of the greater patterned area and softer single camber. ...

I've looked at those. Also Black Diamond Glidelites (can be bought w/o bindings also.) Good to know they work and are fun! They certainly look fun.

[robin3mj]

I have the longer Black Diamond glide lite. They have a skin on the middle third of them and metal edges. Lots of fun for tramping about.

[spopepro]

I've looked at those. Also Black Diamond Glidelites (can be bought w/o bindings also.) Good to know they work and are fun! They certainly look fun.

I haven’t been on the glidelites* but they seem more like the altai hok—that is a ski-shoe. Probably exactly the ticket in really tight and varied situations but any sort of skiing, whether it be kick and glide or downhill turns, is going to be tough. The kom (and the objective bc) are stable downhill, even when it’s steep. They do glide reasonably well too. I’ve skied my objectives with a big-ish plastic boot (scarpa t2) on groomed trails for as long as 15km and had a good time doing so, even if it was less glide than would be ideal. But either way, I think it would be a good time. There’s a lot to be said for having an “any condition” ski and not having to think about it. Just go.



*I really wanted these to work as an ice climbing approach ski, but the universal bindings are super clear that the boots must have good flex to them, and mountaineering boots do not. I could try and track down an old pair of silvrettas... but old bindings worry me. Not to mention the prices have gotten out of control.

[lumpy]

*I really wanted these to work as an ice climbing approach ski, but the universal bindings are super clear that the boots must have good flex to them, and mountaineering boots do not. I could try and track down an old pair of silvrettas... but old bindings worry me. Not to mention the prices have gotten out of control.

I did a tour in the Tetons once with my uncles, back in the '80s, where I was skiing on mountaineering boots in Silvretta bindings. It was weird and tough. Maybe modern short skis would be better.

[j44ke]

I haven’t been on the glidelites* but they seem more like the altai hok—that is a ski-shoe. Probably exactly the ticket in really tight and varied situations but any sort of skiing, whether it be kick and glide or downhill turns, is going to be tough. The kom (and the objective bc) are stable downhill, even when it’s steep. They do glide reasonably well too. I’ve skied my objectives with a big-ish plastic boot (scarpa t2) on groomed trails for as long as 15km and had a good time doing so, even if it was less glide than would be ideal. But either way, I think it would be a good time. There’s a lot to be said for having an “any condition” ski and not having to think about it. Just go.



*I really wanted these to work as an ice climbing approach ski, but the universal bindings are super clear that the boots must have good flex to them, and mountaineering boots do not. I could try and track down an old pair of silvrettas... but old bindings worry me. Not to mention the prices have gotten out of control.

Not much flat on our property, though we do have a nice 1 mile loop of old farm road that would be good for laps on nordic skis I think. But the rest is "up, down, tree!!". Rollercoaster slalom. Plus rocks. Part of its charm. So I was looking at the Altai Hoks back when they were available. Sounds like Altai has moved on to the Koms and the Hoks are discontinued. But in terms of cardiovascular, I get plenty of that from snowshoes as long as I keep motoring. Just want a bit of glide is all...

Here's someone on 127 Glidelites. Looks like fun though they seem like an experienced skier (dog is great!) I am an experienced faller downer alotter.

[robin3mj]

Just back from an hour on the bike path. Good stuff. Will be feeling it in different muscles tomorrow.

[j44ke]

Just back from an hour on the bike path. Good stuff. Will be feeling it in different muscles tomorrow.

Those look like the Black Diamond skis right there. Like them?

[robin3mj]

Those look like the Black Diamond skis right there. Like them?

Yep, the longer ones (147cm). Bought them a couple years ago and have used them a handful of times (zero last winter...).
They're fun- much like the video above. Super lightweight, floaty in powder.
The midfoot skin is interesting, much like Hemingway's description of going bankrupt, if you weight them in the wrong place, they let go slowly...then all at once.

It's pretty flat around here and I've mainly used on the W&OD before plowing/melting, so no experience with any great hills. They're pretty squirrely on ice even with the metal edges, so I can't imagine how the others would handle.

Black Diamond licenses them from Skinbased, a Scandinavian company that also makes even longer touring/backcountry skis with the built in skin, though I believe those are meant for more robust bindings/boots.

[Moke]

Well, we still suck in Montana. I just bought ice skates as there are several flooded school yards/parks around town. One even has a Zamboni. Not too sure the skiis will get used this year. Waxed up they sit and no snow.