Skis to compliment Asnes Gamme 54 for the Laurentians?

[johnnycanuck]

I picked up a pair of Gamme 54s in November and absolutely had a blast with them this season. They are great for the local terrain here in Eastern Ontario. The only time I had trouble with them was trail breaking after the ~25cm snowfall we had in January. Otherwise they were amazing.

Next year we're planning to visit family out in the Laurentian Mountains area, in around Jacques-Cartier National Park. We have hopes to be able to do a ski-in (or ski-from) cabin next year. The conditions in the backcountry are wildly different from eastern Ontario. My dad reported around 4ft of snowfall this past season in the Lac Beauport area.

I'm looking for a ski to compliment the Gammes for this sort of terrain. I've currently got my eyes on the Ingstad but wondering if there is something else I should look at?

[DoggParadox]

Peltonen Metsa Step (Finnish Forest Ski) assuming you're on flat terrain in a straight line.

[johnnycanuck]

The area I'm looking to ski in is quite hilly (mountainous if you're not from the rockies). I think for flat terrain my Gammes are my best bet. Though they do get quite stodgy to ski in when the snow is fresh and deeper than a foot. Something with a bit more float would be nice, and something that would be willing to turn where there are downhill sections.

[connyro]

Maybe consider the Voile Objectives (BC?). light, narrowish compared to most other more downhill oriented skis. They track pretty well for k+g and the downhill performance is great. I really like this class of ski or even wider Vectors for touring in the deep ass snow we get around here.

[エイダン.シダル]

Hey, fellow maple syrup eater. I'm just on the other side of Toronto.

My NNN BC of pairing are Gammes, and Fischer S Bound Outabound 88s: with Alpina Alaskas. I paid full retail on the waxable Gammes and mohair X-skins; got the Fischers second hand for a song, unmounted, with BD kicker skins. I've used both of these in the Kolapore Highlands, near Collingwood, which isn't the Gatineaus, but narrow-trailed and hilly too. Can't say much about either skins, yet.

I &$#@ing love the Gammes, but I won't have to explain that to you. I'll always prefer waxable for the wicked glide and downhill speed. I came to this from a youth of alpine racing, and haven't really grown up.

OTH, I'm really happy with the 'waxless' Fischer on snow that needs it: although I put orange or purple Vauhti liquid grip wax on the crowns. These skis fell into my lap. Were I being more selective, I'd get something a bit wider for the purpose, but not much: we don't exactly get a lot of powder in the east. There's some great skis suggested in this thread, but I'm suspecting the wider ones are suggested by people who get to ski out of forests, in drier, lighter snow.

Åsnes doesn't have the exact ski I'd want: Falketind tip/tail width, less sidecut for more touring over turning. Besides, people here like Fischer's waxless more than Åsnes'. Maybe I'd buy Fischer S Bound 98s to compliment Gammes in the East.

I've met someone who did the 'Traversee De Charlevoix' on narrower skis than Gammes. I wouldn't, but I can see how it'd work if the trail is already packed in. I don't think the Gatineaus get more snow than Charlevoix. Were I going to the Chic-Chocs for powder turns, though: I'd rent big AT skis, because I'm never going to get good enough tele technique for powder days, living in Southern Ontario, LMAO.

[fisheater]

I certainly will not fault the Objective / Vector line of thought, as long as you have the boot to handle those skis. I have a stiff leather and a T-4, for my Tindan 86 which is a similar width to the Objective, but a stiffer ski ski.
The Falketind Xplore is a heck of a ski. It’s good downhill and on kick and glide. It also tracks, even on hardpack which surprised me. I have a Gamme, and I am as pleased with my FT X as I am with my Gamme.
Asnes really nailed it on the latest version of the Falketind.

[connyro]

I certainly will not fault the Objective / Vector line of thought, as long as you have the boot to handle those skis. I have a stiff leather and a T-4, for my Tindan 86 which is a similar width to the Objective, but a stiffer ski ski.
The Falketind Xplore is a heck of a ski. It’s good downhill and on kick and glide. It also tracks, even on hardpack which surprised me. I have a Gamme, and I am as pleased with my FT X as I am with my Gamme.
Asnes really nailed it on the latest version of the Falketind.

