Yesterday, after the rain, the temps were well above freezing all day, and overnight, the temperature fell down to 20 degF, which created a crusty surface on the snow (aka: fast and dangerous). Undeterred by a bit of excitement, I decided to go on a mellow bushwhacking adventure in the woods, between bottling 2 batches of John’s homebrew.
Today’s conditions called for my bushwhacking skis: Altai Kom. These skis, made in Quebec, have scales under foot, a 124/98/120 profile, traditional camber with a slight rocker. I have them in the 162 length, which is quite short, but since they are relatively fat and I’m not 😜, I usually stay on top of powder pretty well. And because they are so short, they are perfect for bushwhacking, ie, navigating over or around tight trees, rocks, sleeping bears, etc… I bought these used and they even came with a set of skins for $100. I’ve taken those skis up Belvedere, Laraway, Dewey, the Catamount trail, and even at Smuggs on steep terrain, and they perform relatively well in most conditions. The scales are really advantageous on rolling terrain, as there is no need for skins until it gets steep.
This area of the woods was well covered, as it is more open, and i was able to skate on top of the crusty snow which was really fast and fun.
Manon Belzile 