MT quiver ponderings

**smooth operator** · 10-06-2019, 11:28 AM

The first bit of snow has fallen here in the alps so i am thinking about skiing again. Considering a quiver overhaul and looking for input. This will be my last winter in the Swiss Alps before moving to Bozeman, MT.

I have the touring setup pretty dialed with the zeroG95 and Vwerks Katana. Freeride-wise I have a Cochise w cast/STH, Gunsmoke w STH and Bodacious w Marker. Love them all but do not want to drag them all across the Atlantic. Also, as much as I love these heavyweights for charging, it sucks dragging them uphill and I could probably get used to something lighter. (I used to have beasts on most of these and toured quite a bit on them. But that Cast/Cochise setup is 4kg per foot and that is just too much).
I Was looking at the BC Corvus since I love the low reverse camber design, but am also considering the 188 Rustler 11 as everybody praises its versatility. I am (maybe naively) hoping it can merge all the good aspects of the Cochise, Gunsmoke and Bode in one ski.

I am especially looking for input in the context of Montana snow conditions. Will the 107 waisted Corvus be undergunned on most powder days? I imagine the snow to be cold, light and fluffy, more so than in the Alps. Am I correct to assume so? Will the Rustler stand up to inbounds charging, or should I haul the heavyweights across the pond?

**jackattack** · 10-06-2019, 11:59 AM

OG Bode would be an ideal ski for big sky IMO. I bet the current Corvus would be great for low snow days.

Whatever you choose, be prepared to run them through the cheese grater.

**CascadeLuke** · 10-06-2019, 12:12 PM

My Corvus love has been widely shown. I could see myself traveling there on vacation with just the Corvus. They’re shocking on packed snow and can handle up to boot deep before you’d start to desire more ski..

**yeahman** · 10-06-2019, 12:16 PM

~107 is a great width for MT resort skiing if you want a daily driver.

Speaking for myself, I skip the DD category and ski either a 95 on low tide days or 115 on powder days.

**L82thegate** · 10-06-2019, 01:06 PM

I'm going to the Atomic Vantage 107 with shifts as a more in-bounds, sidecountry ski set-up. Reviews suggest a go through anything with good powder capability ride. Weight compares with the Dynafit Meteorites they replace so not very heavy for a titanium layered ski. Crustal gets skied out early so points for chop and groomers matter. Not skied this set-up yet but don't forsee any disappointments unless the ski's are better than I can leverage?

**smooth operator** · 10-08-2019, 09:07 AM

Thanks for the replies.
I feel kinda nuts getting more skies when I should slim down. And it is really hard to let go of those Bodacious and cochise's. Plus if Big sky eats my ski's (why is that btw?) I'd better hold out on some new ones.

I also think skipping the DD category makes a lot of sense. Unless you are traveling and limited, but I am not bound by such restriction. I usually get to decide in the morning what I take out

Just too bad the STH/cast didnt fit the Bode due to hole conflicts. Would it be nuts to put a shift on a Bodacious?

Also, tell me more about Big Sky vs Bridger. Which pass should I get? What are the differences in terrain, snowpack, etc?

**snowaddict91** · 10-08-2019, 09:32 AM

Just here to say I love the bodacious too. Paired with a ~100 underfoot ski I don't feel like I'm missing much. I've also thought about putting a pair of shifts on mine but then thought better. I've always wanted to get on a pair of the old scouts (cochise without metal) for a touring ski.

**kathleenturneroverdrive** · 10-08-2019, 10:08 AM

Corvus with Shifts is my Bridger Bowl DD setup. A quiver of that + a pow ski and you're good 99% of the time (if you like bigger skis). Keep in mind though Bridger doesn't really have groomers worth owning a ski for. Only reason I've ever considered buying one is just for skiing with my kids.

I don't ski Big Sky often, but if I was there a lot I'd certainly have a 90 - 95 waist ski for groomers/dry spells in my quiver.

As for which hill to ski - I'd get a pass to one + a card/10 day to the other your first year here so you can try them both out. You can't really go wrong, but the two are VERY different. If Bridger is where you get a season pass I'd consider prioritizing lighter/middle weight skis since you'll have them on your back/shoulder all the time.

**HAB** · 10-08-2019, 03:02 PM

Are we talking the OG/current Bodi, with a bunch of metal and basically no tip taper? Because I love that ski, but I've never been tempted to put a Shift or Cast setup on it. They're heavy, and a lot of what I like about them - nuking chop without being hugely demanding - seems like a lot less of an asset in a touring ski. If I'm earning my turns its usually on better snow, where that ski weight doesn't help as much.

**skaredshtles** · 10-08-2019, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by smooth operator

<snip> Plus if Big sky eats my ski's (why is that btw?)

It is a GIANT pile of extremely hard, pointy rocks, *barely* covered by snow.

**smooth operator** · 10-09-2019, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by HAB

Are we talking the OG/current Bodi, with a bunch of metal and basically no tip taper? Because I love that ski, but I've never been tempted to put a Shift or Cast setup on it. They're heavy, and a lot of what I like about them - nuking chop without being hugely demanding - seems like a lot less of an asset in a touring ski. If I'm earning my turns its usually on better snow, where that ski weight doesn't help as much.

Yes the one and only OG. I think that one year they spurred the Bode can go into the history books as a minor mishap. I never skied it, and my buddy likes the Spur, but you don't mess with something that good.

A lot of my 'inbounds' skiing may involve short skins of less than an hour. Not having tourability is very limiting, so I will sometimes go as far as carry trackers (remember those?) in my pack to make the heaviest setup known to mankind. Shifts would improve massively upon that, but I dont know how they affect skiing performance.

**HAB** · 10-09-2019, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by smooth operator

Yes the one and only OG. I think that one year they spurred the Bode can go into the history books as a minor mishap. I never skied it, and my buddy likes the Spur, but you don't mess with something that good.

A lot of my 'inbounds' skiing may involve short skins of less than an hour. Not having tourability is very limiting, so I will sometimes go as far as carry trackers (remember those?) in my pack to make the heaviest setup known to mankind. Shifts would improve massively upon that, but I dont know how they affect skiing performance.

I've got Shifts on a pair of Protests. They feel like a legit alpine binding in terms of elasticity and whatnot. They are annoying if you're switching back and forth between an alpine and an AT boot all the time, because the AFD adjustment is a little fiddly, and kind of settles in and often lowers a little after you've skied a few runs after you mess with it. Once you have it dialed it's good. Just carry a screwdriver.