How do you ski this spring snow???
Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2023 9:52 am
We still have lots of snow. Lots and lots of snow. Over ten feet up in the mountains! But I went out yesterday on my Voile V6 and tried to ski and it was crap!
Okay, conditions weren't the best. Bright sunshine. 3:30 or so in the afternoon, sun directly on the slope. Temperature in the mid 60's. Altitude about 5,000 feet, The surface was consolidated but soft. I wouldn't say slushy, but it wasn't snow anymore, either, nor was it corn. I had earlier waxed the skis with Toko Blue glide wax and Toko Green kick/base underfoot. I was in a hurry because I've been out of town so I just scraped the ski pretty thoroughly and went back with Toko Yellow glide wax over the whole length, dripped it on, ironed it in, scraped, brushed, and rushed out.
The hill varies between 25 and 15 degrees. Not super steep but not flat at all. I skinned up and didn't sink too badly. But coming down... very slow. So slow I was unable to really turn at all. I could feel the skis sticking somehow and there was a lot of popping/crunching that sounded like sticking and releasing.
Was it the kick wax that I didn't fully remove? Is there just no way to ski this stuff? I invested in waxing equipment in the hope it would extend the ski year but do I need to just put them away? We'll have plenty of depth for weeks and, in the mountains, months. And what kind of skis are best for this stuff? I was thinking a wide ski because it is soft but then again, maybe a narrow ski for less surface area? I have the Voile V6, FT62, and Gamme 54 and might even pick up something on sale. I can imagine that the skinny Gamme might work better since there is some chemical interaction between the waxed-base and the snow. Making that surface area smaller might give me less of whatever is holding on to the ski - suction perhaps?
Thanks for any insight on waxes and skis!
Okay, conditions weren't the best. Bright sunshine. 3:30 or so in the afternoon, sun directly on the slope. Temperature in the mid 60's. Altitude about 5,000 feet, The surface was consolidated but soft. I wouldn't say slushy, but it wasn't snow anymore, either, nor was it corn. I had earlier waxed the skis with Toko Blue glide wax and Toko Green kick/base underfoot. I was in a hurry because I've been out of town so I just scraped the ski pretty thoroughly and went back with Toko Yellow glide wax over the whole length, dripped it on, ironed it in, scraped, brushed, and rushed out.
The hill varies between 25 and 15 degrees. Not super steep but not flat at all. I skinned up and didn't sink too badly. But coming down... very slow. So slow I was unable to really turn at all. I could feel the skis sticking somehow and there was a lot of popping/crunching that sounded like sticking and releasing.
Was it the kick wax that I didn't fully remove? Is there just no way to ski this stuff? I invested in waxing equipment in the hope it would extend the ski year but do I need to just put them away? We'll have plenty of depth for weeks and, in the mountains, months. And what kind of skis are best for this stuff? I was thinking a wide ski because it is soft but then again, maybe a narrow ski for less surface area? I have the Voile V6, FT62, and Gamme 54 and might even pick up something on sale. I can imagine that the skinny Gamme might work better since there is some chemical interaction between the waxed-base and the snow. Making that surface area smaller might give me less of whatever is holding on to the ski - suction perhaps?
Thanks for any insight on waxes and skis!