In search of the most suitable BC ski

[randoskier]

A pulk walks into bar.....

[mca80]

Thanks @randoskier for bringing this thread to the front. My area of USA has more Finns or Finnish-Americans than the rest of the country combined, and the terrain is similar too. Glad I got to read @Theme's posts, very knowledgeable and insightful. Though this winter has been weird, in most winters I think 250+cm skis would be useful here.

[GrimSurfer]

A pulk walks into bar.....

… and asks, “do you have any real ale on tap?”

To which the bartender replies, “why yes, we do. Would you like me to pull you a pint?”

[randoskier]

A pulk walks into bar.....

… and asks, “do you have any real ale on tap?”

To which the bartender replies, “why yes, we do. Would you like me to pull you a pint?”

That is true actually because that is the bar of the Grana River Brewery in Snaasa, Norway a very small but good brewpub. I know the owner well so I pulled my own!

[randoskier]

Thanks @randoskier for bringing this thread to the front. My area of USA has more Finns or Finnish-Americans than the rest of the country combined, and the terrain is similar too. Glad I got to read @Theme's posts, very knowledgeable and insightful. Though this winter has been weird, in most winters I think 250+cm skis would be useful here.

"That's because the Norwegians and Swedes in Minnesota wouldn't let them in!

[GrimSurfer]

A pulk walks into bar.....

… and asks, “do you have any real ale on tap?”

To which the bartender replies, “why yes, we do. Would you like me to pull you a pint?”

That is true actually because that is the bar of the Grana River Brewery in Snaasa, Norway a very small but good brewpub. I know the owner well so I pulled my own!

Too fast and there is too much foam. Too slow and you get thirstier.

Good that you have the right “connections”.

[randoskier]

Thank you everyone, it feels warm and fuzzy inside that my ramblings were appreciated Here is some more

Still looking at the pulk, wondering should I get a Paris pulka or spend big with a Fjellpulken.

If you end up getting the Paris pulk (and a belt, such as Fjellpulken 710), I have a few recommendations for you. I'll attach some pictures. You definitely want to get a hold of a hot air blower, and thick insulated work gloves. Heat the front of the pulk, tilt the otherwise downward facing tip up, hold it in place until it cools down. You now have a way better floating pulk for the deep snow. Does not affect the strength of the build, I have crashed it head on to some trees in full speed, it just bounced back. Standard paris pulk will tend to sink in to the side of your ski track in deep snow.

Other good solution is to get a pair of 1400mm x 20mm × 10mm HDPE 1000 profile to make runners. For example you should ask muovia.fi for a pair used with paris pulkas. If you attach these to the bottom, you will prolong the life of your paris pulk at least 3 times, with added 500 grams. My pulk has 1500km on it, yet the bottom is almost like new. Mind you, I have pulled it on open asphalt roads too as in the spring going for a resupply is a bit tricky sometimes. These runners will not only add to the life expectancy, but alse they will give the pulk noticeably more stable directional tracking, and when traversing on hardpack, the pulk is a lot less likely to glide down sideways. In my experience, on hard snow, there is also a lot less friction. On ice, pretty much zero.

I like that modification you did to the nose of the Paris pulk, the standard one does tend to dig in a bit (I don't have that problem with my Jet Sled Jr. pulk, it has an upswept nose). I would like to put runners on both my pulks the Paris and the Jet Sled. I looked on the Muovia website but I can not find the 20mm × 10mm HDPE 1000 material- what should I search for in Finnish? How did you counter sink the screws in the soft plastic runners without trashing it? The thing I am building right now is back brake to keep the pulk from sliding backwards and putting the weight on me when I pause on a steep slope, just a piano hinge and a small sheet of HDPE or alu. Probably not needed in Finland, I am making mine removable because they also make the sled impossible to push backwards which can be a pain in the ass.

I made my traces (bars) out Sunguard fiberglass fence posts- they are 6' long (182 cm) and 1/2 inch in diameter (1.25cm). They cost $4.65 (4 EUR) each (just checked). They come with a durable white painted finish so look nice too. They are fitted with ball joints on both ends for attachment to the sled and hip-belt. I used female ball joints and had to thread the fiberglass pole before I put the epoxy on it- that was a pain in the ass- next time I will ask my auto mechanic to do it.

