Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Winter Camping and Activities :: Cross Country Skis
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oldgentleman |
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plaidwool |
I have been wondering the same thing. I have been considering some military surplus skis since they are designed to take some abuse and have metal edges. Any suggestions you seasoned folks could give would be great. I have a pair of Rossignol Tour AR skis that I am pretty disappointed with, they would be miserable in the BWCA-no float at all. Thanks, PW |
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mwd1976 |
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Waldo |
I know snow conditions can vary but we have never had a problem as we ski along dog sled trails pulling sleds, or breaking trails. |
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TheAngryNorseman |
Other skis to look at would be the Atomic Mountain (59 at tip and a true double camber ski, and they come in waxable). Fisher E99 and E109 are both supposed to be good but they are hard to find in waxable versions. Same with the Madshus Glittertind. There really aren't that many great backcountry nordic skis around for what would be ideal BW type travel with mostly flat terrain. The criteria for a good backcountry ski I would say are waxable (not a fan of waxless-you'll likely have skins on anyways), 1.5 or double-camber, light yet durable, and at least a partial metal edge. I think Asnes are the best available but they are pricey. There is a reason Asnes are used on most Greenland/NP/SP expeditions. |
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stealthmoose12 |
What skis do you use and what would you suggest as a good option for what I am looking to do? |
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Dan Cooke |
Most semi stiff skis should work well off trail the stiffer the tip the less they like to conform and follow a tracked trail. I have yet to try any of the extremely wide skis. Getting out and skiing off trail around home helps when you ski off trail in the BWCA. I stopped by the Blaine Play It Again store and they had skiis, poles and boots that looked like they should work. I do not know if the sales staff could tell you much about the skiis though. Dan Cooke |
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Trailpatrol |
The Bushwacker was too wide for in-track use (87mm shovel/165cm long) but had great floatation, a waxless base and went perfectly with Sherpa/Berwin Backcountry bindings. They work well with a pack or pulk for winter camping. I still have my second pair, and they are still my favorite skis. The Karhu GT comes closest to the Bushwacker in today's product line. Asnes of Norway makes a ski called the NATO Combat/Ingstad Fjell that performs very similarly, but are very hard to locate in the USA. My other primary pair of skis are 1996 Karhu 10th Mountain-Tours. With a 65mm shovel/195cm long, and 3-pin binding, they do just fine on groomed trails, and in the backcountry. I am a "big dog" at 6'3" and 260 lbs, and I use these skis all the time on ski patrol. Karhu's closest models today would be the Solstice XT or the Pinnacle. The contemporary 10th Mountain is much wider. I still have my first, wooden pair of 1971 Traks with the Omnitrak base, and a pair of original military skis as well as a pile of traditional snowshoes. The Bushwackers are still my favorites. Visualize snow! Hans |