November 11, 2022 - KPF Trail Maintenance

I hoped to ski Bountiful Ridge but it quickly became obvious the cover was still way too thin so I ended up just doing some trail maintenance for the coming ski days. 

Up KPF to Rudy’s Flat then down the North Canyon Trail. There was about 15 inches of snow at Rudy’s Flat (7,160ft). No core-shots but I hit plenty of rocks. The Voile V6's are my first choice in rocks skis as they have always been one of my biggest disappointments. I bought them brand-spanking new about five years ago with huge expectations. They came with rave reviews, from magazines, blogs and friends because, presumably, they are very light and they float like a fatty surf-board, but I found them to be heavy, slow and cumbersome from edge-to-edge, and I HATE skies that are slow to turn. Admittedly, I am not a big-turn, surfy-skier, I like fast, quick turns, whether in powder or on hard-pack, so the V6’s just did not work for me. In comparison, my Black Diamond Helio 104s, which are 5mm wider than the V6s, are much quicker edge-to-edge and much easier to initiate a turn. Perhaps it makes no sense from a physics point of view, 5mm more width should be tougher to move, but they’re NOT. The Helio 104s are light and playful and they carve a turn with ease. What’s more, they float way better then the V6’s, they rise to the surface while the V6’s are lazy and prefer to submarine. The reality is that we all have different body types, and different ski-styles originating from our ski-conception-DNA, and the micro differences in ski lay-up that might work for some skiers could be total hell for another. The V6’s for me may not be total hell, they’re just not fun to ski. That said, the V6s are my go-to rock-ski, they bring confidence in early-season thin snow because I don’t give a SHIT! if I destroy them.

KPF, newly maintained, waiting for a big dump.

15-inches at Rudy’s Flat (7,160ft).

Moose are back . . until hunters get the word then they’ll disappear for a few years. 

Rock skis

No motos, a suggestion not a rule. Later this winter the ski motos arrived en-masse. Ironically funny! I use to whine about too many skiers, but those ski-motos track out everything, effortlessly, in a matter of minutes.