Telemark Talk / Telemark Tips Forum

We have not gone above 20 degrees (F) since snow. We had maybe 2" on Friday night to freshen up the trails, but they have been a lot of people that have discovered the trails I first started enjoying 30 years past. Today it was 6 degrees (F), I confidently waxed with just a layer of Swix green. I was not worried about sticking, and the skis just needed a little touch up. I put blue and green in my pocket and off I went. The trails were hard and I had no grip. So after only 100 yards it was 3 layers of blue from my heel to the tips. That bought my a little grip, I slipped some, but I could ski. There was enough snow on the side of the trail to go uphill.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I am just coming to realize my local trails require that I need to learn how to use klister. I wish I could find more than base klister in a spray.
Tell me, the videos I watch say you can put your hands in your gloves with klister residue on your thumb or palm, and after you ski it will be gone. No sticky residue in the gloves either. Does this match anybody's experience?

fisheater wrote:We have not gone above 20 degrees (F) since snow. We had maybe 2" on Friday night to freshen up the trails, but they have been a lot of people that have discovered the trails I first started enjoying 30 years past. Today it was 6 degrees (F), I confidently waxed with just a layer of Swix green. I was not worried about sticking, and the skis just needed a little touch up. I put blue and green in my pocket and off I went. The trails were hard and I had no grip. So after only 100 yards it was 3 layers of blue from my heel to the tips. That bought my a little grip, I slipped some, but I could ski. There was enough snow on the side of the trail to go uphill.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I am just coming to realize my local trails require that I need to learn how to use klister. I wish I could find more than base klister in a spray.
Tell me, the videos I watch say you can put your hands in your gloves with klister residue on your thumb or palm, and after you ski it will be gone. No sticky residue in the gloves either. Does this match anybody's experience?

My klister comes in a squeeze tube. It gets everywhere and on everything. I avoid it studiously. I will say that these do not sound like klister conditions... It didn't warm up and then freeze, right?

Violet Special can be good on those conditions - on compacted old snow they say try Blue Extra and if it's not working add Violet Special under your foot. Don't worry about the temperature rating, it can work well on icier snow.

Canna, I do believe it is time for me to start playing with klister. I having been on this track since last year. I was waxing in the house, now I can't find violet. My Vizsla pup was watching, I have been looking under beds, in corners, I hope I don't find it half eaten somewhere. I really hope my wife doesn't find it half eaten somewhere!
I know of a shop in Grayling, MI that carries a good stock of klister. The tubes are much cheaper than spray, which I can only find in base klister only. I think I will order a blue (0 to 32 F) more or less, and a red ( 32 to pretty darn warm) plus a base klister.
I really wish I didn't need klister, but my trails get a lot of traffic. Even through the cold weather provided solitude, there was still enough traffic to transform the snow.

Klister is amazing. Over the years I have used it strictly on the groomed track. Last winter I made a decision to push myself and play with it in the backcountry- to great results! The real secret to klister- IMO- is being able to efficiently remove it.

Bob- I use Swix's "Universal" klister in the backcountry- though not as high performance as a temperature-snow-specific klister- it is MORE than adequate for Nordic touring.

Yuck...I stay away from that stuff....We have powder on crust here so polar and light green are the ticket....Don't need much of it either...TM

went looking for some polar for glide for my bushwakers yesterday. Hardest waks I kould find was toko 21f and kolder. It would have been the waks of the day with15f temps. I put three light coats corking vigorously between each on the tips and tails. I also put a light koat on the skales with a top down application and rubbed it in good with my palm. The skis glided better, gripped better and even turned better. I would not put a soft waks on the skales because if you ran into colder dryer snow it would be hard to remove. The wax I put on them was for glide not grip

greatgt wrote:Yuck...I stay away from that stuff....We have powder on crust here so polar and light green are the ticket....Don't need much of it either...TM

Hey TM!

I still avoid klister if I can- but on icy/refrozen/old transformed snow it is amazing.

And- polar and light green is exactly what I am using at the moment.

lowangle al wrote:went looking for some polar for glide for my bushwakers yesterday. Hardest waks I kould find was toko 21f and kolder. It would have been the waks of the day with15f temps. I put three light coats corking vigorously between each on the tips and tails. I also put a light koat on the skales with a top down application and rubbed it in good with my palm. The skis glided better, gripped better and even turned better. I would not put a soft waks on the skales because if you ran into colder dryer snow it would be hard to remove. The wax I put on them was for glide not grip

Awesome.

lilcliffy wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:32 am

lowangle al wrote:went looking for Viasil and some polar for glide for my bushwakers yesterday. Hardest waks I kould find was toko 21f and kolder. It would have been the waks of the day with15f temps. I put three light coats corking vigorously between each on the tips and tails. I also put a light koat on the skales with a top down application and rubbed it in good with my palm. The skis glided better, gripped better and even turned better. I would not put a soft waks on the skales because if you ran into colder dryer snow it would be hard to remove. The wax I put on them was for glide not grip

Awesome.

Now you make me wanna do the same, Cliffy. How long does it last?