Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

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fisheater
Posts: 2510
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
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Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

Post by fisheater » Sat Feb 04, 2023 9:53 pm

There was a day I pointed them downhill on steep $h-t, but now I’m a 61 year old guy just trying to have fun on skis. I blame this site for putting me on skinny skis and Alaska.
Well I was out today, and it was epic. As epic as hiking trails on glacial moraines can be, any way. We had 8” about 10 days ago. While it’s been cold, hikers have compacted it pretty well. Heaven was kind to me and put about a quarter inch of dust over that for me today. I had awesome kick at around freezing with Vaughti Pure Pro White. I could climb without herring boning and downhill was stupid fast.
A lot of talk has been done about turning the Gamme lately. For me lately it is rotation, and rotation. Psia teaches a lot about edging though short, medium, and long radius turns, but there is a lot more to skiing than putting a ski on edge, especially when that ski isn’t going to bend into a turn. The ability to independently rotate your ski is very important, as well as flat ski skidding techniques. That was what has been doing it for me these past two weekends.
I got a really nice compliment from a hiker today. I have spoken with him in the past. He is a veteran of the Birkebeiner. He saw me coming down a twisty, but visible from the opposite side downhill section. As @lowangle al talks about tight stances for this kind of skiing I was at the extreme of tight, lead and trailing feet were easily within a foot of each other as I descended the single track hiking trail. I felt the edging on both feet, but I was quite surprised when I stopped to talk to my hiking buddy. He complimented on my beautiful Telemark turns. He was proud of the fact he was able to recognize them as Telemark turns. He said he will google E-99’s, although he thinks XC skiing these trails is a bit nutso. He said he’s 71 and maybe a bit nutso might not be a bad thing.

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DG99
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Re: Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

Post by DG99 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 1:26 am

Sweet. Yes, XC skis aren’t going to really carve so much. I have heard a tele turn talked about as kind of a stem turn with older straighter or more XC type.

When you say “hikers and hiking” do you mean snowshoeing? I’m envisioning people hiking on the snow you’re skiing on, but…. Post holing?



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tkarhu
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Ski style: XCD | Nordic ice skating | XC | BC-XC
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Re: Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

Post by tkarhu » Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:15 am

@fisheater I also admire your tele skills! With that snow, doing teles on a narrow trail is not easy. Sounds like a great trip.



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2510
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

Post by fisheater » Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:21 am

@DG99 This year has been tough for snow, it’s only my third weekend of skiing. My first weekend was snow and oak leaves, which really requires knowledge of where the high rocks are. While hikers do post hole, at 8” they just compacted the snow. It’s a multi use trail, this snow I think only one other skier was there over 10 days. A couple hikers on snowshoes broke out the trail, and then the hikers follow. However it’s the hilliest and least used trail in my area. I don’t mind hikers, fat tire bikes fork up snow pretty good and I really don’t like them, but the people riding those bikes have the right to be there, so I am always friendly. I am however human, when I see a fat tire rider struggling in too deep snow, I nod respectfully, give a smile, ski a hundred yards are so, and start belly laughing out loud!



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DG99
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Re: Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

Post by DG99 » Mon Feb 06, 2023 1:52 am

Ahhh thanks. You meant hikers literally!



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JohnSKepler
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Re: Nnn-BC trail skiing on Gamme

Post by JohnSKepler » Wed Feb 08, 2023 2:55 pm

Man, @fisheater, this really makes me want to get out over lunch! It's gotten maybe a tad icy lately, with above freezing during the day and below at night. But, as I sit here, it's snowing lightly outside my office window. A nice little canyon is hiding just behind clouds out of my sight. The mountain bike trail will have received an inch or so. The Gammes are at the house only minutes away...

I gotta go.
Veni, Vidi, Viski



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