Wax skis are great for the conditions we have right now. I followed the protocol from this site. (thanks guys!).... two coats of polar wax tip to tail. then 1-2 coats of blue or green wax in the kick zone depending on temp...today was cold, so green from 20cm ahead of your boots to the heel....and maybe even further forward. I cork it in and then use a warm iron. This produces excellent grip and glide for our treacherous conditions. If you go to independence mine, go slightly offtrack, the snow is not bad and a good place to practice.
Your 88s will be fine for groomers and is a good starter pair. The key to getting better is to try to use them for any all conditions... I did that with my S112s for 4 years. It has made me greatly appreciate the asnes skis.
Excursion 88 length
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ᚠᚨᚱ ᚾᛟᚱᚦ ᛊᚲᛁᛖᚱ
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:37 pm
- Location: Alaska, Mat-Su Burough
- Ski style: Mixed xcountry offtrack/bc
- Favorite Skis: Asnes NATO BC so far
- Favorite boots: Still searching
Re: Excursion 88 length
My combats were working pretty well when we had the fresh snows a few weeks back. I had a lot of difficulty getting it right as the snow got older. I had them glide waxed at the shop and have been alternating between green and blue depending on temps. Every cross country ski I've used in the past was waxless. In general they work pretty well in most situations I've skied. My "Pretty well" might feel abysmal to someone else, however.jyw5 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 12:51 amWax skis are great for the conditions we have right now. I followed the protocol from this site. (thanks guys!).... two coats of polar wax tip to tail. then 1-2 coats of blue or green wax in the kick zone depending on temp...today was cold, so green from 20cm ahead of your boots to the heel....and maybe even further forward. I cork it in and then use a warm iron. This produces excellent grip and glide for our treacherous conditions. If you go to independence mine, go slightly offtrack, the snow is not bad and a good place to practice.
Your 88s will be fine for groomers and is a good starter pair. The key to getting better is to try to use them for any all conditions... I did that with my S112s for 4 years. It has made me greatly appreciate the asnes skis.
Re: Excursion 88 length
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My combats were working pretty well when we had the fresh snows a few weeks back. I had a lot of difficulty getting it right as the snow got older. I had them glide waxed at the shop and have been alternating between green and blue depending on temps. Every cross country ski I've used in the past was waxless. In general they work pretty well in most situations I've skied. My "Pretty well" might feel abysmal to someone else, however.
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Try extra coats and wax for slightly colder temps. Also, extend the wax forward beyond the kick zone when the snow is old and windpacked. You also lose traction due to uneven surfaces due to footprints and snowmachine ruts as there is less surface area for your skis to grip. The combat nato works well in powder and doesnt perform as well on those icy trails...you need a stiff pair like Nansen or Gamme. or if you are skiing flattish trails, the mt51. I have skiied the mt51 on the road run from Summit Lake recently and its blazing fast and scary. The mt51 excels on trails like at independence mine where its scuffed up by dog walkers... it also does well above the mine at gold cord basin.
If you are trying to just get from point A to B, your nato will get you there, but it may not be that fun. I have thought about getting the Nato or Ingstad, but then decided against it because we just dont have enough days in Alaska to justify using those skis.
The mt51, Nansen/Skog are amazing. mt51 requires more skill as they are stiff and not forgiving, but they are fast, light and k&g is great. The Skog, slightly wider, heavier, and more tapered have full metal edges are not much slower on flat terrain but are responsive and can be skiied in the hardest of conditions.
Unless you dont work, fresh snow with good visibility in alaska really don't happen often. Its one or the other or sometimes neither...not accessible...no road or trail plowing. Last February it snowed 7 ft in 3 wks and none of my skis worked...it was bottomless sugar. And on some days when the snow was finally good, the flat light made it unskiiable... ended up having to just do laps on groomed trails at GPRA with nordic skis. Finally gave up and just went hiking instead. If you ski enough here, you will understand. So this all depends on how much you are out. Honestly, the best month I had was June this yr. Long days, good weather, good visibility, corn snow up high, and no other skiiers.
My combats were working pretty well when we had the fresh snows a few weeks back. I had a lot of difficulty getting it right as the snow got older. I had them glide waxed at the shop and have been alternating between green and blue depending on temps. Every cross country ski I've used in the past was waxless. In general they work pretty well in most situations I've skied. My "Pretty well" might feel abysmal to someone else, however.
