More Red Love

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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

More Red Love

Post by fisheater » Sun Jan 03, 2021 9:36 pm

I know there isn’t a lot of love for reds, but red made my weekend. Friday we had a little more than an inch, it came in big wet flakes, then it got misty. A few drops, a little sleet, definitely not enough to ski, but hiking isn’t cutting it. I read a report of a micro climate area 100 miles north had 12”. It was groomed, and tracked, but beggars can’t be choosers. So off I go, 100 freeway miles, both me and the trails weren’t far off the freeway. Now the temperature was 28 F, fresh, soft, snow. I gave the Rex Universal a shot heel to tip on top of a Polar base wax. First surprise was I was just about forced to use the tracks, second surprise was that they were more than wide enough for Gamme. I was quite surprised that I couldn’t get grip. I kept at it, like it was just going to start gripping, I must have killed a few too many brain cells when I was young. Because I’m so bright I left the tin of Swix Violet in the truck, so I threw a couple coats of blue over the Rex, heel to tip. I had marginal improvement, but too much slippage for good kick. Time to go with what works, one layer of red/silver just in the kick zone. Gamme was smiling, tracks aren’t terrible if you like coloring in the lines. I had a great time, in some fun terrain. It’s also in one of those areas that get extra snow.
So I stayed up a little late Saturday night watching a college football bowl game. I wake up this morning and we have another 2” of wet snow. Now we have 3”, and it is wet, 33 F. So I tell ski dog we’re going to give it a shot. I left her at home Saturday, not knowing if dogs were allowed. I’ve been carrying a small pack, I put my camel pack in the pack with too much water, but not many supplies. It’s more about getting used to hiking and skiing with the pack. I figure if I run into unskiable trail, I’ll put them on my pack and hike. Deer seasons ended Jan 1, so I told ski dog she could go off leash. I arrive, good coverage, trail was a little tracked by hikers, and it’s wet. I always try colder first, however not today. I put a layer of red klister right over the red/silver in the kick zone. It was great straight out of the shoot. The grip and glide was awesome! Climbing was excellent, as this is a really hilly area. There were a couple skiers out before me, that had to herring bone hills I was climbing straight up. I had a great time. My ski Viszla has been leash bound since October. She was 50 yards in front, than run back and be 50 yards behind me. Well, you know you put some miles in and are making good time, when the last couple miles, she just trots behind you.
I had great skiing this weekend. I skied fast (for me) and had a great time. I have the skis in the back of my cap equipped pick up. They’re wedged in so they won’t bounce or rattle. It going to be right at freezing the next couple days. I could be out again, before I break out the baby powder. I imagine it’s pretty great being able to use blue and green all winter, but it’s pretty darned great kicking and gliding on red as well. I always have a shop towel or two in the back of the truck, I didn’t even get sticky fingers!

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Rodbelan
Posts: 892
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2014 8:53 am
Location: à la journée
Ski style: Very stylish
Favorite Skis: Splitkein
Favorite boots: Alpina Blaze and my beloved Alpina Sports Jr
Occupation: Tea drinker

Re: More Red Love

Post by Rodbelan » Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:54 am

Good témoignage man... Red AND Klister too are excellent assets, depending on the snow temp and condition...
É y fa ty fret? On é ty ben dun ti cotton waté?
célèbre et ancien chant celtique



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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: More Red Love

Post by lilcliffy » Tue Jan 05, 2021 9:16 pm

@Master Eater of Fish
Respect and admiration.
Passion faith and commitment to Nordic Magic.
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.



User avatar
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: More Red Love

Post by fisheater » Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:13 pm

Thank you Gareth

Word to the wise, when you use klister, put the baby powder on when you get back to the truck. Better yet, have a beer and baby powder at the truck. Relax, enjoy the beer, powder and scrape klister. A lot of hair brain ideas work, leaving klister on in the cold storage of the back of a pick up isn’t one of them.



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Musk Ox
Posts: 507
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 7:53 am
Location: North
Ski style: Bad
Favorite Skis: I am a circumpolar mammal
Favorite boots: Hooves
Occupation: Eating lichen, walking about

Re: More Red Love

Post by Musk Ox » Wed Jan 06, 2021 5:38 am

I love Red grip wax and I cannot lie.



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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: More Red Love

Post by Woodserson » Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:22 am

Super story! I totally love it, the stoke, the humor, the humble-brag klister flex.

I think I could get used to drinking beer and cleaning klister at the car!

Get's me all curious to see if I should re-visit my self-imposed klister ban.



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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: More Red Love

Post by lowangle al » Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:58 am

I'll bet that Bob didn't even have a pair of no wax skis with him for backup. Did ya Bob?



User avatar
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: More Red Love

Post by fisheater » Wed Jan 06, 2021 4:48 pm

No Al, I only own one no wax ski the S-112 and it’s really my loaner ski.
However, I have seen the light. Someday I will have a Vector with scales.
The Gamme is really a fun ski on my local trails. When I get as little as 4”-6” of soft snow with base below, I enjoy going slower but milking turns on my Falketind. I don’t see how it would be as much fun on an E-99 Crown with reduced glide, or a relatively short T-78 at 199 cm. My up and down twisty trails are most fun going as fast as I can go.
Red/silver generally works really well. Next time I need to scrape it, I’m going to see if baby powder helps with that goo factor. I just really enjoy how a waxed ski feels and performs. I have lived in Michigan my whole life, and entering my 60th year have never had a winter where I didn’t wish we had more snow. So I try to enjoy what snow I have, as much as I am able.



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connyro
needs to take stock of his life
needs to take stock of his life
Posts: 1233
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:46 am

Re: More Red Love

Post by connyro » Wed Jan 06, 2021 5:47 pm

fisheater wrote:
Wed Jan 06, 2021 4:48 pm
...I have lived in Michigan my whole life, and entering my 60th year have never had a winter where I didn’t wish we had more snow. So I try to enjoy what snow I have, as much as I am able.
The previous 2 seasons in the UP have been too much snow. I NEVER thought I would ever say the words "too much snow" but after 2 straight seasons of spending more energy removing snow than I did skiing, It happened. I had to build snow ramps to get my little bravo snowmobile up onto the 6-7 foot base! (I'm not exaggerating) In order to not join the ranks of folks that lost structures to snow load, I spent most of my energy keeping snow off/away from the structures on the farm. This season has had very little snow so far which is a welcome break to be honest. It is however, getting to the point that we need some snow to freshen things up a little. I've been able to enjoy what little we have, but more is needed at this point.



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greatgt
Posts: 904
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:37 am

Re: More Red Love

Post by greatgt » Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:23 am

Think so far have used blue more than the others....Catch the right temp and it's all good....Good story Fish!....TM



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