Hi from Alaska and some questions

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AKjohn
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:01 pm

Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by AKjohn » Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:05 pm

Hi everyone, I just registered after lurking for a while. I am 39 and last did any type of skiing 30 years ago when my dad bought me some xc skis. Fatbiking has been my main mode of winter recreation for several years now but the last two years a friend of mine and I have been talking about getting skis to explore other areas that a bike wouldn't be the best tool for. Most of what we will be doing is backcountry exploring flats with some hills especially when we start going back into various drainages.

The nearest shop carries Rossi gear and had recommended the BC90's or an equivalent. After looking around, I found a new looking used set of Madshus Epoch 195's with Voile 3-pin with cable bindings that I picked up for $250. I am 5'7" 175 the skis might be oversized but I figure most of the time it will be overnighters or hunting trips so with gear, it should put me past the min weight recomendation.

Boots are something that I have had trouble trying to decide on. The same shop I talked to only carriees the Rossi bcx6 boot for 75mm bindings. In talking to the employee there he said that with my running cold feet the bcx6's might be too cold for me and suggested plastics like the t4 or excursions he thought they would probably work best in the areas I told him I was interested in. In reading some of the threads on here I saw the Alico's mentioned and wondered if those might be a good boot for what I have planned. Also wondering if the ski choice sounds good for what I have in mind.

Since it has been so long since I have skied I had noticed that there is a recomendation to ski trails to start with to get used to the motion. My last trip to my parents I picked up my dad's old Lampinen Foam step skis with 3 pin bindings hoping to use the same boot for both.

Thanks.

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anemic
Posts: 229
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:39 pm

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by anemic » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:40 pm

Yes you've got the idea try Alicos from the eBay store in the UK. Confirm your UK size before ordering.
Try Craig's in your area also. Leather boots can take a few swings before finding the correct boot for you. May help to mod a close fit to get you all the way happy.
I'm jealous of your 195 Epochs. Those will be great. Wax for glide including the scales. You are on the right path have fun and report back!

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Call it Nordic Freeride



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t-$
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Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2017 7:29 am

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by t-$ » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:55 pm

ahhh, i miss alaska. :(

where you planning on skiing, if i might ask? definitely share some pics and trail reports! have fun up there man...



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AKjohn
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Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:01 pm

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by AKjohn » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:52 pm

anemic wrote:Yes you've got the idea try Alicos from the eBay store in the UK. Confirm your UK size before ordering.
Try Craig's in your area also. Leather boots can take a few swings before finding the correct boot for you. May help to mod a close fit to get you all the way happy.
I'm jealous of your 195 Epochs. Those will be great. Wax for glide including the scales. You are on the right path have fun and report back!

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Thanks, I have checked for sizes and have an email that I sent to the UK ebay store to double check shipping. The used market up here isn't the greatest. I check Craigslist multiple times a day and have facebook marketplace notifications as well. Between those and hitting every play-it-again and outdoor gear consignment shop I think I have covered everything within 100 miles of me.

I was pretty stoked to find the epochs there is another set near me on craigs same setup but comes with climbing skins. I haven't seen any thing else in the xcd realm pop up. As soon as I get boots and get out I will be reporting back with pics and reports. Till then here's a pic of the skis I do have. The third pair on the right is another set of Lampinens that my dad threw in my truck.Image

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AKjohn
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Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:01 pm

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by AKjohn » Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:24 pm

t-$ wrote:ahhh, i miss alaska. :(

where you planning on skiing, if i might ask? definitely share some pics and trail reports! have fun up there man...
The area that we have been thinking about is out on the way to Eureka but on the south side of the Glenn Highway headed back into the Chugach. It'll take some research to see how doable but I would like to do a 30 mile loop around Syncline Mountain back behind Gunsite. Willow side of Hatcher Pass looks interesting to me and I have a remote cabin down Petersville Road. Those are just a few places that I have on my list so far. I have fatbiked from Cantwell to Paxson on the Denali Highway in summer, we are planning a ride across in winter. I think skiing it might be cool but 137 miles... that'll take some preparation.

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martin2007
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Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2016 5:23 pm
Location: Ontario/Colorado

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by martin2007 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:51 pm

Some day I hope to visit your beautiful state. Fat biking is big here in CO., although I haven't tried it yet. When you mentioned the "Alicos" and your having run across references to them in recent threads, I felt moved to clarify. Quite recently on a thread here I extolled the virtues of my "comfy" double-leather Alicos. I was referring to a good set of boots, but I got my "A's" confused. My comfy boots are old "Arkos". It's not quite the same as calling your wife "Sophie" when her name is "Sylvia", but it's on a similar track. Anyway, good luck with your new pursuits.



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teleclub
Posts: 112
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:49 pm
Location: Wasatch

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by teleclub » Mon Jan 15, 2018 11:57 pm

martin2007 wrote:...It's not quite the same as calling your wife "Sophie" when her name is "Sylvia", but it's on a similar track.
Even that can work out ok unless your ex's name was Sophie. :!:



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Verskis
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:14 am
Location: Tampere, Finland
Ski style: XCD touring on small hills. Heavy tele at resort
Favorite Skis: Åsnes Rabb 68
Favorite boots: Alico Ski March
Occupation: Hydraulics engineer

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by Verskis » Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:34 am

Hi AKjohn!

Just a word about using the same boots for both of your skis: At least the Alico Ski March boots have a properly thick duckbill, that probably doesn't work with the bindings on your Lampinen's. At least my old basic Rottefella 75mm cross country wire bail bindings (not the Super Telemark, but much more wimpy bindings) didn't work with the Alico's, because the wire bail hinge was installed so low that the thick duckbill didn't fit under it.
The old 75mm cross country boots and the 75mm telemark boots are cross-compatible in theory, as they both share the same 75mm Nordic Norm, but the thickness of the duckbill differs greatly, which means that in real life they are not cross-compatible with all 75mm bindings. There might be some bindings like the Rottefella Super Telemark, that work with both thin and thick duckbills, but I would think those wire bails on your Lampinen's work only with thin duckbills.



User avatar
Verskis
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:14 am
Location: Tampere, Finland
Ski style: XCD touring on small hills. Heavy tele at resort
Favorite Skis: Åsnes Rabb 68
Favorite boots: Alico Ski March
Occupation: Hydraulics engineer

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by Verskis » Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:47 am

The Voile bindings on your Epochs definitely work with the Alico Ski March boots, as I have the same combination :)



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AKjohn
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:01 pm

Re: Hi from Alaska and some questions

Post by AKjohn » Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:53 pm

Nice! I got the shipping quote and I think there was a misunderstanding. They gave me shipping not using Ebays GSP and the quote for just shipping was over $100. I think saying shipped to Alaska threw them off even though I included a US zipcode and they assumed it was a different country.

Thanks for the heads up on the possible incompatibility with the boots and bindings. If it works it works...if not I will try to find some boots that work for the Lampinens.

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