Short, waxable ski recommendation

[socaltim]

hope to see you at mount Pinos this winter...
i'm working on building a portable row tow for the upper hill top as there is a nice clearing up there , so to get in more teleruns without hiking so much.. at 9000 feet my muscle effiencency drops off fast, and breathing hard is the main issue for me.

You are way more adventurous than I! I've never been to the top of Mt Pinos. First time up there, when I started climbing the grade out of the parking lot area, I decided I wasn't ready for the ride back down. To be fair, it was icy, my first time on skis in 10 years, and a lot of hikers and kids to avoid. Since then I have been stopping at the last campground on the left before you get to the top parking lot. There are some very gentle trails, just right for my speed.

But, getting bored with that. Hence the new gear. Or, at least that's the excuse. Got the BC boots, Salomon Escape Outback. I am guessing that will be the biggest game changer for stability and control. Was almost thinking maybe I don't need to go so much shorter on the skis, with this firmer NNN-BC attachment. But, still leaning toward the 187's.

So, this year, I will make it to the top. If I see a crazy guy carving through the trees, I will say hello.

all socal resorts are hell and $$$$. but i am curious to sneak into Mntain High area since they had the big fire that wiped out the resort. many roads and trails are closed to the public. : (

Last I heard, Mountain High plans on opening for the season. Apparently, they ran the snow making sprayers to keep the fire at bay. But, the Forest Service land in the fire area will be closed for at least a year. I am hoping they will just keep CA-2 closed at the gate by Mountain High. Then, I will ski on that. For sure, you could find some good telemarking slopes near there as well.

[blitzskier]

i would start practicing the hike up to the top now while its still easy.. the Hoks performed well up on those trails because they are so short and fat. I was able to snow plow safely around hikers and snow-shoer's who share the trail. This is impossible on 190-210cm skis
And the skin base give you lots of downhill control because it slower than an alpine ski due to the skin is not so fast.

i'm seriously looking at picking up an oxygen tank set up for my truck, they can be rented at elder care stores. or bought used on craigs-list
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/h ... 37185.html

but yeah finding gentle slopes in the 6000 foot range is more realistic in terms of cardio and lung function. i did some back-country on the north side of the Mnt High wrightwood area, where there is no resort. I recommend this spot for learning . its easy to drive up to the clearing next to the club house on the northside. table mountain

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Table ... FQAw%3D%3D

[socaltim]

but yeah finding gentle slopes in the 6000 foot range is more realistic in terms of cardio and lung function. i did some back-country on the north side of the Mnt High wrightwood area, where there is no resort. I recommend this spot for learning . its easy to drive up to the clearing next to the club house on the northside. table mountain

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Table ... FQAw%3D%3D

I scouted out that Table Mountain area last year, was on my way to Grassy Hollow, but CA-2 gate was closed at Mountain High for some reason. I was trying to decide whether there was enough snow when it started to come down. On the ground was borderline and I did not want to drive down through weather, so I bugged out. Glad I did, as I get hit with a tremendous deluge that brought traffic to a stop on 210. There were flash floods in the foothills. I guess it would have been a blizzard up top, which I think is why the gate was closed, if they could see that coming. I liked the looks of FS-4N21 on the way up to Table Mountain, for my style skiing, but it was bare that day.

The place I stop on Pinos is about 8000 feet, but gentle slopes, so I can work as hard as I want. I'd like to find something at the bottom, which is about 6000 feet. After a big storm, it can a week to open the gates. Hadn't thought about the easier oxygen level.

[blitzskier]

yes 4N21 is a nice xc ski route, its an easy hiking trail very flat.. and can lead you into a nice back country downhill ski run back down the hill to the Big Pines hwy , where you can possibly hitch hike back up to the parking area and do it over again.

the mnt pinos meeting spot is much lower elevation and also much less steep skiing. could be 6500-7000 foot level, much more tolerable aerobic workout
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mt+Pi ... FQAw%3D%3D
i like to head south-east of the parking area, as there are some interesting hills here, if you go West from the lot you end up in private properties. 9N15 route is something to check out

never been to the old ski lodge yet, but here's another area of interest while up there
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Old+S ... FQAw%3D%3D

[socaltim]

So, I went ahead with the Admundsen 187's. Thinking I should have gone a size higher now that they are here. I expect the stiffer boot/binding and softer camber is going to do a lot for control even without going so short. But, in for a penny in for a pound! I can probably even do a kick turn, which I couldn't do with my 205's flopping around, getting snagged on bushes.

