March 1, 2007, Bennett Pass, Mt Hood area
3/1/07
OR Mt Hood
3939
7
Bennett Pass is a snowpark that is on the opposite side of highway 35 than Mt Hood. It has several popular low-angle (25ish), low-elevation clearcuts. We went here on Tuesday February 26th, and Thursday March 1st. I was with Jonathan Shefftz who was visiting from Amherst, Mass.
Of the two days we were here, Thursday was the best with a foot of low-density snow received in the past day. On Thursday we dug an RB and got a score of 5. On Tuesday we dug an RB on a slope which was probably more wind-affected and got a score of 4. Of course, by the time you read this, conditions are much different.
Jonathan on Tuesday:
Jonathan on Thursday:
The runs are short, so we did a lot of laps to make up for this. On Tuesday we did 6 laps, and on Thursday we did 8 (which worked out to a bit less than 5000vft). It was a fun two days.
Of the two days we were here, Thursday was the best with a foot of low-density snow received in the past day. On Thursday we dug an RB and got a score of 5. On Tuesday we dug an RB on a slope which was probably more wind-affected and got a score of 4. Of course, by the time you read this, conditions are much different.
Jonathan on Tuesday:
Jonathan on Thursday:
The runs are short, so we did a lot of laps to make up for this. On Tuesday we did 6 laps, and on Thursday we did 8 (which worked out to a bit less than 5000vft). It was a fun two days.
I noticed you were skiing on the Trab Duo Freerando. I just bought a pair. So far I like them in everything except cropped up crud, where I found they were less stable than my REXs. Of course the light weight of the Trabs is great for uphill. How do you like them?
author=Scottk link=topic=6419.msg26391#msg26391 date=1173130004]
I noticed you were skiing on the Trab Duo Freerando. I just bought a pair. So far I like them in everything except cropped up crud, where I found they were less stable than my REXs. Of course the light weight of the Trabs is great for uphill. How do you like them?
The FreeRandos are my friend Jonathan's. I'm sure he loves them, but whether they love him back is questionable. He did one of the most absurd things you can possibly do to a lightweight Dynafit setup: he put the Dynafit brakes on them!! ???
If he's not using them for lift sking he needs to yank those things off!
author=Scottk link=topic=6419.msg26394#msg26394 date=1173134291]
If he's not using them for lift sking he needs to yank those things off!
I know!!!!
Nice shots...........I was up at Meadows last week about that time and the pow was over my head. I'm already jones'in for more. Let's hope the pineapple predicted for this weekend doesn't come to pass and melt away some of that good spring base :(
After two seasons of Dynafit brakelessness, I had some extra brakes available and mainly for the novelty factor I put brakes on my two "heavy" setups: Mira rock skis and new Trab Duo FreeRando, both with Scarpa Matrix retrofitted with Raichle Flexon tongues. Rest assured though that my new lightweight ski mountaineering setup is brakeless: Trab Duo Sint Aero with Dynafit Evo boots (i.e., basically just an updated classic TLT 4 S/Pro/whatever).
If Gaper Jeffey keeps up this withering criticism of my brakes, however, I may have to yank them off and replace them with my custom leashes:
http://www.nerandorace.com/dynafit_leash.html
Anyway, Trab review, for Duo FreeRando:
- I've used them just for the two outings described in this TR, so only 9000 vertical so far.
- As you can probably tell by how I'm not sinking in very far, the snow both days was fairly dense (although thankfully not wet). So great snow, but not perfect snow.
- The FreeRando seemed to ski perfectly for me. I couldn't ask anything more from them for a ski in these conditions.
- On Wednesday, I skied at Mt Hood Ski Bowl. For that I took my R:Ex w/ Diamirs. (I'm a bit nervous with using Dynafits for extensive in-bounds use, even though I've never had any problems with them for several days of lift-served skiing.) I suppose I could have switched back and forth between the FreeRando & R:Ex for a head-to-head comparison, but my priority was max freshies rather than ski testing. My R:Ex skis are 4cm longer and 5mm wider in the waist than the FreeRando, so they definitely feel like more ski. Probably the most apt comparison would be between the 80mm Atomic (previously available in the AT-specific MX:15, not just available in two tele versions) and the FreeRando, and then the R:Ex and various 84mm successors vs the Trab Stelvio.
Duo Sint Aero:
- The weight is amazing, weighing in around the typical straight rando race ski, but giving you a more all-around waist width and sidecut.
