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Winter Tracks - Winter Finally Arrived Dec 9, 2009!!!

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Forum -> Winter Tracks -> Winter Finally Arrived Dec 9, 2009!!!
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rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Dec. 09, 2009 10:50 am
[img:0f2724eea2]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/media/images/forum/WinterArrives20091209.jpg[/img:0f2724eea2]

It's 11:30 am and we have 7 inches of new snow at my house and it's still piling up out there. It's one of those things you just have a hard time believing until you see it with your own eyes. The real question at this point is, is this the beginning of a lot more snow to come or just an early winter teaser. I say bring it on, I'm ready for some deep snow.

So, I'd like to get a group snowshoe started up soon, who is in and what days / times are good for you???

Given the large drop our rate last year, I promise I will take it easier on the fragile this year. :twisted:

Ryan
jdm

Posts: 128

Posted: Wed Dec. 09, 2009 12:06 pm
I agree - bring on the snow! It looks like good consistent cold for the next week.

I like Tuesday or Wednesday evenings for snowshoeing. 5pm Seems to be the earliest time that I can consistently hit, but I can start later.
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Wed Dec. 09, 2009 12:32 pm
Wednesdays at 5pm or later are good for me as well.

I also plan to snowshoe Thurdays around noonish.
Weekends will be a combination of snowshoeing, hiking, and backcountry skiing.

Ryan
streak

Posts: 115
Location: sunapee

Posted: Wed Dec. 09, 2009 6:36 pm
wednesday's at 5 or 5:30 would work out well for me. but first i think i need to get some snowshoes...
i do, however, have some brand spankin new backcountry skis that I'm itching to put through their paces. i just got back from montana and can't wait until we have the knee deep powder that they do.
hurray winter!!!
DanaW

Posts: 567

Posted: Thu Dec. 10, 2009 7:29 am
I had to move the heavy wet snow when I got home last night. Good for making snowmen, but hard on the snowblower.

I'll be ready for one day this weekend.

Weds most likely 5:30pm would be a good start time for me.

Dana
Dan

Posts: 1167
Location: Newport

Posted: Thu Dec. 10, 2009 9:02 am
Wednesday 5:30 is good
Aaron

Posts: 93
Location: Grantham, NH

Posted: Thu Dec. 10, 2009 1:48 pm
Weds. at 5:30 would work for me as well - need to pick up a new headlamp.

Also...I'm about to be in the market for some backcountry (tele) skis...anyone have any brand recommendations (boots/skis/bindings/skins)?

Aaron
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Fri Dec. 11, 2009 5:44 pm
Ok we will plan on 5:30pm on Wed's then.

I can't snowshoe this weekend, lent out my shoes to another new recruit for the weekend. It's way light coverage for skiing but I might try my hand at backcountry this weekend if you are interested in following along Dana?

[b:5eb3d3f500]Aaron[/b:5eb3d3f500], I'm new to Tele and honestly wish I hadn't got the setup I did. The skis are about what I expected, I got the Alpina XTerrain, a nowax base with under foot scales, I got the 170 cm length (110mm / 66mm / 96 mm). I slapped a Black Diamond O3 binding with midstiff catridges on it and bought a pair of Scarpa T2X boots. Being a life long alpine skier, I'm not sure what I was thinking getting the tele gear. Everyone told me I should get tele so I did. Next time I will likely get a randonnee setup.

[b:5eb3d3f500]Lessons Learned:[/b:5eb3d3f500]
- Lessons and practice at a resort with your tele gear before trying to rip some tenuous backcountry turns for the first time might be in order.
- Coit & the Pinnacle are not moderate enough terrain for a nowax base. I ended up buying skins anyways because where I wanted to go was too steep.
- nowax base does not glide as well as one would like. This didn't really bother me until I went skiing with some people that had fat wax skis and they would effortlessly fly by me on low angle run outs like you often get especially on the way out.
- for the Pinnacle the length and shape with metal edges was a good fit and on the moderate to steep narley downhills the lack of glide might be a plus.
- I did not get the riser wires for my bindings, you definately need them if you are going to do some serious uphill.
- really wish I had throw down the cash for a pivoting front binding for climbing. Even with the heel release thrown down in the back there is significant tension on the uphill stroke, especially with the T2X boots.
- THE BOOTS, despite all the raving reviews about these boots, I HATE them, the tear up my heels something awful. Now in all fairness I bought mine online and kind of guessed at the size and fit them myself, WHAT A MISTAKE. If you are going to spend the money for a high end boot, DON'T BUY IT ONLINE, get it from a highly skilled boot fitter and have them fit it to you right!!! Normally I would not have done this and I won't do it again, but it was a special deal with a vendor I work with online who doesn't have a retail location within 1000 miles of here. Those boots and bindings where probably overkill for the skiis but having taken a scary ride down Pinnacle on a 20 year old pair of cross country racing skis I may have over compensated. For these skis I think a heavy duty 3 pin binding and soft boot would have been a better combo.

My next setup will likely be lightweight FAT waxable alpine / tele ski with randonnee binding that pivot for the uphill and a different boot, although I don't know what that would be.

Ryan
Aaron

Posts: 93
Location: Grantham, NH

Posted: Fri Dec. 11, 2009 7:53 pm
Thanks Ryan - great advice.

I have heard that the shop "Umica" at Stowe is really good for backcountry skis, so I am probably going to head there to do some comparison shopping. They have an on-line store that is good, but I'm going to head there to try on boots. I'm definitely not up to speed on the lingo, so words like randonee don't mean much to me yet - reminds me of when I was new to mountain biking!

I'll keep you posted as I continue to shop.

Aaron
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Fri Dec. 11, 2009 8:48 pm
Aaron,

A tele binding is always free heel. At the time I made the choice I thought a no wax base with scales and a free heel meant I would never have to take my skis off. I could simply go up the hill, turn around and hit some turns on the way down. In reality any hill worth skiing down requires skins to get up so you have to take your skis off at the top to remove the skins anyways.

A randonnee binding also known as an alpine touring binding has a traditional alpine binding (front and heel which your boot locks into) attached usually to a plate that can pivot on the uphill and then locks down for the downhill so it skis like a normal alpine ski.

I will say though at slow speed and deep snow a tele turn is probably superior if you have good balance, however, at high speed and similar conditions I am very uncomfortably on the tele equipment where on my alpine gear, (granted it weighs 3 times what my tele stuff does, and is a lot stiffer), I have absolute confidence in just about any conditions with a little speed but is harder to turn in deep snow and slower speed.

Ryan
DanaW

Posts: 567

Posted: Sat Dec. 12, 2009 9:04 am
Ryan, I have a pair of snowshoes you can use, but either way is OK with me. How about Sunday 1pm at your place? Anyone else interested?

Dana
rockboy

Posts: 2086
Location: Newport

Posted: Sun Dec. 13, 2009 9:25 am
Dana,

1pm here sounds good to me, see you then. I'm leaning towards skis but bring the extra pair of snowshoes with you incase I change my mind.

Ryan
DanaW

Posts: 567

Posted: Sun Dec. 13, 2009 10:25 am
OK, 1pm

Randy will be joining us. I'm moving very slow these days, but slowly getting back into it.
Aaron

Posts: 93
Location: Grantham, NH

Posted: Sun Dec. 13, 2009 1:14 pm
Thanks again Ryan - the definitions are helpful. I'm enjoying watching the snow out my window right now!
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