Cat/heliski specific skis

Hello, everybody! I beg your pardon for starting so many useless threads but may be this question will be of interest for some other guys as well.
 

I have recently started a thread about heliskiing in Alaska. I have been told that the best way for me is to go on a cat skiing trip first.
 

I decided to go to Steamboat Powdercats this year with a trip to CMH heliskiing the next year. After this I will possibly attempt to heliski in Alaska.
 

Thus I want a ski that would be a cat/heliskiing specific tool and would work fine for me during all those trips to come (hopefully).
 

Since I'm in Europe my attention was drawn to Birdos skis www.birdos.com

But I'm not really sure which of their skis to choose.
 

So, please advice me on the skis and I'm open to any thoughts and I don't care about their (skis) bump/groomer performance, BTW.

 

My current one ski quiver is 186 PMGear Lhasa Pow. May be these are enough, though?

I enjoyed Steamboat Powdercats and can recommend it. They ski in almost any weather.

However, Steamboat Powdercats offer a lot of tree skiing and the terrain is not super steep. It's a good place to start, but I'm sure that Heli-skiing will be different.

See: http://www.epicski.com/forum/thread/63698/pix-from-steamboat-powdercats-skiing-on-dec-17th

I like a reverse camber & reverse side-cut ski for untracked powder and softer crud, see: http://www.epicski.com/forum/thread/63431/retro-heaven-volant-spatula

Michael

Unfortunately I haven't yet tried them in pure untracked.

But I know the guys from TGR report them to be more than just good there. 

Ask the trip guides, in advance, what works for the terrain they'll be taking you to. Get generic recommendations like fat, fat, or fat.

I've been on cat trips that were the bomb despite no two runs having similar conditions and of 14 runs only 2 - 3 were really powder. This was a late season, comped trip for employees at my resort to another resort that was co-promoting.

It helps to know where you are going and what they ski. Skiing drapery in AK requires a different skill set and skis than skiing low pitch thigh deep pow.

MR

What do you guys think about Lotus 138's as the ski of choice for those trips? 
I've been told that this type of skis diminishes the effort required and provides more control, stability, maneuverability and stopping power in powder and other untracked soft snow conditions. Is it right?

There was a tread on this last spring:http://www.epicski.com/forum/thread/83774/do-non-traditional-skis-cause-more-injuries

Too much data for my humble mind to process.

I guess I should ski more and think less. 

I would suggest sking something you are confident on.  If Lhasas are your daily driver, what are you worried about?

I've taken 193 Head Monster Cross' heli skiing and had fun because that's what I was skiing that year.  I took 185 Blowers on my last two cat trips, as well as a second ski, but never used the other skis because I was more comfortable on the 185s.

Thank you, guys! The Lhasa seem to have enough powder performance for me, really. 

 1. have you skied your Lhasas at all?
I would get to know that ski before you even think about another ski, especially for a trip that's so far away in the future.

2. far be it from me to even have the $$$ to go cat-skiing, let alone heli-skiing, but everybody i have spoken to who does, has told me that most legit (and solid) heli-skiing outfits have a stable of skis for you the client to choose from. They have skis that are chosen specifically for the conditions they are going to put you in. I know you are also allowed to bring your own sticks, but I'm just saying that a few of my friends have just used what the outfit has to offer.

Again, I'd get out on those Lhasa's and really get the feel for them before you start thinking about needing another powder ski (I ride with folks who have used the Lhasa for a season of 80+ days and they love that ski in all conditions from terra firma to waist deep pow to sun-cupped corn).

So, yes, think less and ski more (or, in the immortal words of MTT: "Pick a ski (1 ski) and make it your b@tch").

:)

In the sports diamond that would be leaving your Power corner and going to your Touch corner.

Did you know that Powdercats will provide you skis?

Yeah, I know. But want to have my own pair of FAT skis.-))


Trekchick my mind is humble and I am not a native speaker, so I didn't get your post, sorry. 

Hellbents.... dont forget the ugly ass ski of the year! 

Ahh, an honorable desire....so SPC really is irellevant?

I love my HB's. Totally unecessary but so much fun..... Big up for you man'

Thanks.

Hellbent, S7's, Pontoons look like noodles and while they are great for SPC I don't think they'll be very good for AK. Rockers I know are supa burly and heavy. Thus KURO's look like a good idea. 

no worries,You are very correct about Steamboat trees and terrain being different from AK big lines but we are talking about worlds of difference.  A better warmup might be hiring Bob Peters to do some back country skiing at jackson to get your teeth knocked around a bit first. Steamboat is a blast, but we don't have the steeps and lines anywhere near that of AK or J-hole for that matter.

She doesn't make much sense to anybody else either but she's almost as much fun to ski with as Mr TC

 As long as I've achieved my goal, my work is done here.