Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Cross/backcountry skis?

I like the Altai Hoks for a lot of stuff, in fact used them today up near treeline. I wish I had the longer ones, I suspect I could turn better.

You can do a standard turn in free heel gear, I've done it a bunch. Just keep your heels planted. Personally, I feel the Tele Turn is easier in powdery , mixed conditions. I think the wider stance gives me better balance, but then again, I am a real crappy skier.

However, if you want to get some odd looks, go ski a resort with the HOKS and mountaineering boot / universal binding combo (no 3 pin even). I survived a few blues in those last year and got some real odd looks at the lift line. Since I am , a self admitted real crappy skier, I mainly ski even at resorts now a 3 pin setup ,with Garmont Excursions and some sort of skinny Alpina lightweight touring skis. No amount of fancy gear will make me a better skier, so I may as well be comfy.

I kind of went the other way - started with Fischer BC Country Crown (waxless, a bit wider than typical track skis but no metal edge) and put on a NNN touring (not BC) binding. We are often on snowmachine trails but not always groomed tracks.

Last year we went to Salomon Equipe 8 skis (narrower, waxless, partial metal edge) with NNN touring bindings. Less float when off-trail but more control on the ice and crust- especially on packed trails without set tracks.

Hit a local ski swap, Play-it-Again, or Salvation Army. Get out and try it - pretty soon you'll see what you like (off-trail vs on, etc.)

And I do have snowshoes, too.

I just picked up some Rossignol XC skis at the local thrift store. They look almost unused and came with some serviceable looking 3-pin bindings. I just need to find some boots then these should get me on the trail! I got some poles there too and I'm out $26...

I'm mostly planning on staying on the groomers with these - I'm pretty lucky to live near a few pretty extensive trail systems. I figure I ride these for a bit and upgrade when I know exactly what I want to do.

I'm finding backcountry, cross-country, and telemark books when searching for 3-pin boots. Can these be used interchangeably with my 3-pin bindings?

In order of importance

1.Good Boots
2. Good Bindings
3. Skis

Agree with that - I'd spend a bit more coin for some decent boots if they will be compatible with my future gear upgrades...

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