Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
- fisheater
- Posts: 2510
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
- Location: Oakland County, MI
- Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
- Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
- Occupation: Construction Manager
Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
I had my first trail ski of the year today. I have skied around the yard, so I knew the warm ground made it so that the snow would direct me to the proper wax. It was getting up close to freezing by the time I was able to hit the trail. I didn’t think I could get away with blue, so I waxed with purple, and I threw blue and red/silver in my pocket along with a cork and scraper. I slid around for almost a half mile with the purple. That was enough, slop a layer of sticky red/silver on. I cork it on with a synthetic cork. It’s really better than the natural cork for dealing with gooey wax.
Well it was another day in the hills of Oakland County Michigan where red/silver offered good grip and glide. While the glide was great on snow, there was quite a bit of sudden stopage when I hit leaves. The leaves didn’t stay stuck to the base, but the skis sure stopped when they hit leaves. Rocks, ice, and leaves made for an interesting ski. I’ll be up early tomorrow to get another loop in before it starts melting in the afternoon.
Happy Trails
Well it was another day in the hills of Oakland County Michigan where red/silver offered good grip and glide. While the glide was great on snow, there was quite a bit of sudden stopage when I hit leaves. The leaves didn’t stay stuck to the base, but the skis sure stopped when they hit leaves. Rocks, ice, and leaves made for an interesting ski. I’ll be up early tomorrow to get another loop in before it starts melting in the afternoon.
Happy Trails
- Woodserson
- Posts: 2968
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:25 am
- Location: New Hampshire
- Ski style: Bumps, trees, steeps and long woodsy XC tours
- Occupation: Confused Turn Farmer
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
Get it done, Fish! Schuss schuss schuss!
- Leo Tasker
- Posts: 88
- Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2018 3:50 am
- Location: Oslo, Norway
- Ski style: Uncoordinated but enthustiastic
- Favorite Skis: Åsnes Gamme
- Favorite boots: Alfa Skarvet
- Occupation: Top Gun Bootfitter
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
Red/silver here today too, the V45 violet wasn't getting the job done. Used it layered up over a white polar base as per Lilcliffy's guide™ and had a good day out! My friends were using klister and struggling, they haven't seen the light yet...
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
The older I get the stupiter I get!!!! Most of my skis have last Springs wet wax on....(45 and Red).....Figure when we get serious crust the wax will disappear....easy...er.....anyway it's been cold so have been smearing green or blue over it....and....the skis go faster but would rip if I did the "right" thing....That ain't happening....And Fish enjoy hearing about people getting early balance fitness.....Nothing better than rocks branches and leaves lichen and whatever the Great Northern forest serves up.....Cause if your not quick and on the balls of your feet.....they will be over your head....TM
- lowangle al
- Posts: 2732
- Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:36 pm
- Location: Pocono Mts / Chugach Mts
- Ski style: BC with focus on downhill perfection
- Favorite Skis: powder skis
- Favorite boots: Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Retired cement mason. Current job is to take my recreation as serious as I did my past employment.
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
Glad to hear you got an early start to your season Bob. I have had the red/ silver wax work for me but it was never great for either kick or glide. I'd rather be on my vector BCs but wouldn't want to turn them into rock skis taking them out on low cover. Do you have the Ingstad no wax?
- fisheater
- Posts: 2510
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
- Location: Oakland County, MI
- Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
- Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
- Occupation: Construction Manager
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
Hello Al, it was nice to trail ski in November. I purchased a Gamme (wax) last December, and it still has not seen snow. If I could have gotten out earlier last week i could have taken it out, but that was the case last winter as well. Usually if it is red/silver or scales temperatures it is also thin, so I’m not spending Ingstad dollars for a rock ski. If I am traveling north to deeper snowpack, I probably have turns in mind.
While red/silver isn’t perfect, it seems to work way more often than I would prefer around here. My “rock” skis are my USGI. I have two pair, one mounted 75 mm the other NNN BC. They work well enough for me, and while the local cobble has put a bit of “pattern” in them, I have been fortunate not to have any serious base or edge damage. It may be a bit heavy, but it is a ski that will get you back. It kicks pretty good, and as long as you can bend it, you can turn it. So for me, sometimes it’s Telemark turns, sometimes step turns, or a hop turn.
If I lived a bit further north, I would need a Vector. Where I’m at, I don’t see the need. That could change if I ever got a chance to ski one though.
While red/silver isn’t perfect, it seems to work way more often than I would prefer around here. My “rock” skis are my USGI. I have two pair, one mounted 75 mm the other NNN BC. They work well enough for me, and while the local cobble has put a bit of “pattern” in them, I have been fortunate not to have any serious base or edge damage. It may be a bit heavy, but it is a ski that will get you back. It kicks pretty good, and as long as you can bend it, you can turn it. So for me, sometimes it’s Telemark turns, sometimes step turns, or a hop turn.
If I lived a bit further north, I would need a Vector. Where I’m at, I don’t see the need. That could change if I ever got a chance to ski one though.
- lilcliffy
- Posts: 4112
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:20 pm
- Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
- Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
- Favorite Skis: Asnes Ingstad, Combat Nato, Amundsen, Rabb 68; Altai Kom
- Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska BC; Lundhags Expedition; Alfa Skaget XP; Scarpa T4
- Occupation: Forestry Professional
Instructor at Maritime College of Forest Technology
Husband, father, farmer and logger
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
Hi Bob!
Wonderful to hear that you are getting some early gliding!
Have you seen the winter forecast!!!! Looks like the Lakes region is going to get a serious winter- lots of cold and snow!!
The interior Northeast forecast- including me- looks wicked as well!
Gareth
Wonderful to hear that you are getting some early gliding!
Have you seen the winter forecast!!!! Looks like the Lakes region is going to get a serious winter- lots of cold and snow!!
The interior Northeast forecast- including me- looks wicked as well!
Gareth
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.
- Cannatonic
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 9:07 pm
Re: Green is Great, Blue the Bomb, in SE MI Red/Silver Gets it Done
evil, evil red/silver wax! I threw my tin of it away a couple years ago - it's the reason they invented kicker skins IMO
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)