[/quote]
Try extra coats and wax for slightly colder temps. Also, extend the wax forward beyond the kick zone when the snow is old and windpacked. You also lose traction due to uneven surfaces due to footprints and snowmachine ruts as there is less surface area for your skis to grip. The combat nato works well in powder and doesnt perform as well on those icy trails...you need a stiff pair like Nansen or Gamme. or if you are skiing flattish trails, the mt51. I have skiied the mt51 on the road run from Summit Lake recently and its blazing fast and scary. The mt51 excels on trails like at independence mine where its scuffed up by dog walkers... it also does well above the mine at gold cord basin.
If you are trying to just get from point A to B, your nato will get you there, but it may not be that fun. I have thought about getting the Nato or Ingstad, but then decided against it because we just dont have enough days in Alaska to justify using those skis.
The mt51, Nansen/Skog are amazing. mt51 requires more skill as they are stiff and not forgiving, but they are fast, light and k&g is great. The Skog, slightly wider, heavier, and more tapered have full metal edges are not much slower on flat terrain but are responsive and can be skiied in the hardest of conditions.
Unless you dont work, fresh snow with good visibility in alaska really don't happen often. Its one or the other or sometimes neither...not accessible...no road or trail plowing. Last February it snowed 7 ft in 3 wks and none of my skis worked...it was bottomless sugar. And on some days when the snow was finally good, the flat light made it unskiiable... ended up having to just do laps on groomed trails at GPRA with nordic skis. Finally gave up and just went hiking instead. If you ski enough here, you will understand. So this all depends on how much you are out. Honestly, the best month I had was June this yr. Long days, good weather, good visibility, corn snow up high, and no other skiiers.
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ᚠᚨᚱ ᚾᛟᚱᚦ ᛊᚲᛁᛖᚱ
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:37 pm
- Location: Alaska, Mat-Su Burough
- Ski style: Mixed xcountry offtrack/bc
- Favorite Skis: Asnes NATO BC so far
- Favorite boots: Still searching
Re: Excursion 88 length
The mt51, Nansen/Skog are amazing. mt51 requires more skill as they are stiff and not forgiving, but they are fast, light and k&g is great. The Skog, slightly wider, heavier, and more tapered have full metal edges are not much slower on flat terrain but are responsive and can be skiied in the hardest of conditions.
Unless you dont work, fresh snow with good visibility in alaska really don't happen often. Its one or the other or sometimes neither...not accessible...no road or trail plowing. Last February it snowed 7 ft in 3 wks and none of my skis worked...it was bottomless sugar. And on some days when the snow was finally good, the flat light made it unskiiable... ended up having to just do laps on groomed trails at GPRA with nordic skis. Finally gave up and just went hiking instead. If you ski enough here, you will understand. So this all depends on how much you are out. Honestly, the best month I had was June this yr. Long days, good weather, good visibility, corn snow up high, and no other skiiers.
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Feel you there. I mostly just head out my back door into the woods. The snow is still okay under the trees. If I waited for great conditions or to go up to hatchers, etc
I'd only ski a couple time a year. I might look for a Nansen or a Gamme for next year. The 88s are on the way so we'll see how it goes.
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lowangle al
- Posts: 2752
- Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:36 pm
- Location: Pocono Mts / Chugach Mts
- Ski style: BC with focus on downhill perfection
- Favorite Skis: powder skis
- Favorite boots: Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Retired cement mason. Current job is to take my recreation as serious as I did my past employment.
Re: Excursion 88 length
I'm not as xc oriented as you and jyw so I'm happy with my T4s and Vector BCs. They give me the best chance to have a fun day when conditions are bad. Unfortunately they don't help with the flat light.
June is a great month to ski, but for me it has to follow a winter with exceptionally deep snow because I'm only willing to hike so far to get to the goods. Besides, the lakes and rivers are thawed and the rainbows are biting.
June is a great month to ski, but for me it has to follow a winter with exceptionally deep snow because I'm only willing to hike so far to get to the goods. Besides, the lakes and rivers are thawed and the rainbows are biting.