Doesn't that depend upon using the appropriate wax? I could imagine that waxless skis would be ineffective when it starts to get really cold....

We have the same conversations in our house but with the roles reveresed!

No, by those temps the snow is like sand, the wax or waxless surface drags. This is because the ski actually glides on a very thin layer of water. As temps go down and the water layer gets microscopically thin, the friction goes way up.

See a short description at:

http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211_fall2002.web.dir/Tyler_Freeman/index.html


Respectfully,

Jerry

Plenty of polar expeditions on skis that has pushed on in -40C, but no one said anything about that being a pleasant experience...

I've heard the snow-becomes-sand argument plenty times, and I think there is some merit to it, but I don't think skiing becomes totally unpractical. Forget about skis gliding like you see on winter sport TV and think more about it like a long and thin snow shoe that you move horizontal instead of lifting them. That is closer to what you do when skiing through virgin snow anyway, even at higher temps.

But I have to admit limited experience with these things, the coldest I've been skiing was somewhere just below -20C, and with a light wind. Any stop more than 3 minutes would require me to push it for another 15 minutes before I could feel my toes again... it's a pretty itchy feeling knowing any really long stops exposed to the wind would guarantee frostbitten toes unless you've got something warmer to put on.

But the skis on my snowmobile had no trouble making progress in -40C, though... Big, clumpy boots and proper clothing made that a fun experience.

One of our local writers just posted a nice peice about The Joys of skiing in Alaska at -20 F (-29 C).

Of course, the folks up in interior Alaska think those of us in Anchorage are a bunch of wimps!

I have heard that Alaskans state that one of the nice things about living in Anchorage is that you are just a few minutes away from the real Alaska....

On Denali a "few" years ago, we were routinely skiing in -20C conditions, and I don't recall anyone stopping because the skis wouldn't work (sometimes the skiers wouldn't work, however).

Yes, that's kind of true. Life within Anchorage isn't that much different than any other fairly large northern city (except for a few moose now and then eating your shrubs in your yard ). Yet, if you started walking due east from one of the subdivisions up on the "Hillside", into Chugach State Park.....you wouldn't cross another road for about a hundred miles when you hit the Richardson Hwy north of Valdez. Of course you would have to swim across College Fiord in Prince William Sound, dodging small icebergs and maybe a cruise ship or two.

Life in Alaska can be a study in contrasts. We sometimes have to remind ourselves that people pay big bucks to come up here and do stuff we can do on a long weekend.

Also, skis still work when it gets cold, they just get slow and noisy.

MostlyHarmless

"I've heard the snow-becomes-sand argument plenty times, and I think there is some merit to it, but I don't think skiing becomes totally unpractical. Forget about skis gliding like you see on winter sport TV and think more about it like a long and thin snow shoe that you move horizontal instead of lifting them. That is closer to what you do when skiing through virgin snow anyway, even at higher temps. "

I did not say it was impossible, just impractical. When you start trying to walk on skis, it is not moving horizontal you have to pick it up. Since the ski and binding was not designed to be lifted it becomes a LOT of work. Much more than using snow shoes. I have tried it and will go for the snow shoes any time. Yes, people have used skis to go a long way in very cold temps, they just had to work harder than was necessary. Modern light weight cross country skis might be less of a problem (I have not tried them in those temps.) although reports from friends indicate it is still a chore and you cannot wear -40 capable boots in the modern binding. I go for the warm.

Respectfully,

Jerry

It is quite practical to ski in very cold weather. You don't really need to pick them up that much, if at all. You just don't get nearly much much glide. I wouldn't say they are any more work than snowshoes. These days there is a wide range of ski/boot combinations available. Everything from skinny racing gear, to telemark gear, to alpine touring gear. There are also various kinds of overboots that add warmth. There have been several Anchorage guys who have done some very serious winter trips in the Brooks Range on touring skis. Amundsen used skis on the first successfull expidition to the South Pole, and that has been repeated by other parties in recent years. I've met one of the members of the 1993 Antarctic Women’s Expedition, who skied to the South Pole.

Snow shoes are also a great tool, and as you note, they do have the advantage of working with almost any kind of boot. I mostly use skis, but I also have a couple of kinds of snowshoes. Snowshoes are nice and compact. That makes them handy in thick brushy terrain, or to carry as emergency gear on snowmobiles. I mostly use my snowshoes for SAR stuff, since they are less hassle to take on a helicopter.

Skis...snowshoes....whatever works for you is a good choice, in my opinion.

I respectfully have to disagree about the lifting part here. If the ski is totally submerged (very powdery or very rotten snow, or very thin skis) you may have to lift it upwards. This is of course very tiresome - but under most conditions you can just push it forward, no lifting required.

When pushing forward you let the ski rest on the ground. Your weigth is on your other foot - but you don't have to physically lift the foot that moves forward OFF the ground. Shift your weight to your left foot, (lift your right foot if submerged), let your right foot rest passively on the ground and move it forward.

I've been doing this under a huge range of conditions, from +10 to -20-something C. Heck, I've even skied on dry asphalt (student festival happening). I haven't tried the -40C and "snow as sand" thingy, but increased friction would not prevent me from sliding the non weight-bearing ski forward. We're talking about snow here, not super glue.




I believe both statements. Skiing with poor gliding conditions is a chore, no matter what. (I still don't lift them unless I sink too deep). And the -40 capable boots are a challenge. Such boots / overboots are used by polar expeditions, but are not in regular sale where I live.