Backcountry newbie advice?

[jemezdave]

For the record, when I say lurking I didn't mean this:

[scotthsu]

I was hoping to catch Taos, but an early Xmas gift to myself of Atomic RT-80s pretty much negated that.

sweeet. i ski the RT86's, and i've also demo'd the 80's. I think these are awesome skis, an improvement over the Kongurs (which they replaced) in every conceivable way. The RT86's are my one ski telemark quiver.

I think I met Scott last season at Pajarito. Skiing with Aaron and a bunch of ski patrol. I enjoy your trip reports on summit post. Very detailed. Awesome for the stoke.

glad to hear that you enjoy the summitpost TR's. when i first started skiing backcountry in NM some 5-6 years ago, i couldn't really find any information short of talking to knowledgeable locals. for my summitpost TR's, i'm trying to strike a good balance for showing what's out there while stopping short of being a full-on "guidebook." after all, i don't want our favorite playgrounds to become overrun by sidecountry types

next time you're up at pajarito (when we finally open), please stop by the patrol room to say hi! or i'll just look for the guy with the lurk

-scott

[scotthsu]

I'm demoing this season with the intent to buy at some point the following:

Armada ARV
BD Kilowatt
Fischer Watea
Salomon Gun
Volkl Katana, Mantra
Salomon x-wing series (tornado, fury, etc.)

These seemed to be mostly all mountain skis from the reviews I've read.

i'm curious about the BD kilowatts; i've seen some rave reviews. however, i suspect they'd be a bit unwieldy in bumps though.

-scott

[maubin]

another equipment question... I assume your standard alpine boots aren't very comfortable for AT and skinning, but can I go the other way, i.e. get a pair of AT boots for normal alpine inbounds skiing (full day of bumps, steeps, cruising)?

[Bob]

another equipment question... I assume your standard alpine boots aren't very comfortable for AT and skinning, but can I go the other way, i.e. get a pair of AT boots for normal alpine inbounds skiing (full day of bumps, steeps, cruising)?

Some AT boots are blurring the lines. The Scarpa Tornado, the BD Factor, and Garmont's Endorphin should serve people well both on piste and in the bc, depending on their style. The differences are a somewhat softer flex, but more importantly a walk mode for the cuff and lugged sole.

maubin, if you want to, come into Sangre de Cristo Mountain Works on Friday or Saturday and ask for me. We can discuss options.

[scotthsu]

another equipment question... I assume your standard alpine boots aren't very comfortable for AT and skinning, but can I go the other way, i.e. get a pair of AT boots for normal alpine inbounds skiing (full day of bumps, steeps, cruising)?

also keep in mind that most AT boots won't fit into standard alpine bindings because the rubber/vibram soles make them too tall, but alpine boots will fit into some AT bindings (such as Fritschi's).

one other thing to look for: some AT boots nowadays have interchangeable soles so you can switch between vibram (for hiking/touring and use with AT bindings) and plastic (for using with standard alpine bindings).

i'm sure bob could show you all this at SdCMW.

-scott

PS woo-hoo it's dumping up here in los alamos.

[simonbda]

Hello everyone, another lurker deciding to finally sign up. My name is Simon, I live in Albuquerque and usually ski at Taos. This year I wanted to try some BC skiing as well.

Just like the OP, I know I need to get educated first. I'll take the avi1 course either at Taos or Santa Fe. I already have part of the gear: AT setup, skins, beacon, shovel, probe. Hopefully I can find some people interested in hooking for some light touring to start with.

I heard about skinning Pajarito as a good start. Is that possible to do at Sandia too? I know they only open Wed-Sun during the season, so I wonder if Monday and Tuesday touring is possible.

[AaronA]

Another problems with AT boots in regular alpine bindings is that they don't release properly due to the rubber sole.

Another book everyone who spends any time recreating in the mountains should have is Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills.

I'm with Scott on the "quiver of 1" approach to skiing, though I still ski the Atomic TM:EX (84 mm waist). They were supposed to be a great AT ski, too, and I got mine for ~$90 with 5 days on 'em. That said, I inherited a pair of Pocket Rockets (90 mm waist) from my brother-in-law and I'm anxious to try them out.

maudin, good luck! Hope to see you out there!

AaronA