- The ski is amazing quick. Feels almost like my slalom race skis when coming around.
- Edgehold on firm hardpack is excellent. (I've used them for skinning up ski areas before they open.)
- Even skis well in tight mogul fields. (While teaching an avalanche course, the lead instructor let two of us assistant instructors go and take some runs -- the only ski gear I had with me was the Duo Sint Aero for skinning up before the course started, so suddenly I found myself skiing lift-served on such a super light setup, and was pleasantly surprised at its peformance.)
- Also skied them in some deep windpack snow. Obviously a 73mm ski is not the best design choice for such conditions, but I thought they skied quite well. (Later in the day I switched to a pair of Icelantic Scout skis -- not exactly a great ski mountaineering choice, but for lift-served and sidecountry, what a hoot!)
For both skis:
- The tip & tail attachment system is great. It always requires first unclipped the tail, but then you can either peel the skin back from the tip or the tail. I think this must be the only ski attachment system that offers that option?
- A pair of skis comes with the attachment hardware, so you can buy whatever your favorite skin brand is (and with no attachment hardware, which saves some $$), then attachment the special Trab hardware.
- Since setting up a pair of skins requires not only the usual trimming & cutting, but also pounding in a dozen rivets, set aside some time for this operation! (I think setting up the skins took longer than mountin my Dynafits, although then again I do have a Dynafit jig, so takes a lot less time for that than previously.)
If Gaper Jeffey keeps up this withering criticism of my brakes, however, I may have to yank them off and replace them with my custom leashes:
http://www.nerandorace.com/dynafit_leash.html
Anyway, Trab review, for Duo FreeRando:
- I've used them just for the two outings described in this TR, so only 9000 vertical so far.
- As you can probably tell by how I'm not sinking in very far, the snow both days was fairly dense (although thankfully not wet). So great snow, but not perfect snow.
- The FreeRando seemed to ski perfectly for me. I couldn't ask anything more from them for a ski in these conditions.
- On Wednesday, I skied at Mt Hood Ski Bowl. For that I took my R:Ex w/ Diamirs. (I'm a bit nervous with using Dynafits for extensive in-bounds use, even though I've never had any problems with them for several days of lift-served skiing.) I suppose I could have switched back and forth between the FreeRando & R:Ex for a head-to-head comparison, but my priority was max freshies rather than ski testing. My R:Ex skis are 4cm longer and 5mm wider in the waist than the FreeRando, so they definitely feel like more ski. Probably the most apt comparison would be between the 80mm Atomic (previously available in the AT-specific MX:15, not just available in two tele versions) and the FreeRando, and then the R:Ex and various 84mm successors vs the Trab Stelvio.
Duo Sint Aero:
- The weight is amazing, weighing in around the typical straight rando race ski, but giving you a more all-around waist width and sidecut.
- The ski is amazing quick. Feels almost like my slalom race skis when coming around.
- Edgehold on firm hardpack is excellent. (I've used them for skinning up ski areas before they open.)
- Even skis well in tight mogul fields. (While teaching an avalanche course, the lead instructor let two of us assistant instructors go and take some runs -- the only ski gear I had with me was the Duo Sint Aero for skinning up before the course started, so suddenly I found myself skiing lift-served on such a super light setup, and was pleasantly surprised at its peformance.)
- Also skied them in some deep windpack snow. Obviously a 73mm ski is not the best design choice for such conditions, but I thought they skied quite well. (Later in the day I switched to a pair of Icelantic Scout skis -- not exactly a great ski mountaineering choice, but for lift-served and sidecountry, what a hoot!)
For both skis:
- The tip & tail attachment system is great. It always requires first unclipped the tail, but then you can either peel the skin back from the tip or the tail. I think this must be the only ski attachment system that offers that option?
- A pair of skis comes with the attachment hardware, so you can buy whatever your favorite skin brand is (and with no attachment hardware, which saves some $$), then attachment the special Trab hardware.
- Since setting up a pair of skins requires not only the usual trimming & cutting, but also pounding in a dozen rivets, set aside some time for this operation! (I think setting up the skins took longer than mountin my Dynafits, although then again I do have a Dynafit jig, so takes a lot less time for that than previously.)
Hey Jonathan,
I used your instructions to make leashes for my rando race skis. The leashes worked great at the VertFest last weekend, although I need to experiment with different strength zip ties. Thanks!
I used your instructions to make leashes for my rando race skis. The leashes worked great at the VertFest last weekend, although I need to experiment with different strength zip ties. Thanks!
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