How's the FT for breaking trail in/or deep snow? OP indicates maybe a need for a ski that's good for deeper snowpack. Plus I'm curious

[lilcliffy]

Curious- what was the challenge with the Gamme in 25cm of fresh snow?

[lilcliffy]

I am very familiar with the skiing in the area you speak of- though I have not skied in Jacques Cartier NP- Charlevoix- and east and north to Saguenay in almost a decade now.

The terrain in Jacques Cartier NP is full-on Laurentian- it is mountainous-steep terrain and densely forested- at those coordinates- to my knowledge there is not the required elevation to offer the "big mtn" above treeline conditions that exist in places like Mt Valin, and the mtns in the Gaspe.

When the conditions are perfect- very deep snow base + soft fresh snow- the hwd galde skiing in the Laurentians is spectacular- just as it is in VT, NH, ME and NB.

Otherwise the trail skiing is fantastic- but the trails are tight, steep and the off-trail is very densely forested, and unless the snow allows for full-on glade skiing (as mentioned above)- one's skiing is regulated to the trail.

On the subject of snowpack- don't let the "40cm" lead you to assume 40cm of "powder"- this is the Northeast still and the majority of the snowfall is dense and moisture rich.

By Noel there is traditionally a solid frozen ~40cm snowpack north of QC city but it is not "powder"- it is 40cm of refrozen base- with- hopefully- some soft cold fresh snow on top.

I have MANY times travelled to this region to find half a metre of cold frozen white concrete.

This being said- it is all north of the 46 and has a more continental climate than NB and historically does not suffer from the same extemity of temperature shifts as NB. As the season deepens- traditionally- the snow doesn't melt as much as NB and just keeps deepening and getting better.

My damn point?

The Gamme 54 is an awesome trail ski for the Laurentians- one just might need a shorter length- depending on skier weight and/or technique and/or waxing- to deal with all the steep tight trails.

The Ingstad is better in very deep soft snow- but IME/IMO that is the only context where it performs better than the Gamme.

(There are other Nordic touring skis to consider her as well- E109/TN82, E99/TN66, 78, 88, Nansen, Sverdrup, Eon/M62). Personally I would not consider a ski like the FT unless I was touring for turns- and when the conditions enable this in the Laurentians my experience is that you want a wider surfier ski than the FT...

For deep soft snow- touring for turns- glade skiing- yes, downhill touring skis (e.g. objective/vector mentioned above) are dreamy in that region- but don't always expect snow conditions that will support that skiing- but always expect the steep, tight trail skiing to be world-class.

............

Connyro is skiing at ~the same latitude as this region (and the same as mine) but his climate is more continental and receives much cold. deep, soft lake-effect snow. When I have these conditions I am reaching for my Kom/Storetind (and dreaming of a Voile V6)- but I don't get these conditions as oftern as he does...I am thinking...

[fisheater]

Conny, the deepest lightest snow I have broken trail in is at the Porkies during Telefest. I climbed up the XC trails my first day to the top. I definitely went of trail just to see how it climbed at XC pitch. The ski was supportive in that soft snow, the ski did disappear under the surface in drifted snow, but it was fully supportive and in that light snow it broke trail easily. My 86 mm underfoot Tindan would have floated better, but I think the FT X has been pretty easy trail breaking so far combined with the soft Alaska boot. The FT X broke trail pretty well in 16” or so of wetter snow at White Grass for a few days earlier in the season. The ski didn’t sink very far in that wetter snow, it only disappeared skiing downhill there!
So I’m happy with how it breaks trail. I wouldn’t tell the OP to get a Falketind Xplore instead of a Vector / Objective. However if the OP had a Vector and was looking for something that was lighter and faster, I bet the Falketind Xplore would take more ski time away from the Vector than someone might think.
I have a Gamme, a Falketind Xplore, and a Tindan 86. I wouldn’t want to be without either of the three, but I don’t need another ski. These three have me covered.