Sticky snow

[crgildart]

I found concentrated Rain-X. I mix with a cup of H20 instead of the gallon.

Does it also keep your goggles from fogging up?

 

[AmyPJ]

So, I tried rubbing on some fluoro warm snow wax today when things got sticky. The plus side is that it DOES work. The downside is that our runs are so stinkin' long here, it only lasts for about 1/4 of a run.

I'm going to iron some on, then carry it or a spring solution in my pocket as I don't have any paraffin handy.

The cloud cover we've had off and on helps a ton, but once the sun peaked out today, it was pretty crappy.

I have to wonder if straight lining while riding your tails is a better alternative? And never waxing or tuning your skis? I saw several of those types zipping down without an issue. Maybe their bases are so gouged up, it's like a super aggressive structure.

 

[cantunamunch]

So, I tried rubbing on some fluoro warm snow wax today when things got sticky. The plus side is that it DOES work. The downside is that our runs are so stinkin' long here, it only lasts for about 1/4 of a run.

Do a bunch of iron cycles with it at home, it's a lot less hassle than rubbing on slope and it lasts significantly longer.

 

[James]

Probably riding rails is good for spring bases.

 

[AmyPJ]

Do a bunch of iron cycles with it at home, it's a lot less hassle than rubbing on slope and it lasts significantly longer.

Scrape between each? That will get costly if so. That stuff is spendy!

 

[Sibhusky]

Sibby, have you tried the thing I just described on those cat tracks?

I haven't been on a cat track since you posted it. When it started pouring I downloaded.

 

[CalG]

We're taking about sticky snow, right? The grabby stuff that feels like you're not on snow, you're on rubber and it's not polished rubber. How does moving one foot forward and the other help? Especially since I'm always on skinny cat tracks when I hit this stuff and it's usually in horizontal stripes across the trail, alternating from chilled hardpack to the rubber. I can't envision what you are suggesting unless I'm wearing tele skis.

Spreading my base of of support fore and aft helps prevent toppling over fore or aft.

It doesn't change the snow, I wouldn't want to do that. ;-)

 

[KingGrump]

Scrape between each? That will get costly if so. That stuff is spendy!

Spring wax is very soft. Just grab the bar and rub on a very thin coat. Spread it evenly with a piece of cork. Iron. Let cool, scrape and brush.
A 180 gram bar will last a long time.
I really like the SVST Radial cork for the job.

Wax wise.
Used CH10 for a long while. Switched to LF10 few years back. An improvement.
Used Swix F4 last season.Pretty happy with it. Better than the LF10.
Got my grubby mitts on couple bars of HF10 cheap last summer. Didn't get a chance to try it at SLC last couple of week. It will definitely get a work out at Squaw and Mammoth down the road.

 

[CalG]

gulf wax is cheap, and works OK on sticky days.

Just rub it on at the top. Then ski down

 

[Sibhusky]

I haven't been on a cat track since you posted it. When it started pouring I downloaded.

And the season is done. Had some fresh firm set up glop today that I have yet to find anyone who stuck around for a second taste. Was glad to arrive at the locker room in one piece. The K2's I just got were far too stiff to feel like anything other than 2x4's in it. I need to keep my powder skis in the locker room until the last day next season.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I change my skiing when it's sticky out there. It seems at least for me that the turns are easier with this kind of snow if I lay into them more, really get in those turns as I go from side to side. I guess for me this means just get more aggressive with each turn and this seems to work for me in pushing through the sticky snow. That said I'm buying a waxing iron this week to wax before taking skis out each day and a zardox puck to carry on me.

 

[AmyPJ]

Spring wax is very soft. Just grab the bar and rub on a very thin coat. Spread it evenly with a piece of cork. Iron. Let cool, scrape and brush.
A 180 gram bar will last a long time.
I really like the SVST Radial cork for the job.

Wax wise.
Used CH10 for a long while. Switched to LF10 few years back. An improvement.
Used Swix F4 last season.Pretty happy with it. Better than the LF10.
Got my grubby mitts on couple bars of HF10 cheap last summer. Didn't get a chance to try it at SLC last couple of week. It will definitely get a work out at Squaw and Mammoth down the road.

So, what I have is Dominator Butter, which I guess is intended to be used as an overlay? It works GREAT--I could really tell when I'd hit a sloppy patch, as the skis would take off in it vs. the snow that hadn't gotten quite as sloppy yet, but it doesn't last very long. I also have some Dominator Hyper Zoom, but haven't tried it yet.

Funny, the man friend is familiar with all of this, but just keeps using his usual Swix all-temp stuff and zips by me laying down railroad tracks, as do our friends who are able to lay down railroad tracks. So, as was mentioned above, technique appears to be as big a factor as anything. I have been playing around with stance and turn initiation the past two days when it got sticky, and was getting a feel for things, but it's REALLY tiring. Although they also are ready to call it a day about one run after me, so even though they can zip through the stuff, they still don't love it.

