Yeah- Fischer skis are pricey- don't get me wrong- they are worth it- but when you have a family to gear up- they are usually too much for us. I must admit that I haven't bought any skis at full price in almost 20 years! Just takes some patience... The Madshus backcountry line is significantly chea...

Thanks for the links! I actually did see most of those. Funny, but since that ($299.99) was the price I saw them for everywhere, I didn't realize that was the sale price. [emoji12] If only I was looking for a 179 I could snag a slightly better deal AND go try them on/ pick them up at my local Easter...

Sounds like you have a kit: -189cm Traverse 78 -NNNBC-manual binding (don't go near the "auto", especially in refrozen snow territory!) -NNNBC boot (loads of options here) This is still a good time of year to be looking- still left-over deals out there! Sounds like I do, thanks--in no small part--t...

Thanks again man! I'll have to see if I can find a shop local to me that stocks either of these desired skis. That may prove tough since the Catskills region is very resort/downhill focused. I'm sure I can find more traditional double-camber XC skiis as well, but these mid-range BC Nordic/XCD specim...

First of all- welcome Young Satchel! Thanks lilcliffy! I appreciate you taking the time to author your absurdly detailed response to my post. So- other than the terrain you describe- can I assume that the snow you have is most typically either warm moisture-rich; icy and refrozen; with a possible c...

Well, after spending several weeks lurking TT pretty hard, I've decided to come out of the woodwork and join-up in the hopes that I might receive some helpful advice specific to my situation from the more knowledgeable members here. I noticed at least a handful of you (or more) live and ski in the N...