It is funny that skiing in Finland last year it was more or less flat in the forests near Ivalo but when I came to the snowed over road on the last day (and thought I was home free) it was like a very steep roller coaster! Crazy road. I did see the famed Norwegian Forest Skis at my first/last cabin in Finland (the Piilola cabin). An Ice fisherman showed up in the middle of the night on them- they were like 270cm. He was wearing big flexible rubber boots. Interesting guy, an investigative reporter in Helsinki, he goes by himself to this hut every Easter for the past 20 years to ice fish. Nice to have company I had not seen another human in ten days.

Congratulations on your Space Force (hehehe) and welcome to NATO!

[randoskier]

A pulk walks into bar.....

… and asks, “do you have any real ale on tap?”

To which the bartender replies, “why yes, we do. Would you like me to pull you a pint?”

That is true actually because that is the bar of the Grana River Brewery in Snaasa, Norway a very small but good brewpub. I know the owner well so I pulled my own!

Beer beer beer! Last Spring on my second to last day in Finland I was skiing across a series of lakes in the Piilola wilderness area and two Finnish guys on snowmobiles drove over to see who was out there on the lake. They were kind of surprised to meet a Yank. I told them I had skied from Kirkenes (Norway) and was finishing soon and could not wait to have a nice cold beer in Ivalo. The one guy said- "No need to wait" and gave me a can of ice cold (natch!) Karhu lager. Karhu (bear in Finnish) was a good choice as it was warming up and there were bear tracks all over the place. Real nice guys, their family ancestors had the original Piilola farm (very remote!) so they are allowed to ride their snow scooters in this restricted wilderness area, made a nice track for me as the snow was getting warmer and I could ignore route-finding for awhile.

Busting into Finland from Norway-

[Musk Ox]

… and asks, “do you have any real ale on tap?”

To which the bartender replies, “why yes, we do. Would you like me to pull you a pint?”

That is true actually because that is the bar of the Grana River Brewery in Snaasa, Norway a very small but good brewpub. I know the owner well so I pulled my own!

Beer beer beer! Last Spring on my second to last day in Finland I was skiing across a series of lakes in the Piilola wilderness area and two Finnish guys on snowmobiles drove over to see who was out there on the lake. They were kind of surprised to meet a Yank. I told them I had skied from Kirkenes (Norway) and was finishing soon and could not wait to have a nice cold beer in Ivalo. The one guy said- "No need to wait" and gave me a can of ice cold (natch!) Karhu lager. Karhu (bear in Finnish) was a good choice as it was warming up and there were bear tracks all over the place. Real nice guys, their family ancestors had the original Piilola farm (very remote!) so they are allowed to ride their snow scooters in this restricted wilderness area, made a nice track for me as the snow was getting warmer and I could ignore route-finding for awhile.

Busting into Finland from Norway-

This is a completely brilliant story. I love this part of the world and the people who live in it.

(I'm reminded of the time we went skiing in Finland and my reckless car-destroying wife we parked on two-metre-deep snow at the beginning of the snowmobile highway to Norway rather than the trailhead 'car park' and our big car sank. We'd cheaped out on international insurance because we hadn't intended to drive over the border, so we'd have to get a recovery vehicle to the middle of nowhere and pay for it ourselves. We tried everything. At which point a Finnish guy training to ascend Everest turned up on snowshoes with a full complement of avalanche equipment on his back, and serious competence and experience in his head, and showed us how to rock the car out of the mess we'd got in. He saved our lives. I've used that rocking method to get others out of deep snow since. Finland's the best and so are the Finns).

[lowangle al]

This is a completely brilliant story. I love this part of the world and the people who live in it.

(I'm reminded of the time we went skiing in Finland and my reckless car-destroying wife we parked on two-metre-deep snow at the beginning of the snowmobile highway to Norway rather than the trailhead 'car park' and our big car sank. We'd cheaped out on international insurance because we hadn't intended to drive over the border, so we'd have to get a recovery vehicle to the middle of nowhere and pay for it ourselves. We tried everything. At which point a Finnish guy training to ascend Everest turned up on snowshoes with a full complement of avalanche equipment on his back, and serious competence and experience in his head, and showed us how to rock the car out of the mess we'd got in. He saved our lives. I've used that rocking method to get others out of deep snow since. Finland's the best and so are the Finns).
[/quote]

If you have a shovel and enough time you can dig yourself out of almost any jam.