The FIFTY

[I've seen black diamonds!]

More backcountry/uphill focused on the 50/50 spectrum. You definitely put more effort into you backcountry skis, particularly the bindings.

Nailed it. I will be close to 50-50, but only because I ski a lot with a 4 year old. I do love skiing with my boy, but it also makes it more fair when I leave him with mom and go ski up something.

That said, I am in the market for some do-it-all-skis with Tectons. The new QST 106's are intriguing (although I'm too cheap to buy new skis). Thought the old ones were good, but not great. Stiffer tip and looser tail would make for a great ski.

[hercule33]

Haha, this game fun. I know it’s not popular on this thread and you might get called a gaper but I would also consider the shifts as a do it all binding. As much as I love pin bindings in the backcountry, there were a few days inbounds with my Kingpins that I wished for some extra damping. One was on a deep powder day when I followed a skier off a groomer into three feet of powder in the trees and due to the lack of damping I got bucked pretty good when I hit the “wall” created by the groomers. Also in firm conditions,the extra damping of alpine bindings is nice and looks like you have plenty of light setups for bigger days.

+11 on the boot mods.

[TahoeJ]

Would you say the toe frame of the shifts dampens better and might be a little more comfortable for someone with knees without meniscii?

Definitely. But the Tectons also have some lateral toe movement that's noticeable (and they're a bit lighter). Not as much as shifts, but still way less rigid feeling.

[SB]

Needs moar Praxis RX

[hercule33]

Definitely. But the Tectons also have some lateral toe movement that's noticeable (and they're a bit lighter). Not as much as shifts, but still way less rigid feeling.

How do the shifts feel compared to an Alpine binding when skied in a resort? Can you tell any difference? How about the Tectons?

For reference when I push the Kingpins in a resort they perform well for a tech binding but the faster I go in less than ideal conditions the more I miss the elasticity of an Alpine binding. Also, I can definitely tell that while being very stiff, the Salomon MTN Lab don’t provide the smooth flex of an alpine boot and when combined with a pin binding they can be far more jarring than an Alpine setup. Hoping that Shifts can fix the binding side of things and really interested in Cody’s boot mods

[TG]

What's your assessment:

.

my assessment is I'd be cleaning those SSL 2.0 toepieces real good with some isopropyl alcohol then putting them under a bright light and maybe even a magnifying glass and looking for hairline cracks around each of the screw holes. Maybe every 5 ski days. Maybe every 2nd day on a big-ass ski like that praxis.

while you're at it check the heel pieces and make sure the pin/rod that holds the u-spring in place isn't loose & sliding back and forth with the potential to fall out half way up a mountain

/thread drift.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

my assessment is I'd be cleaning those SSL 2.0 toepieces real good with some isopropyl alcohol then putting them under a bright light and maybe even a magnifying glass and looking for hairline cracks around each of the screw holes. Maybe every 5 ski days. Maybe every 2nd day on a big-ass ski like that praxis.

while you're at it check the heel pieces and make sure the pin/rod that holds the u-spring in place isn't loose & sliding back and forth with the potential to fall out half way up a mountain

/thread drift.

Thanks. I'm aware of the failure modes. About 80 days on the pair mounted on the Praxis. Still tight and solid.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

[TahoeJ]

How do the shifts feel compared to an Alpine binding when skied in a resort? Can you tell any difference? How about the Tectons?

Shifts feel pretty much identical to an STH2. I'd like to think I could tell a slight difference but it's so hard to say without being blindfolded or something - I did run them back to back on the same day and couldn't really tell. I'm still a little concerned about those pre-release incidents we've heard about. Tectons are indistinguishable in pow, noticeably more rigid on groomers and firmer snow but still pretty darn good. Kingpins I could definitely feel that rigid toe. I still wouldn't want to pound any binding with toe pins at the resort all season long.

