Advice needed: Gearing up for Ostrander?
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 6:54 pm
My instigator friend K is instigating a two-night trip to the Ostrander ski hut in Yosemite this March. I suspect that my present complement of gear and skills isn't exactly appropriate to the excursion, so I'm trying to figure out what I can acquire (by renting, buying, or practicing) between now and then to maximize utility.
My deal: I've been xc skiing for over 40 years, which is enough for even me to have become proficient---both at skiing (especially the classic technique) and spending long days outside under winter conditions. However, the bulk of my experience has been on racing skis (the currently favored pair is 202 cm long with sidecut 41-44-44) in groomed trail systems. And while some of these have featured >500 m of relief and stretches that (in elevation gained and average gradient) resemble the last three miles to Ostrander along the Bridalveil Creek trail, I don't imagine that I have any idea what I'm getting into.
I'm guessing that my racing skis aren't exactly the thing for this trip. But what is? I've never downhill skied and my downhill technique, such as it is, consists entirely in snowplows delivered with various degrees of acuity and determination. I'm not going to spend the layover day seeking death-defying descents. So I think I'm asking: what, under the range of conditions it's reasonable to expect, will get me most happily to Ostrander and back, while also facilitating non-gonzo poking around on the layover day?
When I ask the internet this question, I get a lot of pages about "bowls" and "skinning" and "carving", which gives me Thanksgiving flashbacks. Still, I've emerged with the impression that metal-edged touring skis that accommodate skins might be about the right speed. Does that seem reasonable? If it doesn't, what should I be looking for instead? Other questions:
This year (and alas this year only) I'm living in the Bay Area---any tips about where to rent the sort of gear I need?
What would you do on the layover day if you were me? (But see my next question before answering.)
About skills: I understand that avalanche awareness is huge, and that I have none. K has some, and a firm commitment to minimizing risk. That I'll delegate to her. For me, there's still the issue of moving efficiently and undangerously over the surface of the earth. Are there things I might try to do between now and the actual trip to usefully extend my skiing competences? (I'll probably be on snow at least twice before March, once in a hilly part of North Ontario and once at Royal Gorge.)
THANKS!
My deal: I've been xc skiing for over 40 years, which is enough for even me to have become proficient---both at skiing (especially the classic technique) and spending long days outside under winter conditions. However, the bulk of my experience has been on racing skis (the currently favored pair is 202 cm long with sidecut 41-44-44) in groomed trail systems. And while some of these have featured >500 m of relief and stretches that (in elevation gained and average gradient) resemble the last three miles to Ostrander along the Bridalveil Creek trail, I don't imagine that I have any idea what I'm getting into.
I'm guessing that my racing skis aren't exactly the thing for this trip. But what is? I've never downhill skied and my downhill technique, such as it is, consists entirely in snowplows delivered with various degrees of acuity and determination. I'm not going to spend the layover day seeking death-defying descents. So I think I'm asking: what, under the range of conditions it's reasonable to expect, will get me most happily to Ostrander and back, while also facilitating non-gonzo poking around on the layover day?
When I ask the internet this question, I get a lot of pages about "bowls" and "skinning" and "carving", which gives me Thanksgiving flashbacks. Still, I've emerged with the impression that metal-edged touring skis that accommodate skins might be about the right speed. Does that seem reasonable? If it doesn't, what should I be looking for instead? Other questions:
This year (and alas this year only) I'm living in the Bay Area---any tips about where to rent the sort of gear I need?
What would you do on the layover day if you were me? (But see my next question before answering.)
About skills: I understand that avalanche awareness is huge, and that I have none. K has some, and a firm commitment to minimizing risk. That I'll delegate to her. For me, there's still the issue of moving efficiently and undangerously over the surface of the earth. Are there things I might try to do between now and the actual trip to usefully extend my skiing competences? (I'll probably be on snow at least twice before March, once in a hilly part of North Ontario and once at Royal Gorge.)
THANKS!