• Jack-it Night: April 2024 RS Meeting Hey Guest: Wed. April 3rd is the next Rising Sun meeting, and you won't want to miss it. We're doing our annual offroad recovery equipment demonstration and trail skills training aka "Jack It Night." Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. (early) Click here for all the details.

Winter Backcountry

KC Masterpiece

Hard Core 4+
Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
1,291
I'd second binding are probably the most important choice. I also agree you probably have the skills to DIY a board.

Your also welcome to borrow one of my setups for a day if you want to get a feel for it.

After having both setups I really do think hardboots are the way to go now, especially in technical terrain on the uphill. Hardboots and crampons is true uphill 4wd. I can do about a 40 degree incline with this current setup without sliding too often.
 

Attachments

  • 20210313_114219.jpg
    20210313_114219.jpg
    2.4 MB · Views: 107
  • 20210313_115159.jpg
    20210313_115159.jpg
    3.4 MB · Views: 98

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
I can do about a 40 degree incline with this current setup without sliding too often.
So it's *you* setting those crazy skin tracks. And here I was cussing snowshoers. Those of us still using skinnies (what might once be called mid fat with 95mm waist, God forbid should one still ride the cow though) would like to say "Please use kick turns once in a while!"
 

KC Masterpiece

Hard Core 4+
Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
1,291
So it's *you* setting those crazy skin tracks. And here I was cussing snowshoers. Those of us still using skinnies (what might once be called mid fat with 95mm waist, God forbid should one still ride the cow though) would like to say "Please use kick turns once in a while!"

Hahaha the crampons only come out when it gets really steep. Not trying to ruin good skin tracks! It does makes me happy I can beat the skiers when it gets steep enough. Let's me get a head start so I can watch them pass me at the next transition point. With the larger skin surface and crampons I am able to keep moving uphill past the point kick turns are required when most of the skiers are having to kick step.

I may go to skimo gear one day though. One of the gals I normally skin with got a new setup this year. No joke one of her skiis with the binding weighs less than my cellphone. Its unreal.
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
Speaking of huts, here's an oldie with @L43dean rocking his bitchin', unmistakable Wild Things pack on the way to Harry Gates' Hut back in 2005. As I recall this is what ya get when you tell Marie to "Just surprise me" when she asks you about the color.

IMG_0363.JPG
 
Last edited:

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
Hahaha the crampons only come out when it gets really steep. Not trying to ruin good skin tracks! It does makes me happy I can beat the skiers when it gets steep enough. Let's me get a head start so I can watch them pass me at the next transition point. With the larger skin surface and crampons I am able to keep moving uphill past the point kick turns are required when most of the skiers are having to kick step.

I may go to skimo gear one day though. One of the gals I normally skin with got a new setup this year. No joke one of her skiis with the binding weighs less than my cellphone. Its unreal.
My wife runs Dynafit bindings and Scarpa Gea boots. It's ridiculous how light they are.
 

Shuksan

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
906
Location
Denver
I didn't even consider that... and I have a couple old snowboards that I could consider doing this on. I need to understand more about the bindings though, how they would connect in both configurations... also also best way to latch the two halves together. if only there was a way to search stuff... :rolleyes:
You going to the meeting tonight? I will bring my homemade board and bindings to show you.
 

On the RX

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2016
Messages
1,867
Location
Superior
Dang! I wish i could have laid eyes on your homemade stuff! Just saw this post😒
 

nakman

Club Secretary
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
14,551
Location
north side

Shuksan

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
906
Location
Denver
@Shuksan Hey Brian thanks again for showing me your setup last night... I think I'm going to go the diy route, I've got an old Morrow that could use a second chance at adventure, should work well for this. Or just buy a used one, I dunno.

this seems like a good deal? https://rockies.craigslist.org/spo/d/leadville-venture-split-board/7301673492.html I think your bindings are better
That board is huge and stiff. Made for like a 6'4 240 lb person.

And yes those bidings aren't as nice. Notice that they have a pin system for locking the binding in and mine have the ramp you push down. When you are cold at the top of a hill fiddling with a pin (or possibly losing it) are not good.

I have the spark Arc (https://www.sparkrandd.com/gear/arc-splitboard-bindings/). Those look like quite old burton hitchhikers, which are rebranded versions of sparks (https://www.sparkrandd.com/gear/blaze-pin-mount-splitboard-bindings/).

The other top brand for bindings is Karakoram (https://www.splitboardbindings.com/)

Voile sells a split kit (https://www.voile.com/voile-split-kit-diy.html), but I wouldn't buy the kit if you are gonna buy bindings you can piece together just the parts you need from their site or other places. Other companies make better clips to hold the board together in downhill mode. I can help you with that stuff if you want.
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
What I had in mind regarding the skin track subthread. From the most excellent of handbooks: Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book. The 1996 edition I have pre-dates split boards, at least as a major commercial option.



2021-05-13-0002_mid.jpg
 
Top