Thanks. One of these days I’ll need to check out the wide open spaces and rolling terrain up your way. Central CO is great, but it tends toward either flat, steep, or densely forested.

Thanks for the sub, whatever the reason! 3-pin cable seems like an ideal setup for the 112s: keep ‘em light.

Yeah, I think that would work well on soft snow (even if just a little soft). The consensus seems to be that the S-bounds/Annums are willing turners but do not hold an edge well. The plastic boot will give you a stronger connection to the ski, but the ski will still struggle on edge if the snow is firm (like a groomed run at a downhill resort, or wind slab, or sun crust). The boot might help a bit or it might overpower the ski depending on the snow and your skiing style. I do think the thinner S-bounds (98 or some older, thinner versions) are likely to hold an edge a little bit better.

Hi Andrew, I’m 6’3” and my weight would land me somewhere between the longest and the 2nd longest. I usually buy gear secondhand, so my decision is often based on what’s available. However, since the snow in Colorado tends to be low-density and since I don’t have the skill yet to ski tight trees, I prefer longer skis in general to get better flotation and better glide on the tour. I feel like longer skis also keep me safer because they are more stable at speed and the extra flotation/glide allow me to maintain enough speed to avoid sinking to a stop on low-angle slopes (thereby letting me stick to conservative terrain). If these were skis with high, stiff camber and less sidecut, then I might think about a shorter option to keep it “turnier.”

Hi Krummholz, I’m using some ancient Alico Double Leathers with no buckles. They’re kind of heavy with a nice, thick sole but don’t come up very high above the ankle. They’re my favorite on this class of ski. I’ve never used the Ski March, but they look perfectly capable of driving the 112s in soft snow for the kinds of turns I manage to do.