Skis on the kayaks?

I had posted this on a westcoastpaddler.com, since the ski part of the trip is less problematic for me, but I am pretty hungry for any advice, so I thought I would let you all have a chance!

The dates may be slipping back because I broke my thumb on the Tatoosh, but everything else is the same.

Thanks in advance!

/quote

Hi.

My partner and I are planning a two week paddle from Tofino to the Bedwell river around April 14-28th. The really fun part is that we are taking skis and hoping to get from the river up into Strathcona and spend a week exploring and looking for decent snow.

We are neck deep in planning mode, and any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Some of our present debates are:


How and where to attach the skis,

Whether to put the skis a PVC tube or wrap with plastic to protect the metal,

Where to camp on the way, and where to stash to boats (Clayoquot Wilderness Resort SEEMS to be tolerant from the internet, but...)

How low is the snowpack?

Ice axe, crampons, ropes, etc- cursed weight!

And of course there are a ton of things we are concerned about but can (presumably) handle when we are there: trail condition (if any), river crossings, wolves, bears, cats, how much wine to bring, and so on.

I humbly ask for ANY help, tips, beta or speculative rants regarding stuff we haven't thought of. And I thank you all for your help in advance.

Jon

How cool is that?!

I'd be concerned about my bindings getting damaged by the seawater. I'd think that the edges _might_ survive, if you bring/find a stone. Same would go for the mounting screws - I'd be sure they're sealed up.

Might the skis actually fit inside the boat, bases against the hull? (I'm a whitewater paddler, so sea kayaks have always seemed spacious) Keeping your deck clear and your center of gravity low is good.

Why take skis? Just bootpack with the Kayaks on your back and then, waaaaaaahoooo, think of the ride down. Use paddles as poles.

Seriously, a very cool trip you have planned there. I guess my advise in such a remote area would be take a sattelite phone if no cell phone coverage. I know it isn't exactly Lewis and Clark taking a phone but that's some seriously remote territory. You can rent them by the week . Or an emergency locator beacon!

Something about small boats, large waves and cold water always worries me.

A friend of mine did a kayak/ski trip many years ago but I don't remember many details of how it went. One thing that sticks in my mind is that he did the trip using Nordic gear (leather boots) with simple, heavy-duty three-pin bindings. His theory was that you don't want a binding with moving parts that need to remain corrosion free. I don't think he wrapped up the skis at all. I remember pictures of the skis strapped right on the deck of his kayak. This was in the 1980s.

I'd be tempted to put a thick-thick layer of wax on, and then scrape when I got the to skiing, and maybe shrink-wrap the bindings (like at airports). Maybe not useful if you are thinking of mixing the paddling and skiing over the trip, but?

I've done a fair bit of sea and river kayaking. And what you are doing is a bit of a dream of mine! Anyhow, I would, since I tele, put my bindings in a seperate bag and not mount the skis till I get to shore (everything would be pre drilled). It would take only a few minutes to mount. I would leave the plates on, just take the rest off. I would try and stuff the skis into the kayak. For a trip like that I wouldn't care if they got rusted, but that's me. They'd be good enough to ski for a week I'm sure. From what you said, I assumed your ski portion was a week away from your kayaks and then back rather than multiple excursions.

Anyhow, have fun. Bring back pics