What constitutes 'skiing'?

A question for Charles: <br><br>What constitutes 'skiing'? It's not that I don't want to ski in the early summer, it's that I don't have the strength to haul the gear with me to my usual camping spots. Instead I boot ski, but that leaves something to be desired. Maybe I need a base tune, or the edges sharpened. <br><br><br>Anyway, posting a TR about a boot ski seems rather, ah, em, inappropriate. Do you need 'skis' to ski?<br><br>So what about this setup? <br><br> <br><br>These are real skis; says so right on the package they came in. <br><br>Dimensions: 53 cm, 100 100 100. Weight 480 gms a pair - - including bindings! A nice soft flex in the tip and tail. Well, what there is of a tail. And you can't beat the price. Where else can you get skis this light for $12.95?<br><br>So Charles, if I pack these things up with me to various peaks in the Teanaway this spring, can I file trip reports on TAY? <br><br><br>

Larry, those look like great light-makes-it-right tools. Do they come with harschheisen for those early starts?<br>Us weekend warriors await your reports of Teanaway conditions. Try those suckers in the se gulley of Volcanic Neck!

Could be the coming thing. After the big, fat ski trend reaches its logical conclusion - skis morphing into....snowboards!

Those look friggin sweet! Where did you pick them up?

Those look great - a low-tech version of "Big Feet," which were somewhat popular about ten years ago. I have a couple pairs of "figls" (short firn gliders) in my basement that I haven't used for a while. They offer pretty good performance, but are a lot heavier than the skis in your picture. Here's a photo .<br><br>I wonder how well your plastic skis will hold up? I suspect they may be fragile. Many years ago I made my first pair of shorty skis by sawing the tips off a pair of old wood skis. I made the bindings out of coat hanger wires and old leather "safety straps." They didn't stay on too well.

NE side of Navaho. Never looked at that but sounds like a nice "direct" run toward Mountaineer Creek. Soft snow and mellow pitch are probably the realistic constraints for these puppies. Maybe Goode will make carbon versions (would be slightly above these prices though).<br>Once tried the East side of Earl but since it is so slow to consolidate, always play on the south or west sides. <br>Maybe we'll get a favorite Teanaway runs topic going. This might be the year to be able to drive a long way up the road but still have coverage to be able to ski/skin most of the way up Longs Pass for Stuart ski trip. All this sun makes one start thinking of long smooth spring corn runs.

These little plastic skis look very much like the ones I learned to ski on when I was three years old! How fun!

Thought you might like to see a picture of what these shorties will replace.

web3.foxinternet.net/lrobinson/pics/oldskis.jpg

Classic! I like the idea of bindings that work on just about any boot. But the comfy hiking boots you've been using look pretty floppy for skiing.

I've used sturdy mountain boots with my shorties. Here is a picture of some 60 cm figls:

www.alpenglow.org/misc/2006/figls.jpg

And here are some 130 cm firn skis:

www.alpenglow.org/misc/2006/firn-skis.jpg

The firn skis pack well because they're short, but they're not very light. They weigh about 7 lbs., as much as my normal spring touring skis.

A question for Charles: Ê <br><br>What constitutes 'skiing'?

<br><br>That sounds like a trick question, and I'm not going to fall for it, but you are also asking what warrants the posting of a "trip report". That's a good question in the context of this forum and also a bit tricky to answer. <br><br>The original intent of this forum was simply to provide a place for bc skiers to exchange information on bc snow conditions. Thus, my basic view is that to be worthy of posting as a "trip report" the report should have snow information that would be of interest to a backcountry skier: snow and avalanche conditions and, in season, access information.<br><br>In winter this seems pretty straight forward, but when spring and summer come around it is less so. I'd say that if a skier goes hiking and can provide details on skiable snow, then there would probably be information worth sharing on this forum.<br><br>Should this information be posted as a "trip report"? That's also a tricky question to answer. Is a trip report a "snow conditions report" or is it a "skiing achievement report"? My view is that a trip report should always be a snow conditions report, and can additionally be a skiing achievement report.<br><br>I'm not sure that exact guidelines can be given for all possible situations for deciding whether to post snow information in a Trip Report board or simply in Random Tracks, but I think that most people here have good enough judgement to make that decision themselves.

Hey man, I think thats awesome. I have a pair of K2 Fatty skiboards that I frequently ride. Short skis are really fun and allow shorty users to get some left over goodies from the previous days. I have "skied" some gnarly lines with the short guys, mainly because they allow alot more agility and access to lines that people with longer skis don't want to attempt. You can carve twice as many turns with the shorties(mine are 88cm) and I'm sure that you can carve thrice as many with those little guys. They are also good for boosting your ability in narrow chute situations. One of my favorite descents on shorties is the sasquatch chute at Crystal and all of the really tight chutes above Ingrids at Alpy.Late spring early summer descents are made alot easier if you bring the little guys. Hit the muir snowfield countless times and Mt Elinor a few times as well. Anyways, let me know if you want to get nasty on some shoties sometime. I can be seen riding the Fattys at Alpental at night frequently....well i guess not anymore this year. Right on...Have fun...Andy

Larry,<br><br>From my understanding, the Sasquatch Chute at Crystal is named from a rock monolith. The chute is on Silver King near the monolith. The name stems from the striking resemblance of the rock to a Sasquatch looking over the ski area. It sticks out like a sore thumb on the northwest face of the King and can be seen plain as day from the Forest Queen or Chair 6. Next time you are up there look for a second and it will immediately be obvious. The chute is really fun too....Andy.