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Spliffs in the Backcountry

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  • Spliffs in the Backcountry

    Just a little solo short backcountry trip today on New Years Eve. Took my Spliffs out for their first backcountry outing ....
    The trip starts out back behind this big lodge....

    It is beautiful here with fresh pow everywhere and on the trees.... and no people ..There is a trail made by cross country skiers through the forest that I follow ....



    My destination is an abandoned ski area ... the lift is still there but they have removed all the chairs years ago and now the slope has reverted to backcountry .. This is a picture I took after I had descended the slope ... those are my tracks .. when I got there the slope was completely undisturbed .. likely had not been skied all year ... the cross country skiers had just got to the meadow and no one had climbed the slope ...



    It is cold and very quiet .. my Spliffs work wonderfully ,breaking trail through the undisturbed snow ... Pretty soon I top out and do my transition to downhill mode .. Here are my Spliffs up against a tree ... the binding is a standard receptor binding , with a special heel piece designed by Bill here on the forum which is the toe piece for uphill climbing with attached telemark cables, the
    front lever is a specially designed part by Slow here on the forum , that doubles as a heel elevator on the climb up ..
    I just remove the telemark cables and climbing skins and turn my boot around and latch in normally for the descent , really a cool set up ... I use my Full Tilt Booters as my boots. which are a great comfortable ski boot that is great for backcountry work


    The downhill is fantastic ... a word about backcountry snow ... it has been a week since the last big storm , there has been some snow flurries but no new snow ... this slope has been undisturbed all season ... the weather has remained very cold , the snow sets up and becomes more supportative underfoot .. totally different then a ski area which has skier packed slopes with new snow falling that gets chopped up ... this snow is just perfect smooth as velvet and very supportative , I do not feel any firm snow underneath but you can see that I don't sink much , the Spliffs just plane smooth on the surface ... wonderful !

    I love the Spliffs .... they are just as floaty as the RC for me , when I ride them with the 4cm set back . I ride them different then the RC where I turn from the center of the board pivoting and sliding in the soft snow ... the Spliffs I ride by bouncing up and down on the tail ... two different rides, both fantastic !


    Happy New Years , Everyone !
    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

  • #2
    No crampons?

    Hey, JJue
    How steep does the pitch need to be before you need crampons?

    Shawn
    171cm/190lbs
    Current Favorites:
    RVL8 Yin/Yang Blunts, Spruce Sherpas (x2) & Ospreys, Coda custom Yetis v1 140
    Spruce Pro Primes w/Attack 13's (x 4), Bomber Elite 1
    Other boards I'm trying:
    Summit Custom Carbon 110, Dynastar Twin 85, Coda custom Yetis v2 145

    Comment


    • #3
      Wow. That SO looks worth the climb. The pictures show the lack of humidity in the air, clearly lovely and cold and crisp. A good to be alive day.
      Crossbow (go to dream board)
      Most everything else over time.
      Go Android

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Fedfan View Post
        Hey, JJue
        How steep does the pitch need to be before you need crampons?

        Shawn
        Hi Shawn .. It is not the steepness of the pitch so much as the consistency of the snow that determines the need for crampons. ski crampons are used when the skins do not provide enough traction and start to slip .. this is usually in steeper icy slopes.
        We usually use them in the spring time when we are climbing such steep icy slopes in the morning hoping to begin our descent after the slopes have softened in the warm sun ... I have also found them useful in the winter when we are climbing on heavily travelled steep skin tracks that have become icy and frozen .... when the snow is soft like it was yesterday there is plenty of traction with skins alone ....
        Boards :
        Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
        Boots
        K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
        Bindings:
        Zero Pro Non release Binding
        Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
        Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
        Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
        Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by valmorel View Post
          Wow. That SO looks worth the climb. The pictures show the lack of humidity in the air, clearly lovely and cold and crisp. A good to be alive day.
          Yes Valmorel , and to tell you the truth I really do enjoy the climb as much as the descent , especially when the climb goes as nicely as it did yesterday ... to have a nice short , manuverable , floaty , lightweight snowshoe like skiboard like the Spliff underfoot for the climb which magically turns into a hugely competent ultra fun downhill slider is just pure joy ... mix that with the cold crisp day , the undisturbed snow , the silence and the solitude and you are absolutely right ... " A good to be alive day .."
          Boards :
          Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
          Boots
          K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
          Bindings:
          Zero Pro Non release Binding
          Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
          Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
          Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
          Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

          Comment

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