[hercule33]

Shifts feel pretty much identical to an STH2. I'd like to think I could tell a slight difference but it's so hard to say without being blindfolded or something - I did run them back to back on the same day and couldn't really tell. I'm still a little concerned about those pre-release incidents we've heard about. Tectons are indistinguishable in pow, noticeably more rigid on groomers and firmer snow but still pretty darn good. Kingpins I could definitely feel that rigid toe. I still wouldn't want to pound any binding with toe pins at the resort all season long.

Thanks. Totally agree that pounding a binding with toe pins all season long is stupid. That being said, I find that occasionally skiing pin bindings (even the light ones) in the resorts is OK if you have a backcountry mentality of working for fresh snow. Skiing with an inbounds mentality where after you ski the fresh you crush the crud to get to the lift as fast as possible, backcountry gear is far from ideal.

To me the huge advantage of the Shift is that you can ski it with alpine boots in the resort and probably have the feel of an alpine setup while still retaining pretty good touring abilities. That’s what I was hoping the Kingpins would deliver but honestly I have been more impressed by their touring abilities than their inbounds prowess.

Getting back on topic, I wonder what Cody’s boot mods are. One thing that could be improved in the Salomon MTN Labs is the ROM which I find a bit restrictive though not a deal breaker.

[meter-man]

Jesucristo... Mtn Lab boot mod: see post 15 of this thread. https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...he-Mtn-Lab-mod

Continue tech talking there and stay off the lawn!

[bodywhomper]

If the OP is taking orders, I would like to order a rick Wyatt-style descent: low leather with 3-pin bindings. Missed the “best” opportunity for it on the grand (a la Wyatt) but maybe another of the descents would work out....

[swissiphic]

Sooooo, according to facebook, even more of Joffre fell off.

[doebedoe]

Whoa. Central is gone now too?!

The whole last descents conversation is looking creepily prophetic.

[TahoeJ]

Are those Lee’s photos? Saw similar on IG the last few days

[LeeLau]

Are those Lee’s photos? Saw similar on IG the last few days

Bye bye Central Couloir! Another day another chunk of Joffre gone. Seismic event picked up in afternoon

Picture 1 recent shot showing another alarmingly large rock and snow fall.

Picture2. What recently fell. Pic by Jamie M

Picture 3. Green is what just went. Red is what fell off a few days ago. Graphic from Steve Jones

Picture 4. Before shot. Rockfall trail from what was once Twisting

[LeeLau]

And more from the first fall that took out Twisting.

That used to be a hanging glacier then. Peeled away with the ice exposed.
Jamie M with the pictures

Will be interesting to see if the entire rest of the face peels back towards Joffre Couloir

[t.odd]

just, insane

[TahoeJ]

Woah... I guess it’s a good ski base line now.

[LeeLau]

Better shot. Corroboration as circa before 530 PST

All three juxtaposed

[Norseman]

Yeehaw. Mass wasting is mind blowing.

So did the dude who beatered down Central Couloir get the Last Descent?

[powdork]

Better shot. Corroboration as circa before 530 PST

am or pm? i would assume there were some geology types with cameras on it if it happened in daylight

[jackstraw]

It's sad to see a grown man beg. I hit the sub button.

Hah, finally guilt tripped into subscribing to the Youtube channel. It's ok though, mostly for selfish reasons - such a good excuse to drink a beer and watch rad skiing.

me too. my first youtube sub.

Funny. I just got around to watching this and subscribed to my first channel as well. I don't even know what it does on my end.

Poles - "....They're Salomons...I don't even know the name"

[Angle Parking]

Yeehaw. Mass wasting is mind blowing.

So did the dude who beatered down Central Couloir get the Last Descent?

Between his serendipitous (and painful) appearance in the series and this ^^^, dude is occupying a pretty unique place in ski lore

[muted]

Looks like it's just 49 classic descents, time to update the book.

[robnow]

Cody, they don't care about your POLE, they just want to know how you GRIP your SHAFT

Seriously though, I think someone here even started a thread about it in Tech Talk wanting to know what you added for grip to the shaft.