 

[Steve]

I change my skiing when it's sticky out there. It seems at least for me that the turns are easier with this kind of snow if I lay into them more, really get in those turns as I go from side to side. I guess for me this means just get more aggressive with each turn and this seems to work for me in pushing through the sticky snow. That said I'm buying a waxing iron this week to wax before taking skis out each day and a zardox puck to carry on me.

Drive the outside ski forward. Almost a telemark turn.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Drive the outside ski forward. Almost a telemark turn.

I've never telemarked but outside ski absolutley, that's where I feel it.

 

[4ster]

One of the main things that causes it is new snow being hit by sun. If the snow has a few freeze/thaws in it, it is less sticky.

Fresh snow(even the lightest amount) and then warm temps, rain, or even just late season sun and cool temps.

IF the snow is sticky today and refreezes solid tonight it will not be sticky As Early tomorrow.

FIFY^

Suction is the culprit!
Fresh snow transitioning or getting rained on is the worst.
Later in the Spring, dirt, pine tar, diesel & other crap in the snow adds to the gooey, gluey stickiness. In these conditions wax seems to attract this stuff & will often make dirt stick to the bases. Scrape, clean, brush & structure.
When it’s bad nothing really works, so suck it up or quit.

Skiing steep bumps in the afternoon is what I try to do...

 

[Yo Momma]

So, my better half feels that Zardoz dries the bases out really badly. So, I'd get massive amounts of grief if I used it. I've tried it before with mixed results.

I use it only after waxing my skis w/ a universal wax. The puck is a supplement and doesn't replace regular waxing. If used as your only wax then I've found that as you said, the bases dry out.....

Oh, and I'm on my "Rock" skis and the bases are terrible!

 

[KingGrump]

So, what I have is Dominator Butter, which I guess is intended to be used as an overlay? It works GREAT--I could really tell when I'd hit a sloppy patch, as the skis would take off in it vs. the snow that hadn't gotten quite as sloppy yet, but it doesn't last very long. I also have some Dominator Hyper Zoom, but haven't tried it yet.

Funny, the man friend is familiar with all of this, but just keeps using his usual Swix all-temp stuff and zips by me laying down railroad tracks, as do our friends who are able to lay down railroad tracks. So, as was mentioned above, technique appears to be as big a factor as anything. I have been playing around with stance and turn initiation the past two days when it got sticky, and was getting a feel for things, but it's REALLY tiring. Although they also are ready to call it a day about one run after me, so even though they can zip through the stuff, they still don't love it.

Last season at Squaw, I started with a layer of LF10 then overlay it with a rub on F4. Once the F$ wore off, it dog slow. Slower than LF10 alone. The F4 must not played well with the LF10. Switched to straight iron on F4 like I described above. The wax job would last 2 days with no issues.

Technique wise, we like to keep our skis rolled up on edge. A more neutral stance - skiing from the arch of the boot. The skis almost never runs flat. Also we hang out in the steeps most of the time - where gravity is strong. I like gravity.

 

[cantunamunch]

So, what I have is Dominator Butter, which I guess is intended to be used as an overlay? It works GREAT--I could really tell when I'd hit a sloppy patch, as the skis would take off in it vs. the snow that hadn't gotten quite as sloppy yet, but it doesn't last very long. I also have some Dominator Hyper Zoom, but haven't tried it yet.

Funny, the man friend is familiar with all of this, but just keeps using his usual Swix all-temp stuff and zips by me laying down railroad tracks,

Every data point in both yours and @KingGrump 's post emphasises my earlier point. I'll restate: Find one hot wax that works medium-well in the conditions you want to ski and just saturate the living daylights out of your bases with it - you will be ahead of most everyone faffing about with overlays and rub-ons. It doesn't matter if that hot wax is CH10 or Holmenkol or Dominator, the key is unstinting saturation and plenty of iron cycles on the base.

 

[AmyPJ]

Every data point in both yours and @KingGrump 's post emphasises my earlier point. I'll restate: Find one hot wax that works medium-well in the conditions you want to ski and just saturate the living daylights out of your bases with it - you will be ahead of most everyone faffing about with overlays and rub-ons. It doesn't matter if that hot wax is CH10 or Holmenkol or Dominator, the key is unstinting saturation and plenty of iron cycles on the base.

That's easy enough. Thanks!!

 

[Tony S]

Funny, the man friend is familiar with all of this, but just keeps using his usual Swix all-temp stuff and zips by me laying down railroad tracks,

Yeah, and he's double your weight, right? Well, there you go.