Anyone Snowshoe or Cross Country/Touring Ski in Off Season? Getting Started Tips?

[mtnbiker208]

My my that slope looks ripe for a big slide.

it does, but not everytime! that is where learning about slides come into play. they don't just happen.

 

[Whisky]

My wife has been loving her birthday present

These are great skis, exactly what I was looking for!! For her I mean.

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Marbles]

I love cross-country skiing and do it a lot, but it's ONLY FOR GROOMED SKI TRACKS. I see people using them off trails, and they're a terrible tool for that.

Agree that snowshoes are the best tool for what you describe, and just getting out on the snow.

A really fun way to get around once you're comfortable on snowshoes, are "ski shoes", or short skis with built in skins. I have both the "Altai" brand and "OAC" brand. Both are excellent. They take a bit of getting used to but are a great way to get around, and a little more efficient than snowshoes. When skiing downhill I highly recommend the technique using a single stout wooden pole that you lean on as a rudder.

Depends on the ski set up. Full metal edge skis with a tech binding toe and heal pad are significantly better for breaking trail than snow shoes. The set up is also expensive though due to the cost of BC touring boots.

I agree that a skinny ski with no metal edges and NNN bindings is best on groomers.

BC touring skis with skins, while not as efficient as a cross country ski on flats, are pretty good to. For me, I enjoy exploring on skis, breaking trail in snowshoes is not something I enjoy though.

 

[medvedyt]

they don't glide as well as traditional skis- they are shorter (and wider) and have a length of skin built into the bottom, but they still do glide pretty well on packed roads

little late on the battle but do you need wax to use those skis?