Can't wait to get on the snow and see if the glide is tolerable. I have heard some pessimistic predictions, but continue to believe the right wax will do the job. When I first started 50 years ago, the skis had a lot less camber and we didn't have any glide wax, just waxed them end-to-end with the kick wax. Still got decent glide, though someone suggested the wax outside the pocket just got worn off right away. Could be. Can't exactly remember how much camber they had. They were circa 1975 Fischer Europa's, white with red stripes. Possibly 55mm. I guess I used to start with a colder wax end to end, and then if that didn't grip, put warmer wax underfoot.

Roald is kind of grumpy looking fellow, but I like the subdued tone.

[Maxwellian]

Nice! I’ve got waxless skis in similar sizes and width. Hadn’t even considered kick wax for our variable conditions here in SoCal. How fiddly is it with our big swings in temperature?

Lots of interest for me in this thread. I’m still a beginner, hadn’t been on skis from the 90s till last season. Was an okay alpine skier in my youth, but terrible on xc skis. Got inspired seeing skiers while snowshoeing the last few winters. Hadn’t considered all the spectrum of skiing between flat/low angle groomed xc on one end and high angle AT stuff with avy gear on the other.

I’ve only used my atomic 52s in the tracks at Rim Nordic. Was getting the hang of that after a few visits, but can’t even imagine using them off track, I’m impressed.

I’ve also been struggle bussing around mt pinos on some hoks and Fischer 78s. The road situation is definitely tough there. Got some studded tires for my e-bike to try this season, for there and Angeles crest, where the snow gate is often a long walk from skiable snow.

@blitzskier I’m also scheming about a portable rope tow. Saw the ZOA pl1, and the ReWinch but didn’t want to spend that much. Working on something cordless drill powered. I think it’s doable judging by the performance of drill powered rope ascenders (400m ascent on a 5ah battery, similar vertical speed to brisk walk up 30% hill)

[socaltim]

Getting the right wax has been surprisingly easy for me, mainly because the road conditions block access to any fresh powder, and I usually go in the afternoon. So temp is almost always above freezing, after a few days of freeze/thaw. Klister works great on that kind of snow, just a little if it's near 30, a lot if near 40. Might be tougher if you started off in the morning when it is still below freezing and went through that transition. It is a bit messy, but you get the hang of that.

I would guess waxless work pretty well on that kind of snow too, and gave it some thought when I discovered how hard it is to get waxless non-track skis these days. But, I had some very bad experiences with waxless on cold snow, where you could even hear the traction pattern dragging you down. To be fair, they were undersized for my weight.

RimNordic is nice, but about 2.5 hour drive for me, if I don't get caught in traffic jam going to/from the resorts. Mt Pinos is an hour closer. But, the drive back home is still such a buzz kill. I did an Airbnb cabin in Sugarloaf neighborhood near Big Bear for a few days once. It abuts National Forest at south end where there are a lot of hiking trails, so I could pretty much ski right out my door. It is gentle terrain, which is just my speed, but steeper slopes are not far. It is at about 7200 feet on a north facing slope, so snow stays around.

[lilcliffy]

So, I went ahead with the Admundsen 187's.

Very cool! Let us know how you make out with this ski!

Thinking I should have gone a size higher now that they are here. I expect the stiffer boot/binding and softer camber is going to do a lot for control even without going so short.

Curious- do you find the camber-flex soft?

I can probably even do a kick turn, which I couldn't do with my 205's flopping around, getting snagged on bushes.

I personally, dont have any issue with kick-turning even my 210s- though certainly easier with a shorter ski- but, do know many that do have difficulty kick-turining longer skis.

I guess I used to start with a colder wax end to end, and then if that didn't grip, put warmer wax underfoot.

This is precisely the method I use on all my Nordic touring skis- both smooth and scaled bases.

[socaltim]

Curious- do you find the camber-flex soft?

Now that you ask, I think they are probably stiffer than my Atomics, but there is just less room to travel, and I am 30 pounds over the recommended weight. So, they do flatten to the floor with my weight spread between them. That's really what I meant. I am thinking I may have a problem with the wax icing up or collecting snow if I stand still too long. But a little running in place should clear that off.

But, I think I will love the control. I had never thought about it before, but with the higher camber your strongest point of contact with the snow when turning is somewhere ahead of and behind your foot. I think it takes a level of strength and agility I no longer have to keep the pressure balanced between. Much easier with good contact right under foot.

[novavoyager]

Thanks for the information.